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Will the TetherBox Automatically Reconnect to the Internet?
Will the TetherBox Automatically Reconnect to the Internet?

TetherBox Automatic Internet Reconnection

Roman Gaufman avatar
Written by Roman Gaufman
Updated over 3 weeks ago

Will the TetherBox Automatically Reconnect to the Internet?

Yes, the TetherBox has built-in logic to automatically reconnect to the Internet if it goes offline. If network changes are made, as long as the Internet is available, the TetherBox will automatically recover and get back online. It cycles through all available network interfaces, including:

  • Internal LAN connections

  • External USB LAN connections

  • 4G dongles

  • Wi-Fi connections

The device attempts to acquire an IP address using DHCP every 2 minutes per interface. If no connection is successful, additional recovery mechanisms, including restarting network interfaces and rebooting the TetherBox, are triggered based on specific time thresholds.

How Does the Reconnection Process Work?

  1. Detection of Offline State

    • The TetherBox continuously monitors its network status. If it detects a loss of connectivity, it initiates a reconnection process.

  2. Reconnection Attempt

    • The device cycles through all available network interfaces, attempting to obtain an IP via DHCP.

    • Reconnection attempts start with a 10-second interval and progressively increase to a maximum of 90 seconds between attempts.

  3. Restarting Network Interfaces

    • If the device remains offline for 15 minutes, it attempts to restart the LAN interface.

    • If a 4G dongle is connected, the device restarts the 4G connection to attempt reconnection.

  4. Rebooting the TetherBox

    • If the TetherBox has been offline for 3 hours, it will automatically reboot to restore connectivity.

  5. VPN Monitoring

    • If the VPN connection is down, the system will attempt to restart the VPN service.

    • If the VPN has been down for over 3 hours, the TetherBox will reboot.

    • A built-in sanity check prevents multiple VPN processes from running simultaneously.

Note: If a static network configuration is set on the TetherBox and the network settings are changed, the device will not be able to automatically reconnect. In this case, temporarily restore the previous network setup, or follow the steps in TetherBox Troubleshooting Login.

Additional Failover Mechanisms

  • Smart Plug Integration: If the TetherBox is connected to a smart plug, it can attempt to reschedule or power-cycle the plug to restore connectivity. The smart plug can be used to power cycle not just the TetherBox but also the router or any other devices.

  • Heartbeat Notifications: Once the device is back online, it notifies the TetherX platform to confirm the successful reconnection.

Recovery After a Power Cut

The TetherBox by default is set up to automatically recover after a power failure. However, if there are repeated power cuts or spikes, this setting could be reset and may need to be configured again. For details, refer to Automatic Power Cut Recovery.

Configuration Options

The automatic reconnection behaviour can be controlled through TetherBox settings:

  • Disable Automatic Reconnection: If necessary, automatic reconnection can be disabled.

  • Disable Automatic Reboot: If preferred, the device can be set to avoid automatic reboots when offline.

Logging & Debugging

All reconnection attempts and network status changes are logged for troubleshooting purposes. Users do not have direct access to these logs, but TetherX support can interrogate them if needed.

If persistent issues arise, contact TetherX support for assistance. If the TetherBox does not automatically reconnect when Internet is available, there could be another issue requiring investigation.

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