SH3 modem mode no internet to ASUS RT-AC86U

[johnhuck]

So the history to this problem...

SH2ac in modem mode with a ASUS RT-AC68U and everything OK for a number of years.

Before Christmas connections to WiFi said no internet connection.  Everything rebooted several times.  No joy.  Revert SH to router mode. Technician booked but will be 5 days.

A couple of days later I thought I'd try again.  Everything now working again.  Technician cancelled.

Late January same thing happens again.  Switch SH back to router mode.  A few days later try switching back to modem mode.  No joy.

Call VM.  They arrrange to send SH3 but also suggest it could be my router.  I buy a ASUS RT-AC86U.

7th Feb - all kit in place.  SH3 in modem mode.  Everything working again.

19th February - No internet connection.  Straight on phone to VM. Technician booked for 20th.  Try some reboots, factory resets, etc.  No luck.

20th February (today).  Technician sorts out a few issues with the 20 year old NTL wiring/attenuator/filter inside and outside the house.  Also replaces SH3 with a brand new SH3 as he said the one I'd been sent was reconditioned.  I login to SH3 and switch to modem mode using web app.  Doesn't seem to work properly.  Tech does a factory reset and swithces to modem mode using his kit.

Tech connects his device directly to SH3 in modem mode and shows me he's connected to the internet.

Reconnect the ASUS RT-AC86U.  No internet.  Reboot everything.  Still no internet.  Tech says he's done as much as he can and wouldn't advise using 3rd party router.  I suspect he was probbaly late for his next appointment as he suddenly seemed very keen to go.  It had taken over an hour to get to this point.

Switch back to router mode to keep the kids happy.

This evening I will factory reset my router, put the SH3 in modem mode and reconfigure and reboot everything.

I use the ASUS router as it reaches all parts of the house and the parental controls on the ASUS are much better.

I'm baffled as everything had been working with both configurations.  Either SH2ac/RT-AC68U and then SH3/RT-AC86U.

Anyone got any advice or experienced similar problems?

[sparky-starsky]

I had this problem and it turned out to be my Sony TV, it had a firmware update and is connected the router via LAN cable. Disconnected the TV rebooted everything and now works perfectly, reconnected the TV reset the LAN connections

[javadudd]

This problem has just occurred with me and the Router's meshed 2 x AC68U's have worked without a problem since upgrading to the lastest 3.0.0.4.386.40558 last week.

Tried the DHCP continuous which didn't appear to work changed to normal rebooted disconnected the cable rebooted SH3 waited for SH3 to come back online plugged in the cable to the SH3 while watching the status on the AC68 and initially it came up with the same error but after a few minutes switched to connected showing WAN and DDNS.

Hopefully will continue to work but will keep an eye on it.

Thanks to the OP for posting or I'd have never spotted it.

[Tmarti66]

Just noticed I’ve been having the same issue, I don’t know how it’s been like this but I have a WiFi extender connected onto my system and when I unplugged this yesterday everyone complained there was no WiFi despite the Asus router showing otherwise. I’ll give your solution a try to see if that sorts the issue - it’s just trying to find a time where I don’t get nailed to a stake for having taken the WiFi offline that’s difficult!!! 

[VMUser_999]

I have also experienced this issue which stated yesterday 20/03/2021,

Ok found the issue. Its sickening and typical criminal Virgin media. But first you need to understand something.

I have found out Virgin are targeting a phased rollout of deliberately causing modem mode to fail. When connected to the horrific Indian technical line, they hear the key word "modem mode" and their script tells them to transfer you to a charged 3rd party service saying "we need to pass you to Gadget team, there may be charge, thank you sir - bye". Next step of this racketeering scheme is for another Indian call center member to answer the transferred call in the name of the Virgin Gadget team .

This person reads you a contract notice saying that they will now setup a £5 recurring monthly charge on your Virgin account along with an initial £20 charge.  Then they say if you want your router to work with their hub again, you must pay for their service to fix it. Then explain to cancel is another £20 charge in the first 2 months and so on. A complete scam.

