Hub 5x reboot, WiFi Pods now all offline, but they all have active IPs

I know they are all talking to the 5x over WiFi + my DHCP server (Pi-hole) because I can see it has issued them an IP address in the last few mins. But no matter what I do...power off/on, used reset button, removed them using the VM app and re-scanned (they don't re-appear)...I cannot get them enabled. They all just have the slow pulsing white light.

They all worked perfectly before, so it's not just that the MACs need to be registered. All I did was reboot the 5x and they've been offline ever since, even though I can see they are actively communicating on my network. It has been a few days now so it's not just that I haven't waited long enough.

Any ideas before I have an engineer sent out? PS, these are the black WiFi Pods, I know they are terrible compared to a mesh like a Deco, but they have actually been working perfectly since I first got the service (until now), so keen to try and get them running again.

thebenhanson
17 days ago
...as feared after router reboot the WiFi pods will go offline again, if you're using a 3rd party DHCP server. So there is no need to bother setting an IP reservation for them, as it doesn't matter anyway (I was just testing that idea in case it was a simple solution).
The solution is simply, disable your 3rd party DHCP and enable on the 5x, reboot the pods so they get IPs from the 5x (the pods will come back online again, which you can verify in the VM app), then reverse...disable 5x DHCP, enable your 3rd party DHCP. Henceforth the pods will get an IP from your own DHCP server, but will stay online. Until you reboot the 5x...then you will need to repeat the process. Keep your 5x on a UPS and never reboot it and you will never have the problem. But it only takes about a minute to do the above, so for me it's not a big deal.
The only permanent solution is either use the 5x for DHCP (not an option for me, because I want to use Pi-hole for my DHCP and DNS not Virgin), or just don't use the pods at all and get a proper WiFi mesh system like Deco or eero.

20 Replies

Client62
Alessandro Volta
23 days ago
VM Pods tend to fail if the VM Hub is not in or close to the as shipped state, could it be the VM Pods are dependent on the DHCP server of the Hub 5x being enabled ?
- thebenhanson
  On our wavelength
  23 days ago
  I wouldn't think so, as I've had the Pi-hole set up for months now. The router hasn't been rebooted for 100 days or so though, so unless there is something that only runs when it is rebooted, I can't come up with anything else.
  - Client62
    Alessandro Volta
    23 days ago
    The use of the Hub DHCP vs the Pi-hole is a variation only you can test.
    
    Here is what else that is typically required for VM pods to work :
    
    1. The Hub is in 'Router Mode'
    2. Wireless Channel Optimisation is Enabled (DOCSIS Hubs have this does Hub 5x ?)
    3. The 2.4 & 5 GHz bands have the same SSID
    4. SSID broadcast is Enabled on both bands
    5. Both SSID are protected with the same Password.
Roger_Gooner
Alessandro Volta
23 days ago
Have you paired the pods with the hub after rebooting (not normally needed but you have to check this out).
- thebenhanson
  On our wavelength
  23 days ago
  What do you mean exactly...I have done a full reset of them, then left them to connect, but they never do. Likewise I removed them from the app (they all showed as Offline), with the intention to re-add them, but I can't get them to re-appear, even though they are all on. I also did the app wizard to add a new pod, it completes and says they should be working, but they never appear. So I'm not really sure what else to try.
  - Client62
    Alessandro Volta
    23 days ago
    Without the VM Hub's DHCP server running, the Connect app may not see any devices connected to your LAN.
legacy1
Alessandro Volta
22 days ago
Well if VM are going to be a pain where the sun don't shine they should it properly on the hub 5x by not letting you disable DHCP LAN server and remove Wireless Channel Optimisation as they really want these on so why have these options?
legacy1
Alessandro Volta
22 days ago
I don't get why VM allow users to disable DHCP server LAN or Wireless Channel Optimisation if its needed for the pods.
thebenhanson
On our wavelength
22 days ago
FYI for anyone that finds this later and has the same issues:
--Temporarily disable DHCP on your 3rd party DHCP server
--Enable DHCP on the 5x
--Reboot the WiFi pods so that they pick up IPs from the 5x
--If you check the VM app, you'll see that they now appear and are online (the light on them will be solid white)
--Make note of the IPs they have been given by the 5x
--In your 3rd party DHCP server, add reservations for those IPs for the WiFi pods, so they'll always be given those same IPs henceforth
--Disable DHCP on the 5x, re-enable it on your 3rd party DHCP
Now, whenever the pods refresh their IPs, they'll get the same IPs that the 5x gave them and is expecting to see, and they won't go offline.
Clearly this is ridiculous design by Virgin, there is no reason you should have to jump through these hoops, but this is how you can get around it if you use 3rd party DHCP and DNS on a Pi-hole or similar.
- legacy1
  Alessandro Volta
  22 days ago
  I'm sure what you have done will not hold!
  - thebenhanson
    On our wavelength
    21 days ago
    I expect after a router reboot it will fail again. But at least you can trick it to get it back on again! Since I did the above they are successfully online and getting renewed IPs from my 3rd party DHCP server, and the mesh is working normally.
- Client62
  Alessandro Volta
  21 days ago
  Imagine you are away for work this week and a brief power cut triggers the need to re-perform this process.
  
  Your family are going to be truly thrilled with the days of delay to getting the home network functioning again.
  
  This is the reason we have all retail network and Wi-Fi components, once configured no doubts about how or if it works and most important total ISP independence.
  
  A revision of VM Hub firmware or even a replacement VM Hub are not going to prevent our switches and pair of static IP Wi-Fi Access Points from operating on the expected SSID.
- thebenhanson
  On our wavelength
  17 days ago
  ...as feared after router reboot the WiFi pods will go offline again, if you're using a 3rd party DHCP server. So there is no need to bother setting an IP reservation for them, as it doesn't matter anyway (I was just testing that idea in case it was a simple solution).
  The solution is simply, disable your 3rd party DHCP and enable on the 5x, reboot the pods so they get IPs from the 5x (the pods will come back online again, which you can verify in the VM app), then reverse...disable 5x DHCP, enable your 3rd party DHCP. Henceforth the pods will get an IP from your own DHCP server, but will stay online. Until you reboot the 5x...then you will need to repeat the process. Keep your 5x on a UPS and never reboot it and you will never have the problem. But it only takes about a minute to do the above, so for me it's not a big deal.
  The only permanent solution is either use the 5x for DHCP (not an option for me, because I want to use Pi-hole for my DHCP and DNS not Virgin), or just don't use the pods at all and get a proper WiFi mesh system like Deco or eero.
  - legacy1
    Alessandro Volta
    17 days ago
    ...Or doubt NAT with a better router and wait for VM to think maybe we should add modem mode

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Hub 5x reboot, WiFi Pods now all offline, but they all have active IPs

20 Replies

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