Router occasionally appearing to re-boot/restart without prompt - how do I ................?

[#1]

Occasionally, my Plusnet Standard issue router (Hub 1) appears to go through a reboot/restart sequence without being prompted.  It is not frequent but when it happens it can be disruptive .  This brings up a couple of questions:

Is this “reboot/restart” without prompt normal for a Hub 1 router - possibly, for up-date purposes or because of “perceived” disconnection by the router etc?

If so, is it possible to turn off the auto-“reboot/restart” so that I can carry out a manual reboot when it would be less disruptive to do so?

If so, how do I turn off the auto-“reboot/restart”?

Yep, I think that is all for today - thanks.

[#2]

We do not routinely reboot Hub Ones. They will reboot following a software update, however these are few and far between (there have only been two in the last 12 months). The router log may give you a clue as to what's happening.

[#3]

Thanks for replying, bobpullen.

That has answered several questions in one.  I assume therefore, that I have no control over these reboots/restarts.  I doubt that I could interpret the router log, though.

 So what I witness is not an update reboot but a "restart" or "reconnect" after a loss in connection or similar?  Is there a way to differentiate?  For example, do the lights change in a different sequence?  

Either way, I assume that it is an automatic response of the router to (signal) conditions outside of normal operating parameters.  I ask because, if so, one recourse may be to replace the router with a different manufacturer's.  For example, the previous (ADSL) router was a Netgear DGND3700V2.  This router gave me much more control and never, to my knowledge, rebooted or restarted/reconnected without being instructed to do so.  Just a thought.

[#4]

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@TheProfessor wrote:

So what I witness is not an update reboot but a "restart" or "reconnect" after a loss in connection or similar?  Is there a way to differentiate?  For example, do the lights change in a different sequence?

The large, horizontal light on the front of the device goes bright green when the device is initialising following a reboot/restart. If this isn't happening, then it's more likely that the connection between you and your cabinet is dropping out. In this latter scenario, the light will start flashing orange, become steady, and then finally turn blue.

[#5]

Thanks bobpullen.  I will try to catch the router light sequence the next time that it happens and watch for the green light during the sequence.  As I said, it is not happening frequently (perhaps once in two or three weeks) so if I miss it it may take some time to get back on this.

[#6]

Well, as luck would have it, the very next day AND the day after I witnessed a light change sequence.  On the 18/08 @ 09:05 (followed by a deliberate soft restart @ 10:10) and on 19/08 @ 17:14 (followed by a deliberate soft restart @ 17:16).  Green was only part of the sequence when a soft restart was instigated.  I had to carry out a soft restart to see how long it took for the video stream to freeze after loss of signal (due to buffer size in the TV that I was watching at the time).  I timed how long it took for the green light to come on and how long it took for the buffer to empty.  In each restart the buffer emptied in sufficient time for me to have seen the green light if it had happened.  On the plus side, no light change/loss of signal witnessed since 19/08 (but may have occurred during the downtime, of course).

From this I conclude that the cause was probably drop out - cause unknown.  It seems that, with a Hub 1, this will happen each time that there is an interruption in the stream.  I was told by a previous technician that Plusnet accepts the occasional dropout (but I cannot recall the rate - (1 per 24 hours?) - so it seems that I will have to accept this happening or replace the Router with a more tolerant make.  

Does anyone know the acceptable dropout rate?

Can anyone recommend a more tolerant router?

[#7]

fwiw, if your Hub One is not plugged into an Openreach VDSL face plate, and you have an old NTE5 master socket,  have you tried plugging the Hub One into the Engineer's test socket to rule out internal wiring issues?

[#8]

Hi, Bill888.

The original VDSL router that came with the fibre package (February) was replaced as it did this recycling of the lights almost daily. Following a Plusnet/BT line test (in April) the Plusnet team were not happy with the download/upload speeds.  An OpenReach technician checked the external line to the property and found no fault.  He then came to the property and found a wiring issue and corrected the problem (at a cost to us, of course).  The alteration to the internal wiring increased the speeds significantly but these occasional dropouts persist.  Therefore, I must assume that the cause of the dropouts is external or I have paid out (£65 is it?) and still have an issue?  However, if Plusnet accept 1 dropout per 24 hours (or whatever the figure is) as acceptable, they will not treat it as a fault nor investigate.  So I refer you back to my two questions above.

Thanks for responding.