As you all know, your router has been working with the Hub3 for years without issue in modem mode configuration, so something has been changed by Virgin to ensure your only recourse is to pay up to their 3rd party team as they say its your router that is at fault. Regardless of how many times you tell them there is no change your end. A complete scam.

WORSE; the 3rd party proceed to use LogMe in to remote to your PC, they ensure they tick all the admin permissions, the ability to run scripts on the machine!!!!  This means they could install software agents on your PC without your knowledge, from India. In addition to remote view. The list of permissions was alarming.

So what have Virgin really done! They have changed the MAC address validation in the EuroDOCSIS racks which terminate your connection. This can be done on a user by user basis. They have enabled registered MAC validation to block your router access via modem mode. The MAC address is passed through the connection to the Hub3, which is relayed to Virgin media network, whcih then blocks it. This deliberately cripples modem mode for most people on default settings.

Virgin have timed this carefully so the update to the Hub3 targets random accounts over a longer period of time, so that the impact of the racketeering is not obvious. Using Wire shark you are able to see the protocol negotiation has changed and the hub 3 is deliberately refusing a DHCP lease due to the MAC address reject error.

Your router should enable you to use a feature called "MAC Clone" and this is what is needed. Use the MAC address of the Hub3 in your MAC spoof or clone settings - then your connection is allowed.

[Haden111]

Wow, im totally shocked but the exact same DHCP issue suddenly started happening yesterday so i rang up tech support and just as @VMUser_999 describes, they say they can't support a 3rd party router setup so the only way to solve the issue is speak to the Gadget Team who advised they can fix the issue but it would be a chargeable service. At this point I started accusing them of scamming Virgin customers so they transferred me back to the fault resolution at VM so I asked to speak to a manager and explained how i knew that the whole thing is a scam. After further delay I was advised that all managers were busy but upon considering the situation, they have decided to credit me a total of £30 to cover the cost of the gadger team as long as I cancelled the complaint so then they transferred me back to gadget team thieves who then advised me it wouldn't be £20 but in fact would either be a sign up fee of £20 and ongoing subscription of £5 a month for at least 6 months or a one off fee of £60!! At this point, I advised that I would choose the former and told them I'd see them in court because I'm sure the Telecom Ombudsman would have a field day with this one but they either didn't understand or didn't care because next up they ask which device they can remotely connect to and I told them there was no way I was going to allow criminals access to my devices which apparently was the only way but after continued denial of permission they said a.technician would call me back and walk me through the steps necessary but it's been 10 mins and no call back so I suppose im going to have to call them back now, grrr!!!.

Honestly, cannot believe VM would stoop so low as to be stealing money in this way! Btw, I did try spoofing my Mac address of the virgin super hub 3 in my Asus router on the WAN page but I'm not certain i picked the correct Mac address - can anyone advise how to find the Mac address of the superhub which would solve my issue? 

---

@VMUser_999 wrote:

• I have also experienced this issue which stated yesterday 20/03/2021,
  
  Ok found the issue. Its sickening and typical criminal Virgin media. But first you need to understand something.
  
  I have found out Virgin are targeting a phased rollout of deliberately causing modem mode to fail. When connected to the horrific Indian technical line, they hear the key word "modem mode" and their script tells them to transfer you to a charged 3rd party service saying "we need to pass you to Gadget team, there may be charge, thank you sir - bye". Next step of this racketeering scheme is for another Indian call center member to answer the transferred call in the name of the Virgin Gadget team .
  
  This person reads you a contract notice saying that they will now setup a £5 recurring monthly charge on your Virgin account along with an initial £20 charge.  Then they say if you want your router to work with their hub again, you must pay for their service to fix it. Then explain to cancel is another £20 charge in the first 2 months and so on. A complete scam.
  
  As you all know, your router has been working with the Hub3 for years without issue in modem mode configuration, so something has been changed by Virgin to ensure your only recourse is to pay up to their 3rd party team as they say its your router that is at fault. Regardless of how many times you tell them there is no change your end. A complete scam.
  
  WORSE; the 3rd party proceed to use LogMe in to remote to your PC, they ensure they tick all the admin permissions, the ability to run scripts on the machine!!!!  This means they could install software agents on your PC without your knowledge, from India. In addition to remote view. The list of permissions was alarming.
  
