TP-Link Archer VR1600v - Missing Features (VOIP Telephone Book / Back up and Restore Configuration)

[Mick200]

31 Oct 2019

I joined TPG's NBN service and issued a free TP-Link Archer VR1600v modem router.

• Hardware Version: Archer VR1600v v2 00000000
• Firmware Version: 0.1.0 0.9.1 v5006.0 Build 190228 Rel.72265n

I read the user manual for this modem on the TP-Link website:
https://static.tp-link.com/2019/201907/20190731/1910020873_Archer%C2%A0VR1600v(AU)_UG_V1.0.1.pdf

I am interested in the following features however the issued modem does not have these features available.

• VOIP Telephone Book (Page 20)
• Back up and Restore Configuration Settings (page 91)

I called TPG to discuss. The phone support person said "TPG supply the modem free and it is for the customer to keep and maintain. The said features are advanced features beyond TPG's support". He proceeded to say that given that the modem is mine, I need to contact TP-Link directly for support of these advanced features.

I asked if the missing features was due to a Firmware issue. The phone support said it could be but TPG technician are responsible for pushing out the firmware upgrades and he doesn't know when the timeline would be.

Let me understand this ... the modem is mine to keep and maintain yet the modem features are not supported by TPG and yet TPG technicians control the firmware upgrades? Hmmm ... sounds like the support person I spoke to was making up answers.

Anyway .... I just want these modem features.

01 Nov 2019

I emailed TP-Link. Their response:
Thank you very much for requesting information about our product.
Since it's a customized model for TPG, we are not familiar with it. It's suggested to contact TPG again for help. You may just ask for manager for help with this problem.

08 Nov 2019

So I am reaching out today to get some real answers.

How can I access these modem router features?

• VOIP Telephone Book (Page 20)
• Back up and Restore Configuration Settings (page 91)

The VOIP Telephone book will allow me to update phone numbers so when the calls are received, it will show the person calling and not just their phone/mobile numbers.

Back up feature is to save all the VOIP phone number I input into the VOIP Telephone book and any other modem settings that are configured by me to work within my home network.

Your assistance is appreciated.

[Shane]

Hi @Mick200,

Welcome to the community!

TPG customised the firmware of the supplied TP-Link Archer VR1600v modem/router for security purposes this caused the modem's back up configuration and some of it's feature is no longer available.
 

You may visit this thread for additional reference: How to back up settings in the Archer VR1600v

Let us know should you require further assistance.

Cheers!

[kinesia]

It is utterly utterly reprehensible that TPG have not fixed this yet after over 4 YEARS of ongoing complaints.

How can ANY of you working support or ANY of TPGs technical people actually let the managers keep this utterly insane and damaging policy?

This goes against every single valid form of customer service to DELIBERATELY harm your customers, not only once, but in an ONGOING way that you have been made aware of and yet continued to do.

This is a form of abuse rather than support.

Backing up settings is the most BASIC customer requirement.

Since this still hasn't been fixed I will be reporting this to the ombudsman.

Not providing appropriate and basic support after 4 YEARS of the error being reported should be taken seriously by the authorities.

[Shane]

Hi @kinesia,

We understand that these features are useful; hence, our supplied modem, which comes with modified firmware, does not support these advanced modem features. We will treat this as a complaint; send us a PM with your details so we can lodge a complaint on your behalf.

How to send a PM? 

Regards,

It is utterly utterly reprehensible that TPG have not fixed this yet after over 4 YEARS of ongoing complaints.

How can ANY of you working support or ANY of TPGs technical people actually let the managers keep this utterly insane and damaging policy?

This goes against every single valid form of customer service to DELIBERATELY harm your customers, not only once, but in an ONGOING way that you have been made aware of and yet continued to do.

This is a form of abuse rather than support.

Backing up settings is the most BASIC customer requirement.

Since this still hasn't been fixed I will be reporting this to the ombudsman.

Not providing appropriate and basic support after 4 YEARS of the error being reported should be taken seriously by the authorities.

[Mick200]

Hi @kinesia and @Shane,

Mick200 here. I agree with Kinesia that this was not resolved satifactorly - even after explaining in detail, the contradictory information received by TPG in my original post.

Shane, after your response dated 09/11/2019, I gave up after spending so much time on this matter and was resigned to the fact that TPG was not going to cooperate in giving me access to "my modem router".

Given Kinesa has brought this topic up, clearly this problem does not only affect me. To provide updated information, after some googling in 2019, I later found external website forum discussions where I was able to access the modem router's unrestricted admin features where I was able to access the VOIP section and backup features. So I know my "modem router" has these features that TPG says is "no longer available".

TPG have since updated their firmware settings such that this "unrestricted admin features" are no longer accessible anymore. Furthermore, after a recent TPG technical assistance to troubleshoot my drop out/telephone issue, the TPG engineer reset my modem to factory default settings, wiping out all my dedicated IP addresses for my security camera's and without anyway to access the backup feature to restore my previous settings, I am now in a whole lot of pain ... and "sorry" was the salt in the wound ... when all this would be easily fixed if you let me have access to MY modem's unrestricted admin features.

I am stil a long standing TPG customer however bitter at the fact that being a technical guy, I am not allowed to access and setup my own modem router.

@Shane - I am contactable privately also if you want to take this matter offline.

@kinesia - Feel free to use this post as evidence in your report to the ombudsman. Reach out if I can provide further information. 

Mick200