Zen updating the router every couple of hours

I am getting logs of the following every couple of hours:
The service provider successfully transmitted settings to this device.

This has been going on day and night since June.
Zen support say it is normal, but won't say what is constantly being update.

Does anyone know why? Router is Fritz!Box 7530 with latest software.

Regards
David

Edited by ukwiz (Thu 10-Aug-23 15:13:43)

If it's the TR-069 it's a standard CPE protocol whereby a modem or router can poll the ISP's management system for any config updates required for the WAN interface connectivity.
I assume it can also supply the right settings if for example your contract is amended to incorporate the Digital Voice service as part of the PSTN switch-off work, which would allow for a more seamless overnight swapover.

For a different ISP that was bundling IPTV services, this would enable remote provisioning of IP multicast if necessary to deliver the channels to a particular LAN port assigned to a set top box or integrated Digital TV capable of receiving that way.

Once per night should be enough though rather than every few hours, unless they increase the frequency when they know service migration work in a particular exchange area or subset of customers is about to start.

This service runs on my Fritz!box as well while the
Internet > Account Information > Internet Connection > Internet Service Provider (drop down list)
is set to Zen Internet, since I assume that feature is configured by that template.

Edited by prlzx (Fri 11-Aug-23 13:52:51)

The log entries on mine are clickable, a sample result is this:

https://fritzhelp.avm.de/help/en/FRITZ-Box-7530-avme...

The service provider successfully transmitted settings to this device.
This is an event message from the System area.

The status message informs you that your service provider transmitted to the device the settings for the services you ordered. Now you can use the services you ordered (like an Internet connection or a VoIP account).

Which is broadly consistent with what I was trying to describe in the previous reply.

In reply to a post by prlzx:

Once per night should be enough though rather than every few hours, unless they increase the frequency when they know service migration work in a particular exchange area or subset of customers is about to start.

But not every hour or two all day and night since June, perhaps?

I would imagine it's set to poll frequently in case you order digital voice for example so that it gets provisioned promptly. as the router has to pull settings from the Automatic Configuration Service platform, looking at the videos on their YouTube channel, they are pushing DV heavily.

To go off on a slight tangent, where I work we use Microsoft Configuration Manager to deploy software and the agents that run on the client machines are set to poll for updates every couple of hours.

Yes, I think you are right. This is the reply I got from Zen support:

I have asked the Hardware team at Zen, who have mentioned the occurrence happens every few hours due to specific reasons, but we would not share these reasons, Zen have ownership and management of the routers we supply, and this involves tasks like deploying new firmware updates or optimizing its connection frequency with our platform.

Regarding the migration process, it's another aspect that we're handling internally and wouldn't provide insights to customers about the technicalities. Our focus is on ensuring a seamless process for services, such as the provision of a digital voice service.

Seems that the attitude is "We own the router, so we do what we like"

In reply to a post by ukwiz:

In reply to a post by prlzx:

Once per night should be enough though rather than every few hours, unless they increase the frequency when they know service migration work in a particular exchange area or subset of customers is about to start.

But not every hour or two all day and night since June, perhaps?

Umm that's what I said. It should not need to be every few hours.
As to me that would only make sense as part of an imminent service changeover then it should go back to normal.

Anyway, no I don't know why yours is doing this and my Zen Fritz!box averages every other day at the moment, and it looks like my Digital Voice switchover happened on the 8th, rather sooner than I expected.
Now do I have a a spare RJ11 tucked away for the FON socket …?

Just a suggestion but have you checked in your logs if your router is actually having connectivity problems on the line, and if that is then causing it to look to refresh its WAN config?

It sounds similar to an organisation where I was part of a Networks team, ahead of a planned change such as IP renumbering, we would decrease the DHCP lease time in the days approaching the change so that any connected devices would renew during the change window, and have less to check manually during verification.

Regarding DV, I note it was initially a Marketing drive, but they promoted it using service announcements which some of us objected to.

This time it has been stated that it will happen anyway as service change as ahead of the PSTN switchover. I don't mind that it happens earlier than being last minute as long as it is not then charged as an elective regrade or taking an additional service.

We've been given assurance that we will be put onto a PAYG equivalent with no inclusive minutes or additional monthly fee and that in the context of the price guarantee it is not treated as us requesting a new contract since we are not the instigators.

There was a 1 off automated charge followed by a matching credit listed so I will have to check next month is correct.

In reply to a post by ukwiz:

Yes, I think you are right. This is the reply I got from Zen support:

I have asked the Hardware team at Zen, who have mentioned the occurrence happens every few hours due to specific reasons, but we would not share these reasons, Zen have ownership and management of the routers we supply, and this involves tasks like deploying new firmware updates or optimizing its connection frequency with our platform.

Regarding the migration process, it's another aspect that we're handling internally and wouldn't provide insights to customers about the technicalities. Our focus is on ensuring a seamless process for services, such as the provision of a digital voice service.

