D-Star reflector link drops out after a few seconds...

Help with D-Star related issues
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G8OGJ
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D-Star reflector link drops out after a few seconds...

Post by G8OGJ »

Folks,

I have a DVAP (updated with latest firmware so thankfully no Tx-on crashes any more) running on a Raspberry Pi Zero with Pi-Star 3.4.17 fully updated.

My default D-Star reflector is set to REF001 C. However, that NEVER links on boot or restart. So I have tried linking to reflectors from the Pi-Star dashboard - specifically REF006 A. The dashboard will link me to either REF001 C or to REF006 A but after a few seconds to a few minutes (seems to be longer if the reflector is active but this is not determinative) the link drops (silently).

Any ideas about this? Home internet link is good (>10Mbit/s d/l; >1.2Mbit/s u/l).

Grateful for any thoughts. The current state of affairs is such that the hot-spot is essentially useless.

Ian
Amateur Radio Station G8OGJ
2E0GSU
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Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2019 5:23 am

Re: D-Star reflector link drops out after a few seconds...

Post by 2E0GSU »

Hi G8OGJ,

I had exactly the same problems as you are describing.

I am fairly sure this issue is ISP Router related, you don’t have a BT HomeHub 6 by any chance?

I recently purchased two Jumbospots, one for myself and one for my father.

I set up one at my QTH using a BT HomeHub 6 and the only issue I have is that It won’t auto link to a “REF” reflector on boot. It will however, successfully link to a “DCS” reflector on boot, but this is not a big issue to me, as after manually linking to a “REF” reflector it works fine and stays linked.

I then set up the other Jumbospot at my father’s QTH, and had exactly the same problem as you describe, after linking to a “REF” reflector it would disconnect after approx. 15 seconds if the reflector was idle.

My fathers also has a BT HomeHub 6, but after comparing the firmware versions, I realised that his was a “Type B” and mine is a “Type A”.

If you have a BT HomeHub 6 you can tell what type you have by the firmware version.

If your firmware is something like SG4B1000E01E, you have a “Type A”.

If your firmware is something like v0.09.06.05093-BT, you have a “Type B”.

The pi star software, for what every reason, doesn’t seem to like the Type B.

I can only assume it is something to do with the firewall software in the router?
On the Type A, when I look at the firewall settings, I can see a number of ports that have been opened by UPnP, but on the Type B, there is nothing.

I purchased my father a brand new HomeHub 6 Type A from that well know selling site for approx. £20 plus delivery and now his works fine as well. (apart from the same issue of not auto linking to a “REF” reflector on boot)

If your ISP isn’t BT this won’t help and if it is, I can’t say if that would definitely cure your problems, but hope the above helps shed some light on the issue.
G8OGJ
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Joined: Mon May 06, 2019 8:13 pm
Location: Matlock
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Re: D-Star reflector link drops out after a few seconds...

Post by G8OGJ »

Thanks for the input. The problem exists in three locations: Home - where there is a Mikrotik router and a wireless ISP (20Mbit/s down, 1.2Mbit/s up), alternative location (London) where we have a standard consumer (not BT) router and ADSL (14Mbit/s down, 1.5Mbit/s up); and our boat where we have a Huawei 4G router and use the O2 network (25Mbit/s down, 25Mbit/s up!) - so I would be surprised if the issue was ISP related.

True, the time taken to drop out does differ between locations but its often so short that one could not hope to hold a conversation.

Ian
Amateur Radio Station G8OGJ
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w7efs
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Re: D-Star reflector link drops out after a few seconds...

Post by w7efs »

G8OGJ wrote: Sun Oct 06, 2019 4:32 pmI have a DVAP (updated with latest firmware so thankfully no Tx-on crashes any more) running on a Raspberry Pi Zero with Pi-Star 3.4.17 fully updated.
...
Grateful for any thoughts. The current state of affairs is such that the hot-spot is essentially useless.
May I suggest a test of https://www.pistar.uk/beta/Pi-Star_RPi_ ... g-2019.zip with repetitive update/upgrade to RC6?
2E0GSU
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Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2019 5:23 am

Re: D-Star reflector link drops out after a few seconds...

Post by 2E0GSU »

Interesting as my issue was definitely down to the method and equipment used to connect the JumboSpot to the internet.

I did not mention on my last post, but the JumboSpot also connects and stays connected to “REF” reflectors fine when connected via an Android phone running as a Wifi AP (using the Vodafone UK Network)

It just would not stay connected to the “REF” reflectors, exactly how you describe, when connected via the BT HomeHub 6 “Type B” router, for whatever reason.

You say you use a Huawei 4G router on the O2 network, have you tried using a mobile phone as the AP instead of the Huawei hardware?

I also did not state on my last post, but the disconnecting issue for me occurred when the Jumbospot was running both V3.14.17 and Beta V4.1.0 RC4 upgraded and updated to RC6 when connected via the BT HomeHub 6 “Type B”.

I would love to know exactly what the difference is between the BT “Type A” and BT “Type B” routers with regards to how the Pi-Star software uses it, but there definitely is a difference, where one works correctly (with regard to the above problem) and the other doesn’t.
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