Hub / Gryphon not working anymore

[#1]

Hello. I'd be really grateful for some help please...

We moved house and have Plusnet Fibre and Plustnet has recently sent us a new Hub (assume this is a Plusnet Hub Two).

We also have 3x TP-Link repeaters as part of the network

Everything works fine with this configuration.

However....I want to add a Gryphon AC3000 parental control router.

The Gryphon previously worked with an older Plusnet hub without any issue. IIRC, all I did was disable WIFI on the Hub. Devices would then connect to the Gryphon's Wifi.

When we moved I factory reset the old Hub and it no longer worked with the Gryphon...so now the Gryphon doesn't work with either Hub.

What happens is this....

1) Wifi on the Hub is disabled

2) Devices connect to the Gryphon Wifi OK and have Internet access, but sporadically during the day devices lose connection to the Internet (all at the same time). The Gryphon app reports "no internet connection", but the Hub still has an Internet connection. If I choose "Restart Network" in the Gryphon App, after a few minutes, the devices can connect again.

I can't get at any Gryphon logs.

I came across this@ https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router/Hub-One-as-a-modem-only/m-p/1810491#M26397

I tried disabling DHCP on the Hub, but that seemed to break everything, so I factory reset the router and disabled Wifi again.

My Hub's address is 192.168.1.254.

Gryphon LAN address is 192.168.9.1 - default Gateway

Gryphon WAN address is 192.168.1.105 - not sure what this is; I can't change it

Gryphon DHCP range 192.168.9.100 to 192.168.9.249

The 3x TP-Link repeaters are allowed on the network.

As I say, this mostly works OK, but we get the annoying drop-out many times during the day.

How can I fix this?
Thanks

[#2 · Accepted solution]

---

@Gryphon1 wrote:

I tried disabling DHCP on the Hub, but that seemed to break everything, so I factory reset the router and disabled Wifi again.

My Hub's address is 192.168.1.254.

Gryphon LAN address is 192.168.9.1 - default Gateway

Gryphon WAN address is 192.168.1.105 - not sure what this is; I can't change it

Gryphon DHCP range 192.168.9.100 to 192.168.9.249

The 3x TP-Link repeaters are allowed on the network.

---

This sounds v.messy 😕

In an ideal world, I would have suggested that you configure the Hub Two in Bridge Mode, connect an ethernet cable from the WAN port of the Gryphon, to LAN port 1-3 on the Hub Two and configure the Gryphon to connect to the Internet using your Plusnet Broadband username and password.

However, a bit of Google-Fu suggests that the Gryphon unit does not support PPPoE..

My next suggestion would have been to explore whether or not the Gryphon has an 'Access Point' mode and if it does, enable that, disable Wi-Fi on the Hub Two and connect an ethernet cable from the LAN port of the Gryphon to LAN port 1-3 on the Hub Two. 

However, I suspect even if it does have an Access Point mode, enabling it will disable all of the parental control functionality which I assume you're wanting to use?

That leaves another solution which may or may not be possible. 

• Change the IP address on the Gryphon to 192.168.1.1 and disable DHCP. I recommend you disable DHCP on the Gryphon unit, not the Hub Two.
• Disable Wi-Fi on the Hub Two.
• Connect an ethernet cable from the LAN port of the Gryphon to LAN port 1-3 on the Hub Two.
• Switch everything off. Then power the Hub Two up, wait for it to establish a connection to the Internet, then power the Gryphon units up, starting with the one connected to the Hub Two if you have more than one.

Whether or not this last option is possible I've no idea, given that the Gryphon also doesn't seem to have a web interface and expects everything to be configured via an app.

The TP-Link repeaters add further complication/opportunity for error and may need resetting/repairing after any changes. Are they really required? Isn't the Gryphon supposed to be part of a mesh network that negates the rerquirement for more extenders.

In fact, why exactly are you wanting to use the Gryphon? Looking at its spec sheet, the Wi-Fi capability seems to be on par with the Hub Two anyway.

[#3]

I would think @Gryphon1 wants to use it for the parental control.

Disabling DHCP on the Gryphon might disable the parental controls so probably not a good thing to do (as dhcp is the most likely way of achieving routing control on the device).

My advice would be to set up on the PlusNet hub, an “always use IP address” for the Gryphon (if not already set) and to enable DMZ to the Gryphon address.

[#4]

Hi @bobpullen 

Thanks very much for your reply.

I've added more detail lower down in this reply.

Since I made the original post I tried...

1) Setting the Gryphon WAN IP to 192.168.1.1 (I discovered how to change it), and 

2) Setting the Gryphon's default Gateway to 192.168.1.254, and

3) Disabling DHCP on the Hub (I can't disabled DHCP on the Gryphon), and

4) Set the DNS servers to the Plusnet DNS server, and

4) Gave each Repeater a static IP address on the Gryphon's LAN network, and

5) Rebooted everything

All the devices connected and could use the Internet, but after a while the drop-outs started again.

I feel like chucking the Gryphon in the bin.

Any other ideas please?

Other info....

>> My next suggestion would have been to explore whether or not the Gryphon has an 'Access Point' mode and if it does, enable that, disable Wi-Fi on the Hub Two and connect an ethernet cable from the LAN port of the Gryphon to LAN port 1-3 on the Hub Two. 