Seems that the attitude is "We own the router, so we do what we like"

I think in terms of new connections they provide the router free ao they may have a point on the basis that it's their network endpoint though I bought my Fritzbox from them for half price as an existing customer.


Mine seems to be registering it every couple of days though it says it has received 26 messages over the last coule of days though I don't have DV, if you have this it may increase the occurrence.

You can switch to other provider but that will probably break DV and while they don't force you to use their router, I don't think they share configuration details so you can get it working on your choice of hardware so it's going to become more and more difficult to do and might well lose them custom among power users, a number of other providers are happy to do so.

Am in the process of leaving Zen as despite being a customer for 9 years they wouldn't do me any sort of deal on a speed upgrade despite a sales rep telling me a couple of months ago they could but they'd have to wait until the contract was near the end.

Anyway. it looks like I might be going back to work in the office for some portion of the week so I decided to save a few quid and downgraede it a bit so am off on Wednesday but the about face on whatt I was told left a sour taste in my mouth so don't think I'll be going back which is a shame as the majority of the 9 years have been great and have been happy to recommend them.

Not decided yet whether I'll keep the Fritzbox or buy my own router.

Edited by techguy (Sat 12-Aug-23 17:18:52)

I have hundreds of these in my log too, but they're all collated together (xx messages since yy).

I find it odd that Zen wouldn't share their reasons. Does anyone know what the settings are, or how we might view them? I do know that one of them is the firmware update option - always gets set back to install automatically.

In reply to a post by AndrewNi:

I have hundreds of these in my log too, but they're all collated together (xx messages since yy).

I find it odd that Zen wouldn't share their reasons. Does anyone know what the settings are, or how we might view them? I do know that one of them is the firmware update option - always gets set back to install automatically.

I can understand them forcing this on as people tend to put off updates to any device as they think it's going to take a lot of time, even when it's explained to them that an update is being pushed out to fix a potential security issue.

News of vulnerabilities in software and firmware tends to spread very quickly among those with mischevious or criminal intent, I remember Zen having to implment a mitagation as a version of firmware on a specific make and model of router their customers were using had been targeted and was directing traffic to malicious sites when customers using these routers were trying to access popular sites at the time as well as some banking sites too if I remember rightly. (a so called DNS poisioning attack)

If the specific vulnerability allows the router to be used in denial of service attacks it can also lead to issues with their network capacity being overloaded and problems with their transit providers and network peers who would take a dim view of this traffic apparently originating from their network or rather, from customers that are downstream from their network.

If you are concerned about the device rebooting during the day, there's an option you can tick so that the updates are only performed in a certain time range, if you set this to the early hours you won't notice a thing unless you are an insomniac/night owl.

If you find this gets disabled, talk to tech support.


In any case from my own experience the updates take about 5 minutes so you won't be down for long and they aren't that often anyway.

I'll have to look as I usually set that to notify only, and I really would not want the router rebooting without warning until the Boardmasters derig starts.
Out of season I would be ok with the Level 2 (Essential security updates).
…
I've checked and mine remains on Level 1 (Notify).
Checked my external DNSv4 and v6 settings and those don't reset to use those assigned by ISP (recommened) either.


I think AVM could have it show a summary of which config sections were affecting by a pushed-out change,
I can understand the ISP not wanting any passwords or API keys visible in a more detailed log.

That said even if the router is provided with the connection it's not usually a good idea to process data from or change anyone's LAN, Wi-Fi, USB port, Firewall or NAT settings unless selling it as a full Managed Firewall type service.

In reply to a post by prlzx:

I'll have to look as I usually set that to notify only, and I really would not want the router rebooting without warning until the Boardmasters derig starts.
Out of season I would be ok with the Level 2 (Essential security updates).
…
I've checked and mine remains on Level 1 (Notify).
Checked my external DNSv4 and v6 settings and those don't reset to use those assigned by ISP (recommened) either.


I think AVM could have it show a summary of which config sections were affecting by a pushed-out change,
I can understand the ISP not wanting any passwords or API keys visible in a more detailed log.

That said even if the router is provided with the connection it's not usually a good idea to process data from or change anyone's LAN, Wi-Fi, USB port, Firewall or NAT settings unless selling it as a full Managed Firewall type service.

I have customised the internal addresses, wi-fi SSID, wi-fi password, router name and access password on mine and never had an issue with it being overridden.

If you reset the router it also pulls down the ID and password for your connection which was probably the original idea so their techs weren't guiding novice users through doing this , betterr to just be able to say " plug it all in, go off and have a cuppa and by the time you've done that, you'll be ready to go"

From personal experience doing desktop support, plug and play is what the vast majority of folks want, they don't really care about the technicalities the readers and contributors to this forum do.

In short I think they only care about the stuff that impacts them and their business, not what you do with your own gear and the router straddles that divide.

Edited by techguy (Sun 13-Aug-23 14:36:09)