Vigor 2860n
Upgraded from 3.7.4.5 to 3.7.8

Firmware 3.7.8
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Problem: My home server is no longer able to connect via SFTP to my web hosting service.
This server is on the wired LAN.
Tried both a custom application which is meant to update my website (coded in C# and using SSH.NET library for SFTP) and from FileZilla.
Both are unable to connect.

Tried from my laptop (connected via Wireless LAN) - both custom application AND FileZilla are now both able to connect to the server.
Disabled WLAN on laptop.
Connected laptop via wired Ethernet directly to 2860n router.
Enabled Ethernet LAN on laptop.
Custom application and FileZilla on laptop (exactly same configuration except for LAN vs WLAN) now FAILING to connect, exactly as per server.

Downgraded router to 3.7.4.5
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Restored previously backed-up settings from firmware 3.7.4.5 taken prior to installing 3.7.8(in case f/w downgrade does not support keeping upgraded settings).
SFTP now back to working successfully again from both server AND laptop, regardless of if connected on WLAN or LAN.

What gives?

What you describe is similar to the problem I encountered. WiFi connections were fine, LAN connections were not.

In my case, a new option, Hardware Acceleration, was enabled by default. Disabling it resolved the problem.
However, as far as I've been able to tell, the Hardware Acceleration option is only there on the 2680 Plus models, so if you have a non-Plus then it won't be that, or at least not exactly.

The reason I'm posting is in the hope that what I did next may help you.

When I first upgraded from 3.7.4.3 to 3.7.8, I used the RST firmware option to do what I thought would be a full reset in order to try to resolve some problems I'd been having with the previous firmware and WiFi.

But as well as those odd problems with SSH and SSL/TLS, the router GUI soon became almost non-functional and I downgraded to 3.7.4.3 again (I didn't have a copy of 3.7.4.5, unfortunately).

When I posed about my problems in another section of the forum, someone suggested using the physical Reset button on the router to do a full reset before upgrading the firmware (even the RST version) , as it often seems to resolve strange problems.

When I did so, then upgraded again to 3.7.8 (RST), the oddity with Hardware Acceleration had indeed gone - I can enable or disable it and SSH/SSL etc all still work, and the problems I was having with the GUI were also gone.

I cannot, at this stage, recommend 3.7.8, however. I'm seeing very high CPU usage - 88%, with minimal load on the router (i.e. it gets to 88% when doing a single download, which IMHO is nuts). I'm also a little distrustful of its reliability in general - but that may be coloured by the massive drop in sync that I experienced due to DLM kicking in on my line after doing too many reboots in too short a period (my fault really).

I would wait until 3.7.8.1 or later comes out, personally, and stick to 3.8.4.5 for now (even though I am now using 3.7.8 myself!).

Even then, I think it would be sensible to use the physical reset button on the router, then use the RST firmware, in order to avoid any further oddities.

Hi faris, thanks for confirming this seems to be an issue. Unfortunately I do not have the Plus - just a plain 2860n.

I'm not desperate for the firmware upgrade, was just keeping things up to date. At the moment I'm going through the rigmarole with support where they are asking me to take wireshark traces - basically doing their initial legwork for them it seems. Anyway, I've now pointed my case handler "Adam" at this post.

I'm using my 2860n in what amounts to a live production environment, so it's not really great for me to have to keep taking it off-line to flash new firmwares and test things I believe they should be able to easily recreate in their lab. Like you I tried the RST firmware and a minimal configuration - just enough to connect to my ISP via VDSL - and still the SFTP fails from the wired LAN.

The physical reset vs the RST firmware is interesting, but given the above not something I particularly keen to be trying. Like you I think I'll just wait for the next firmware!

Have you reported your issues to support?

Well, to be honest I didn't think I'd get anywhere by reporting it to Support, given that I "cured" it with the full reset.

Some people are reporting GUI problems with 3.7.8 (not slow like it was for me, but impossible to use with elements missing).

I'm thinking of reporting the high CPU I'm seeing, but I think I saw there's a 3.7.8.1 in the works and I thought I'd wait for that to see if it makes any difference first.

I was also sceptical about the hardware rest - I thought the .RST was supposed to do all that for you. But it worked for me so I learned a new trick -- thanks to the kind people who frequent this forum!

Well, I did a full reset via the push switch and it has made no difference. My SFTP connections to 2 different external servers, from 2 different computers, both on the wired Ethernet, are consistently failing with the 2860n on f/w 3.7.8.
Both machines (with exactly the same configurations) can connect perfectly under 3.7.4.5. This is also with entirely vanilla factory reset configurations on the 2860n (except for my VDSL login and VLAN tag settings.

This is now back with Adam at Draytek technical support together with wireshark traces and copies of my configuration backups, in case it helps any.
Adam reports he has successfully connected to SFTP servers with 3.7.8, and I believe him. Unless of course he was using wireless by mistake - I've asked him to confirm he was on a wired connection when testing. So it's all (still) a bit of a mystery at the moment...