VMG3925-B10C Web Interface barely usable

b789
b789 Posts: 5  Freshman Member
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edited September 2021 in Smart Home Product
I have recently been supplied with a VMG3925-B10C modem. My previous modem was a VMG8924-B10A and the web interface on that was pretty basic but usable. The web interface on my new VMG3925-B10C however, is totally useless.

It is incredibly slow, takes ages to update a page when selecting any feature of it. It times out after just a few minutes and requires log in again. Whoever thought this was an improvement needs a serious wake-up call.

Is there any way to either change the web interface to one which is better designed or can the web interface be bypassed and may be done via a console?

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  • tonygibbs16
    tonygibbs16 Posts: 825  Guru Member
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    edited September 2021
    Hello @b789

    Do you know what version of firmware is running in your VMG3925-B10C please?

    According to the release notes at ftp://ftp.zyxel.com/VMG3925-B10C/firmware/VMG3925-B10C_513AAVF12C0_2.pdf there were fixes and improvements to the New GUI in the 5.13(AAVF.12) firmware release.

    Firmware is downloadable from ftp://ftp.zyxel.com/VMG3925-B10C/firmware/ as ftp://ftp.zyxel.com/VMG3925-B10C/firmware/VMG3925-B10C_513AAVF12C0.zip

    Kind regards,
        Tony
  • b789
    b789 Posts: 5  Freshman Member
    First Anniversary
    edited September 2021
    Thank you for the response. I am on V5.13(AAVF.13)J1 Firmware which appears to be the latest.

    Is the "J1" likely to be a supplier version? I received my router from my broadband service (John Lewis Broadband aka PlusNet). However, the quality of the web interface is very poor in that it is very slow, takes an age to update the page and times out after about 10 minutes requiring another log in. Whilst it may look prettier than the old interface that is on my old ZyXel VMG8924, it is much, much worse and not suitable for any serious adjustment of settings.
  • tonygibbs16
    tonygibbs16 Posts: 825  Guru Member
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    Hello @b789

    Yes I think that the J1 means that it is a supplier version of the firmware.

    I think that Zyxel would say talk to your ISP (John Lewis) and let them know that you have a problem.
        - they might even exchange your router if it is a recent purchase.

    Kind regards,
         Tony
  • b789
    b789 Posts: 5  Freshman Member
    First Anniversary
    I already spoke with JLB and they are useless as you can only talk to their telephone support who only deal with very basic problems that end users have with things like connectivity or their bills.

    I'll try and search for someone higher up the food chain but as they are only resellers for Plus Net, I don't know how far I can get with this.

    So you know if there's any way to downgrade the Firmware to the one you referenced in your first post? V5.13(AAVF.12)
  • tonygibbs16
    tonygibbs16 Posts: 825  Guru Member
    First Anniversary 10 Comments Friend Collector First Answer
    edited September 2021
    Hello @b789

    If you feel comfortable opening up your router, then there is an engineering way to change the firmware. 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvOdtIMBXpY shows how to do it on a Zyxel VMG3925-B10B , which might be similar enough to the -B10C that you get an idea of what is involved.

    5.13(AAVF.13)C0 firmware for VMG3925-B10B and -B10C is available as the same file in ftp://ftp2.zyxel.com/VMG3925-B10B/firmware/

    You could try Plusnet directly, or say to John Lewis that you want a refund or a different model of router.

    Kind regards,
         Tony
  • b789
    b789 Posts: 5  Freshman Member
    First Anniversary
    Thanks for that info. I will study it and see if it is feasible for me to do it. I spoke with JLB and go the usual "hang on while we test the line for you" trope that they give to everyone as they aim for the lowest common denominator. 

    After I managed to escalate it a bit further up the food chain to one of the Plusnet supervisors, they admitted that the firmware is specific to JLB and the best I could do was purchase my own router if I wanted anything better. As it was a "free" router with the broadband package, there was no refund.

    Not a problem as I have a load of old routers lying around. Heck, even the older ZyXel VMG8924-B10A has better firmware.

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