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Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

dandiplo
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎09-02-2021

Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

Hi. I've been experiencing fairly frequent short disconnects where the Plusnet One Hub router has reset. The cause always seems to be logged as "watchdog reset (cause: 0x3)". 

Here's a recent example from the Event Log:

 

09:27:14, 10 Feb. ( 17.820000) Boot reason: watchdog reset (cause: 0x3)

09:13:00, 10 Feb. ( 17.840000) Boot reason: watchdog reset (cause: 0x3)

08:15:06, 10 Feb. ( 18.030000) Boot reason: watchdog reset (cause: 0x3)

10:06:33, 09 Feb. ( 17.690000) Boot reason: watchdog reset (cause: 0x3)

 

As myself, my wife and children are all working / schooling from home then we very much need a reliable internet connection. Being disconnected in the middle of calls etc. is becoming annoying.

Looking at similar threads (eg. this, this and this) on this board about this it seems to indicate a possible hardware fault. So should I be looking to get a new router? Will Plusnet send me one? How do I progress this?

 

 

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11 REPLIES 11
WatchdogReset
Dabbler
Posts: 11
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Registered: ‎30-06-2021

Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

I have only recently signed up to plusnet, after many years trouble free service elsewhere, beginning to regret it now. The Router keeps rebooting with the Watchdog reset (cause 0x3). reading the community threads on this issue i am wondering why If this is such a well known problem why do the tech support people pretend not to know about it and ask me to check everything else. Please send me a another router if that is the problem.

dvorak
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Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?


Moderators Note


This topic has been moved from Fibre to My Router

Customer / Moderator
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If it fixed it click 'This fixed my problem'
BD
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 1,359
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Registered: ‎24-04-2017

Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

Hi @WatchdogReset, thanks for getting in touch and welcome to our Community Forums.

I can confirm the reset message you've seen in the router logs hints the router is faulty and caused when there's a high amount of data transferred over the 5Ghz wireless frequency. I've arranged a replacement router be sent out to you which should arrive in the next 3-5 working days.
Let us know how it goes with the new router.

dandiplo
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎09-02-2021

Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

Hmmm, I was never offered a new router!

I ended up having to buy - at my own cost - a BT Business Smart Hub 6. This has helped cut down the number of disconnections from at least once a day to once every few days. I still get disconnections, but at least they are less regular and the Smart Hub 6 seems more reliable and has better wi-fi. I still would expect to have very few, if any, disconnections though. I'm sure there's an underlying issue, but 

BD
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
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Posts: 1,359
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Registered: ‎24-04-2017

Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

Hi @dandiplo, thanks for getting back in touch and I'm sorry we never got back you your initial post. I'm afraid until recent months we stopped our presence and support offered on the forums and why your previous message never got a reply. I'm glad to hear you've since got an alternative router however which hopefully has helped in reducing the wireless issues seen your side since then.
I can see when looking over your connection from this side the intermittent drops which look to be taking place that you've hinted at above.



Our testing of your connection however isn't picking up any underlying faults or reasons for the intermittent drops we've seen so I'd advise sh
ould you see further drops moving forwards, to run through some internal checks your side that will help rule a number of internal factors out that could be behind this first of all.


I'd recommend starting with basic checks here: http://goo.gl/p2tpvL
 

And if that doesn't help the next thing would be to rule your internal wiring out by plugging the connection into your test socket which is under the faceplate of your master socket and seeing if the drops stop. This rules out internal wiring, face plates and extension sockets as being the cause. How to locate the test socket and set your connection into it can be found here:
https://community.plus.net/t5/Library/Testing-From-The-Master-Socket/ba-p/1322242

 

Given the time between each of the drops occurring this may be somewhat tricky to narrow down but should the drops look to persist after placing in the above set-up and you see the drops flare up again or worsen then please do get back in touch and we'll happily look to investigate further.

WatchdogReset
Dabbler
Posts: 11
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Registered: ‎30-06-2021

Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

Hi, Thanks to dandiplo for starting this thread and coming back with another post. I am pretty sure I have got down to the root of the problem, my plusnet internet has been up for for over two days now and no watchdog resets. Previously it was having a watchdog (cause 0x3) reboot several times a day. After reading other reports of the problem, such as connecting NAS (network attached storage) was known to bring on the problem, which I assume is being connected to the router's USB socket and maybe draws power from the router USB or even if it just generates a lot of network traffic and this causes the router to draw more power, I realised the router has a power stability issue. I had my router's power supply connected to a power extension block, along with the TV, satellite receiver, DVD player and 3 other devices. I plugged the router power supply directly into a wall socket and haven't had a reboot since. The power supply must be just barely capable with a clean mains supply and any glitchyness gets through and jiggers up the routers processor which relies on its number 1 solution "lets have a reboot."  Perhaps I will replace the power supply with a better rated one but for now I will just see how it goes. 

Tech support please pay notice and perhaps make this one of the first questions you ask when someone complains of watchdog resets.

bobpullen
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Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

@WatchdogReset - that's really useful insight, thanks.

I have seen the USB > NAS correlation before, but never the power extension observation.

Needless to say, I can't recommend you use anything other than the included PSU to power the device.

Bob Pullen
Plusnet Product Team
If I've been helpful then please give thanks ⤵

WatchdogReset
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Registered: ‎30-06-2021

Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

Hi Bob,

The router is still up after 4 days, You can close this case now.

Thank you all for the help.

 

 

WatchdogReset
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎30-06-2021

Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

Just as a last thought, Although in my case the problem was brought on because I had the router power supply (PSU)  plugged into an extension block along with several other devices. Plugging it into a wall socket and thus connecting it directly to the Ring main (a great British invention) fixed the problem. In some properties some sockets may be wired as spurs into the ring main and this is likely to have same effect as using an extension block if you have other equipment connected onto the same spur.

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WatchdogReset
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎30-06-2021

Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

The Final word. Plugging the Power supply directly into a Ring Main socket rather than the multiblock outlet I previously had it connected to definitely improved the rebooting problem, Connected to the multiblock it was rebooting several times a day, but when connected to the Ring main socket  the router still occasionally rebooted, every few days. Convinced it was still some sort of interference on the DC supply to the router,  I suspected the 5Ghz wireless as the most likely culprit to be causing the interference, we don,t need the 5Ghz wireless,  I disabled it and 23 days later the router hasn't rebooted once.

Gandalf
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Re: Router resets with watchdog reset (cause: 0x3) - hardware fault?

Thanks for getting back to us @WatchdogReset

I'm glad to see you've got to the bottom of this now.

Let us know if there are further issues or anything else you'd need help with.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet