Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

I think I've got to the bottom of a long-running intermittent problem with my Superhub 3, so am sharing here in case it's useful to anyone else.

In short, if I plug a Netgear Powerline adaptor directly into one of the ports of a Superhub 3, then the Superhub 3 will fail, losing Internet connectivity and the web management interface becoming unresponsive. Unplug the Powerline adaptor and re-start the Superhub 3: all good. Plug in the Powerline adaptor: Superhub 3 stops working.

I have tried replacing Powerline adaptors, individual Ethernet cables, and swapping Superhub 3 devices and this problem has persisted. The workaround I have found is to connect the Powerline adaptor to an extension Ethernet switch, which is then connected to the Superhub 3. That seems to work fine.

So my working theory is that there is something hardware related in the Superhub 3 which will bring down the whole hub when it's connected directly to a Powerline adaptor.

What is still unexplained is that it will sometimes work for six weeks at a time, but if you have to re-start the Superhub 3 for any reason the problem will emerge. At it's worst, I had to do a factory reset of the Superhub 3 to get it to work again.

But I've changed almost everything in this set up, and the only consistent thing that causes this to happen is the Superhub 3/Powerline adaptor combination.

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

Considering that VM actively promote (and sell) Powerline adapters on their website, although the idea that the Hub 3 is somehow incompatible with them is a bit hard to swallow and as long as the hardware is operating within spec then ethernet is ethernet and should all work together.

It's possible that you do have a faulty hub and/or something really odd with your power supply but there is another potential answer.

What is on the other Powerline adapter(s)? All a PL adapter is, is an ethernet bridge, is it possible that somehow you have created a bridging loop somewhere in your setup? You say it works when connected via a switch? What model of switch is it? It may well be that this switch can do loop detection in some way (spanning tree) or that you have something else which is jabbering and the switch is doing flow control?

What I would do (unless you have already tried this) is to disconnect everything from the SH, just plug a PC/laptop in to one of the LAN ports and test, if OK then connect the one-and-only PL to it and test again. Keep gradually adding devices and see what happens.

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

not really. VM consistently under estimate their customer base and bang out cheap untested shubs with the hope that the majority of customers don't want to use the advanced features (what happened to the USB port and printer/storage sharing?).
Although they should work in theory, VM probably haven't tested it and definitely won't have invested any money in it as far as incorporating it as a working feature on the shub. Just look at the wireless on the shub1 and the xbox problem. I imagine this is going to be one of their unforeseen problems which is going to get fixed in the next iteration of the shub when customer demand/technological advancement is such that it is now common place (e.g. everyone now uses wireless) and it is a feature that they have got to improve upon and support.

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

What are you on about. Powerline should just be an ethernet connection as far as the SH3 is concerned. Do you expect VM to test the SH3 with every device with an ethernet connection?

What "advanced feature" is being used exactly?

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

no but when they impose a specific type of cpe on millions of customers then I do expect them to do extensive tests on many different types and brands of equipment. This isn't the first time I have heard of powerline adapters taking down either the router or the wan connection on a shub. If it is as straight forward as you say it is then why is it happening.

You might not remember but after the multitude of problems and fiasco that was the shub 1 (the shub crashing under load comes to mind) VM obviously realised that they couldn't/didn't want to pay for proper testing prior to release of the shub 2 and instead opted for extensive customer trials. I signed up for it and I remember them being specific and asking what the makeup of your network was, how it was designed, what type of devices you had and brands. I was actually quite impressed because it showed they were trying to be as thorough as possible and realised that they hadn't done the job properly first time round.

Powerline adapters are going to be more common place as time goes on and saying "we guarantee it will works with X brand or model" isn't good enough. Customers need to have choice and able to go out and buy what meets their needs and VM need to look in to what is causing it and get it fixed.


As far as the op goes, and I really should have mentioned this first, shub's are sub-par routers and if you want to forgo annoying and stupid things like this (because rtho782 is right, it should work) then invest in a proper router which you know is going to work. When you buy a proper router like Asus or Linksys, the manufacturers know where their money comes from and make sure their routers do the job.

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

If the powerline adaptor is presenting anything to the superhub but a standards compliant ethernet port, then the powerline adaptor is faulty ;)

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

that's a lot of faulty power line adapters then ;)

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

What I'm saying is it's not it being a powerline adaptor that makes it special.

Many of these use the same Qualcomm Atheros chipsets. It sounds like there is an issue with that talking to the Intel Puma chipset in the SH3, but it's not down to it being a powerline adaptor. The SH3 doesn't need to know if it's a powerline adaptor, an RPI, a computer, or whatever the hell else on the ethernet port.

As to which device is at fault, we can't really say.

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

If it is that generic and not related to a specific device or brand of device then surely it would be easier for VM to diagnose and fix?

I can because all the posts in this forum are from people using shub's and none of them are from people using a 3rd party/proper router

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

Not really, VM don't design the chipset.


Ok, show me the SH3 refusing to make an ethernet connection to any other device? We have a SH3 working over ethernet with everything except this one powerline adaptor, and this powerline adaptor working with everything except the SH3, so how can we say which is at fault?

Ethernet is a well published standard, I can only imagine one or other device is not properly complying.

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

because this is one of many posts I have seen of people complaining that their powerline adapters aren't working with the shub and it goes beyond Netgear.

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

But I bet it's all the same chipset, they are basically the same devices with different labels on. If you tested these powerline adaptors with another (non-VM) Intel Puma chipset modem you may well get the same issues.

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

I've used TP link and more recently Devolo power line adapters with SH3 and no problem at all

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

I was on of the triallists for VM's Netgear Powerline adapters connected to the Hub 3.

No problem whatsoever.

For your case I'd need to get hands on to take it further.

Re: Superhub 3 and Netgear Powerline problem
 

Same problem here but with TP-Link 1200 adapters. I received the SH3 a month ago and it worked fine in router mode until yesterday. Now it refuses to work with the TP link adapters with the exact same symptoms as the OP described.
Work around is to set the SH3 to modem mode and use an external router which is obviously not ideal.