  So what have Virgin really done! They have changed the MAC address validation in the EuroDOCSIS racks which terminate your connection. This can be done on a user by user basis. They have enabled registered MAC validation to block your router access via modem mode. The MAC address is passed through the connection to the Hub3, which is relayed to Virgin media network, whcih then blocks it. This deliberately cripples modem mode for most people on default settings.
  
  Virgin have timed this carefully so the update to the Hub3 targets random accounts over a longer period of time, so that the impact of the racketeering is not obvious. Using Wire shark you are able to see the protocol negotiation has changed and the hub 3 is deliberately refusing a DHCP lease due to the MAC address reject error.
  
  Your router should enable you to use a feature called "MAC Clone" and this is what is needed. Use the MAC address of the Hub3 in your MAC spoof or clone settings - then your connection is allowed.
  
  
  

---

[John_GS]

Hi Haden111

Thanks for posting and welcome to the community. I am sorry you feel this way but I assure you it's not a scam. It's just from what you've said, either worded wrong or crossed wires. The team aren't able to support modem mode etc, only router mode on their diagnostics.

Gadget Rescue is a chargeable service that can help you but this is a chargeable service. 

How are things in router mode please?

Best,

[NinjaMeerkat]

---

@Haden111 wrote:

Wow, im totally shocked but the exact same DHCP issue suddenly started happening yesterday so i rang up tech support and just as @VMUser_999 describes, they say they can't support a 3rd party router setup so the only way to solve the issue is speak to the Gadget Team who advised they can fix the issue but it would be a chargeable service. At this point I started accusing them of scamming Virgin customers so they transferred me back to the fault resolution at VM so I asked to speak to a manager and explained how i knew that the whole thing is a scam. After further delay I was advised that all managers were busy but upon considering the situation, they have decided to credit me a total of £30 to cover the cost of the gadger team as long as I cancelled the complaint so then they transferred me back to gadget team thieves who then advised me it wouldn't be £20 but in fact would either be a sign up fee of £20 and ongoing subscription of £5 a month for at least 6 months or a one off fee of £60!! At this point, I advised that I would choose the former and told them I'd see them in court because I'm sure the Telecom Ombudsman would have a field day with this one but they either didn't understand or didn't care because next up they ask which device they can remotely connect to and I told them there was no way I was going to allow criminals access to my devices which apparently was the only way but after continued denial of permission they said a.technician would call me back and walk me through the steps necessary but it's been 10 mins and no call back so I suppose im going to have to call them back now, grrr!!!.

Honestly, cannot believe VM would stoop so low as to be stealing money in this way! Btw, I did try spoofing my Mac address of the virgin super hub 3 in my Asus router on the WAN page but I'm not certain i picked the correct Mac address - can anyone advise how to find the Mac address of the superhub which would solve my issue? 

---

@VMUser_999 wrote:

• I have also experienced this issue which stated yesterday 20/03/2021,
  
  Ok found the issue. Its sickening and typical criminal Virgin media. But first you need to understand something.
  
  I have found out Virgin are targeting a phased rollout of deliberately causing modem mode to fail. When connected to the horrific Indian technical line, they hear the key word "modem mode" and their script tells them to transfer you to a charged 3rd party service saying "we need to pass you to Gadget team, there may be charge, thank you sir - bye". Next step of this racketeering scheme is for another Indian call center member to answer the transferred call in the name of the Virgin Gadget team .
  
  This person reads you a contract notice saying that they will now setup a £5 recurring monthly charge on your Virgin account along with an initial £20 charge.  Then they say if you want your router to work with their hub again, you must pay for their service to fix it. Then explain to cancel is another £20 charge in the first 2 months and so on. A complete scam.
  
  As you all know, your router has been working with the Hub3 for years without issue in modem mode configuration, so something has been changed by Virgin to ensure your only recourse is to pay up to their 3rd party team as they say its your router that is at fault. Regardless of how many times you tell them there is no change your end. A complete scam.
  
  WORSE; the 3rd party proceed to use LogMe in to remote to your PC, they ensure they tick all the admin permissions, the ability to run scripts on the machine!!!!  This means they could install software agents on your PC without your knowledge, from India. In addition to remote view. The list of permissions was alarming.
  
