MC888A router has to be reset frequently to allow OneDrive personal to work on iPhone

[Cnicht]

I am trying out Three Home Broadband to see if it is a suitable replacement for a fixed line system.

I have been sent a ZTE MC888A router, and there is a Three 5G mast in direct line of sight of my house, so signal strength is excellent, and I can achieve download speeds approaching 1000Mbps.

However, tying to use OneDrive personal on my iPhone is a nightmare. It works for a few hours, then just stops working. If I reset the router, OneDrive then works fine for a short while, and then stops again.

I do not have any of these issues if when I use OneDrive business on the same phone and router.

Also, there are one or two secure sites that will only connect infrequently using the router. Lexus Link+ is about the worst, but Standard Life is a close second.

Anyone had similar issues?

[JonathanB]

Hi @Cnicht, @OscarB,

Sorry for the delay in checking in on this. Are you still experiencing the same issue (if reverting back to IPv6 APN settings)?

Thanks,
Jonathan

[Cnicht]

Hi Jonathan,

I’ve just switched back to the default IPv6IPv4 settings, and all the problems have reappeared. Reverting to the IPv4 only setting has fully restored functionality. So it looks like the IPv6 issue is still there.

All the best,

Eddie 

[JonathanB]

Hi @Cnicht, @OscarB,

Sorry to hear about the trouble you've been having with OneDrive. Is it specifically the app that doesn't seem to work? For example can you log in at https://onedrive.live.com/login and access your files there?

@OscarB raises an interesting point if this works fine on Three mobile but not the Broadband hub. The main difference there could be the APN profile. If you go on to the router admin settings, and use APN three.co.uk instead of the default 3internet does this seem to fix the issue?

3internet is the preferred APN for Broadband, and will usually work better for most purposes, so please let me knw if that workaround helps, it may also help us identify the issue.

Thanks,
Jonathan

[OscarB]

Hi Jonathan,

I'm currently using Three.co.uk as APN,
no issues with OneDrive personal so far.
Speed is a bit slower.

I have also found the suggestion to change the APN to three.co.uk in other posts in this community:

https://community.three.co.uk/t5/Broadband/ZTE-5G-ROUTER-SETTINGS/m-p/5460

https://community.three.co.uk/t5/Broadband/Three-Mobile-Broadband-blocks-android-apps-APN-issues-3in.... 

It would be very useful if Three could solve this issue with the 3internet APN.

keep us posted!

Thanks

[JonathanB]

Thanks @OscarB,

I'm going to escalate this with our Service Desks as it seems like APN/IPv6 is the most likely cause. Just to check, but in terms of OneDrive it's the iPhone App you're using too, the same as @Cnicht?

Thanks,
Jonathan

[OscarB]

Hi @JonathanB,

OneDrive is the app.

just to report, I'm using 3internet as APN, restricted to IPv4.
so far no issues.

so, it appears that the issue is IPv6, as described by @Cnicht 

[Cnicht]

Thanks for the suggestion.

The failure of Standard Life and Lexus Link+ is the same if I use their apps on an iPhone, or try to access their sites using a web browser on an iPhone or a Windows 11 PC or a MacBook.

OneDrive for Business never fails. OneDrive personal appears to work correctly on a Windows 11 PC or a MacBook, but fails after a short while using the iPhone app.

It appears it could be an IPv6 issue.

I set the APN to three.co.uk as suggested, setting it as IPv6IPv4. Everything worked correctly, but https://test-ipv6.com/ reported no IPv6 address.

I then reset the APN to 3internet, but as an IPv4 only connection. Once again, everything worked correctly, and https://test-ipv6.com/ reported no IPv6 address (as expected).

I then reset the APN to 3internet with an IPv6IPv4 connection. Standard Life and Lexus Link+ failed, and OneDrive personal failed after a short while. https://test-ipv6.com/ reported a fully working IPv6 system and address.

[OscarB]

I have the similar issue with the ZTE router from Three and OneDrive personal. a bit of a nightmare.
It either get stuck signing in or doesn't sync.
Weirdly enough, if I connect through my phone, also on Three, the issue is solved. So I guess is a ZTE issue.
I'm using Mac OS.

It would be very helpful if Three could address this issue, as otherwise using their broadband would not be suitable anymore.