FYI : IPv6 Prevented VPN Connection

[Anvil_Iron]

My wife uses VPN for work and one day she wasn't able to connect. I checked the router (Zyxel NR5103E) web-config and noticed the Primary/Secondary DNSv6 server addresses info were present which weren't before.

I tried disabling IPv6 in the WAN and LAN settings but internet service stopped.

I then enabled manual APN mode and changed from 3internet to Three.co.uk and restarted the router. After restart, the IPv6 info was N/A and the VPN was able to connect. VPN also connected when APN was set to 3internet with manual APN enabled.

The strange thing was when APN Manual Mode was disabled and router reset, IPv6 info was displayed. It looks like the router was obtaining IPv6 and IPv4 info from Three if manual APN mode is disabled. This could be the PDP Type being set to IPv4/IPv6 automatically by Three where as in manual APN mode, I have it set to IPv4 only.

[Mr_P83]

Absolute superstar. This has solved my problem 100%. Not been able to connect my work VPN Forticlient for ages. Three tech support were useless. @Anvil_Iron Three should employ you as Tech Guru! This also fixed the problem of my kids Nintendo Switch not being able to connect. Thank you @Anvil_Iron.

[456]

Still no fix for my issues (disconnects, slow speeds) - and it's now been a year.

Does anyone know what the fix is so there are NO disconnects, the router accepts IPv4 connection requests from my home devices and the speed is not affected?

[digitaltoast]

Thanks indeed to @Anvil_Iron - not only has it resolved ALL my issues, but broadband is significantly faster with lower latency after switching APN to three.co.uk.

Now my Fire TV stick, security cameras and internet banking all work perfectly - but how many users of Three will know either about this forum or how to make this change? And why is it taking SO LONG for Three to acknowledge and fix the problem?

Could @JonathanB perhaps collect all the many, many related threads on this subject and find the right person at Three to give us an official answer, explanation and update?

Thanks!

[456]

Hi there.

Is that all that's needed - just to change the APN to three.co.uk? Anything else?

[GF]

Huge thanks, this fixed the issue for me I'd been having on the Huawei B535 for the past month or two. Launchbox was refusing to download anything (updates, metadata etc) from their servers, and Windows was refusing to do something as basic as set the system time automatically as it couldn't connect to the servers either.

For anyone using the B535, login (if you can, due to expired certificates that Three still hasn't fixed either) and go to Network Settings. At the bottom of the first page click '+' on the Profiles section to add a new profile. Just type 'three.co.uk' in APN field and leave everything else blank. Save it, restart router, and if you go to Advanced - System - Device Information, the IPv6 field should say 'unknown'. At this point, all your programs should start working normally again.

Ridiculous incompetence at Three that this issue hasn't been fixed and they refuse to accept responsibility. Happily I'm out of contract and FTTP with Fibrus is only a few weeks away from being available here.

[andrewbrisland]

A friend of mine suggested Fibrus but they are unavailable in my postcode 😞 

[Tbot]

Just echoing some of the comments above. Incredibly grateful to @Anvil_Iron and others on this thread. I've been having a lot of issues over the last few months with my Nest Wifi Mesh showing as being offline in my Google Home app (even though I could connect to the internet), and many other network gremlins. I decided to upgrade to the Nest Wifi Pro hoping it might help. I spent over 3 hours last night tearing my hair out trying to set it up with no success. The setup process would get stuck with the Nest reporting a connection failure when trying to connect to the internet via my 5G modem. What's worse is that I couldn't even go back to my old Nest Wifi as the setup was now also failing for the same reason. I was at my wits ends and about to give up and send my Google Nest Pro back. I did not want to have to deal with Three's tech support as from experience I knew it would be a complete waste of my time.

Setting manual APN to 'three.co.uk' just made everything work.

I just can't believe Three aren't doing anything about this, judging by this thread and others it must be a pretty widespread issue affecting a lot of smart devices.

[456]

ABYSMAL customer service from Three. They should be ashamed. @JonathanB 

[Zeaphod]

Hi, just wanted to say thanks for your solution.  A version of it worked on my ZTE MF286D, which was not working with Netflix.  All other streaming stuff was fine.

As per your solution, after disconnecting the LTE, I was able to add a new APN with the name three.co.uk (no capitals), configured for IPV4 only.

Thanks again!

[Pottydrill]

yes, this worked for me. Phoned Three technical support and asked them to change my APN to v4 from their end, pwrted off/on router all now ok 

Router ZTE MC888