  So what have Virgin really done! They have changed the MAC address validation in the EuroDOCSIS racks which terminate your connection. This can be done on a user by user basis. They have enabled registered MAC validation to block your router access via modem mode. The MAC address is passed through the connection to the Hub3, which is relayed to Virgin media network, whcih then blocks it. This deliberately cripples modem mode for most people on default settings.
  
  Virgin have timed this carefully so the update to the Hub3 targets random accounts over a longer period of time, so that the impact of the racketeering is not obvious. Using Wire shark you are able to see the protocol negotiation has changed and the hub 3 is deliberately refusing a DHCP lease due to the MAC address reject error.
  
  Your router should enable you to use a feature called "MAC Clone" and this is what is needed. Use the MAC address of the Hub3 in your MAC spoof or clone settings - then your connection is allowed.
  
  
  

---

---

I really don't see what you have to complain about.  VM provides a broadband service and supply you with a broadband router which has the added bonus of being a broadband modem if you want to use your own router, and that is it. You cannot expect VM to then support your supplied router for free as that is your choice. As you have read there is a solution but it is up to you fix the issue with your router.

[Haden111]

@John_GS

With respect, you simply denying that this is a scam changes nothing. I understand that your support teams don't support 3rd party hardware as a policy but thats not the problem here. All your extortionate 3rd party partners do in exchange for an absurdly high fee is to unblock the Mac address of my router on your system or else even more insulting is that they ascertain the Mac address of our superhub and set our 3rd party hardware to clone that address in order to regain acces to internet services. Up until yesterday my setup was working just fine at which point your systems have then been set to not validate my router's Mac address. If you read through the whole thread you'll see that several other users conclude that it's something on the VM side that suddenly disables modem mode from working and then the post before mine uncovers EXACTLY what's going on:

• So what have Virgin really done! They have changed the MAC address validation in the EuroDOCSIS racks which terminate your connection. This can be done on a user by user basis. They have enabled registered MAC validation to block your router access via modem mode. The MAC address is passed through the connection to the Hub3, which is relayed to Virgin media network, whcih then blocks it. This deliberately cripples modem mode for most people on default settings.
  
  Virgin have timed this carefully so the update to the Hub3 targets random accounts over a longer period of time, so that the impact of the racketeering is not obvious. Using Wire shark you are able to see the protocol negotiation has changed and the hub 3 is deliberately refusing a DHCP lease due to the MAC address reject error.
  
  Your router should enable you to use a feature called "MAC Clone" and this is what is needed. Use the MAC address of the Hub3 in your MAC spoof or clone settings - then your connection is allowed.

This explains why your management team was very quick to offer me a credit to my account to cover the gadget team charges when I complained. Before you again deny any wrongdoing here, I'd ask you to investigate in depth into what kind of service  the gadget team performs for users because it won't be very difficult for such an investigation to be carried out by the ombudsman or maybe undercover via BBC Watchdog (if that program Is still on TV!!) And then this absolutely disgusting scandalous abuse of your customers will be made public knowledge at which point it will look rather silly to be flat denying the accusation blaming it on a misunderstanding on my part!

[legacy1]

---

@Haden111 wrote:

I did try spoofing my Mac address of the virgin super hub 3 in my Asus router on the WAN page but I'm not certain i picked the correct Mac address - can anyone advise how to find the Mac address of the superhub which would solve my issue? 

---

---

You can't use the WAN MAC of the hub as its part of the modem bridge interface plus if its DHCP cloning MAC may likely not fix it but if you want to try its one hex up from the MAC listed on your hub, I know VM changed something about their DHCP server for the area I'm in and not happy about (something else) or the issue can be the DHCP Client if it don't see a ACK by a request done by Unicast as VM ignores those and waits for broadcast request for a Unicast or broadcast reply ACK.  

[desi112]

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to say I am having the same issue with my Asus RT-AX56U, it has been perfectly working for over 1 year and from last week I was seeing constant disconnections. 

Nothing has changed on my side...I am now investigating if there is a way to fix this!