topic Re: Anyone else having problems with SamKnows whitebox ? in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

Anyone else having problems with SamKnows whitebox ?

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 12:34:13 GMT

I've had a SamKnows whitebox since early 2013, and it has always (until now) functioned perfectly.

On 1st January 2022, I received the monthly email detailing my broadband connection performance for the previous month and noticed that the test results had stopped being recorded after 2nd December 2021.

I checked my ThinkBroadband Broadband Quality Monitor graphs for December, and could see that the SamKnows performance tests were apparently still running at the scheduled times, as it easy to see the multithreaded speed tests showing a brief characteristic spike on the ping chart at the same times each day. Now in January 2022 the tests also appear to have stopped.

I have rebooted my VDSL/FTTC modem, my pfSense router, and the SamKnows whitebox, but the SamKnows tests have not resumed.

The whitebox still passes network traffic OK, all the front panel indicators are correct and show that it has established a connection with the SamKnows server, and the online "dashboard" web page shows that the SamKnows servers have "last seen" my whitebox approximately every hour - but no sign of any tests being run or recorded.

I have put in a SamKnows support request but have not heard back yet,

So I was wondering if anyone else was having similar problems or whether it is just me ?

Re: Anyone else having problems with SamKnows whitebox ?

idonno — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 09:34:53 GMT

TBH, I didn't know that the box was still in use. Maybe they've pulled the plug!

Re: Anyone else having problems with SamKnows whitebox ?

dvorak — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 10:52:04 GMT

I had something similar happen, they said the box wasn't functioning correctly and to get rid of it.
They didn't replace it.

Re: Anyone else having problems with SamKnows whitebox ?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 14:00:18 GMT

I got an email reply from SamKnows customer support.

They confirm that my whitebox isn't reporting test results, that I should ensure the network cables are plugging in correctly (having never being wrong in last 9 years !), to switch it off and back on again, and to follow the instructions in their troubleshooting FAQ.

So they've pretty much asked me to do all the things I told them that I had already done !

It did say somewhere that it might take up to 48 hours for test results to repopulate the online dashboard, so I won't hold my breath but I'll wait until the start of next week until complaining again - in the unlikely chance that yet another reboot fixes it.

Re: Anyone else having problems with SamKnows whitebox ?

VileReynard — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 20:25:01 GMT

Years ago, shortly before installing Gbit ethernet, I asked what speed the ports ran on a Sam whitebox; I was told 100Mbit with no possibility of an upgrade. So I stopped using it, since PC -> PC transfers would severely limited.

Things may have changed since...