In normal use the Gryphon is connected via Ethernet cable to the Hub, and WiFi is disabled on the Hub. That's how I used it in the previous house, with no issue.

>> The TP-Link repeaters add further complication/opportunity for error and may need resetting/repairing after any changes. Are they really required? Isn't the Gryphon supposed to be part of a mesh network that negates the rerquirement for more extenders.

I need the 3 TP-Link repeaters to cover dead-spots in the house. The Hub and the Gryphon are in the lounge and the Gryphon's WiFi can't reach various parts of the house.

I tried using Gryphon Guardian Mesh repeaters, but only one worked, so sent them back and bought the repeaters instead.

>> In fact, why exactly are you wanting to use the Gryphon? Looking at its spec sheet, the Wi-Fi capability seems to be on par with the Hub Two anyway.

It's for the parental controls.

[#5]

Thanks for you reply @RPMozley I've added a reply with more info above.

[#6]

@Gryphon1 

If the setup was previously stable with the Hub 1, personally I would put the Hub 2 in a box and go back to the Hub 1 and turn the wifi on the Hub 1 off.

It sounds like the Gryphon wants to see the Hub 1 on its WAN port and if the WAN port of the Gryphon is set to DHCP that should work with the Hub 1.

Your previous setting of 192.168.9.xxx on the LAN side of the Gryphon sounds like it should be OK (it should get the gateway from the Hub 1 for the WAN [Internet] side).

There is no obvious reason why the Gryphon should have become unreliable but I would see if the manufacturer has a firmware update then factory reset it and start again setting it up.

On the assumption that it loses DNS for some reason, trying pinging (say) 8.8.8.8 and the Hub 1 (probably 192.168.1.254) might reveal where the problem lies.

[#7]

Hi @markhawkin 

Thanks for you reply.

>> If the setup was previously stable with the Hub 1, personally I would put the Hub 2 in a box and go back to the Hub 1 and turn the wifi on the Hub 1 off.

The Gryphon no longer works with Hub 1 - it's the same story as Hub 2. I ordered the Hub 2 when Hub 1 no longer worked in the new house.

>> There is no obvious reason why the Gryphon should have become unreliable but I would see if the manufacturer has a firmware update then factory reset it and start again setting it up.

I've tried a factory reset/update on the Gryphon last week; no dice sadly.

>> On the assumption that it loses DNS for some reason, trying pinging (say) 8.8.8.8 and the Hub 1 (probably 192.168.1.254) might reveal where the problem lies.

Will do; thanks

[#8]

A few further thoughts.

For understandable reasons it's not entirely obvious how the Gryphon works.

It seems to be a "service" so potentially it tunnels all traffic to their server for fairly careful inspection before letting it out to the Internet.

When it stops working I does the Hub 2 still have a connection?

I believe the Hub 2 can show connected devices. Does it show the Gryphon router as connected ?

You have tried the obvious like different cables I assume. 

[#9]

Hi there.   John here.   I'm the ceo of Gryphon.  Sounds like something in the new hub is not playing well with Gryphon.   You may need to disable the DHCP in your new Hub.   If you don't mind, can you contact our support team and someone will reach out to help.   You can email: support@gryphonconnect.com, chat: www.gryphonconnect.com/support, or use your Gryphon app: Settings, Contact support.

[#10]

@GryphonCEO  seeing as you're here, maybe you can confirm whether the Gryphon supports PPPoE for its WAN connection ?

As @bobpullen said above, if it does then the simplest approach is

In an ideal world, I would have suggested that you configure the Hub Two in Bridge Mode, connect an ethernet cable from the WAN port of the Gryphon, to LAN port 1-3 on the Hub Two and configure the Gryphon to connect to the Internet using your Plusnet Broadband username and password.

In bridge mode, the Hub 2 is effectively just a modem. Your Hardware setup guide does seem to suggest that PPPoE is an option

[#11]

Yes. PPPoE is supported. It's under Settings, WAN Configuration.

[#12]

In that case I would try setting the Hub 2 in bridge mode as Bob suggests and following the Gryphon setup guide for connecting to a modem

[#13]

Hi @GryphonCEO 

Thanks for your reply. I'd already raised a ticket - it's 124282, for reference.

The suggestion was to update the firmware, which I did, but it had no effect.

I see a later suggestion in this forum is to put the router into Bridge Mode via PPPoE. 

Q: What I don't understand is why there is a need to do this?

The Gryphon worked just fine in our old house, using a Hub 1.

We moved house and now the Gryphon doesn't work well with Hub 1 or Hub 2.

The only thing that's changed is we now have full-fat fibre, and the repeaters.

Thanks

[#14]

now have full-fat fibre

@Gryphon1  if you have Full fibre then you don't need to use the Hub 2 at all!

Just connect the Gryphon to the ONT and set the WAN to PPPoE using you Plysbnet usernamevand password as suggested above

[#15]

One thought, in the initial post it was stated that the new setup was “full fibre” so would have an Openreach ONT. If the Gryphon can take the PPPoE credentials then there in no need for a Plusnet Hub as I see it.

While I can’t see why the original arrangement stopped working this seems a way forward to me.