Problem with Santander Online Banking via Tethered Mobile 4G

born_again

Do you get the same problem with the Santander app on your phone, or running internet banking via browser on phone?

TraySelect

No, I don't get this issue when I use the Santander app on my phone. It's only when I attempt online banking on the laptop, tethered to my phone. Tried it again this morning - no luck, just back in the loop of return to log-in page. Again and again.

I'll try the browser change again when I'm next on the laptop. I'm pretty sure I've done this in the many hours I've spent on this previously.

tommyt11

Hi, just found this thread. I'm getting exactly the same issue (mobile broadband using Smarty). Yes the last digit of my public IP address changes every few secs when I check on WhatsMyIP. Also the Google captchas happening quite a lot. Did you find a solution? From what I can see, a VPN subscription might be my only way out of this?

TraySelect

tommyt11 - I raised this issue with my bank, and it took Santander several weeks to tell me this:

...' Our records indicate that whilst navigating your online banking previously, the IP address is changing during the online banking session.  When this happens with a tethered connection, it is normally the result of the underlying mobile connection dropping temporarily and then resetting, causing the hot spot to lose a secure connection momentarily.  As a security measure, our website will automatically revert back to the log on screen once any change to the IP address is detected during a live session. Unfortunately there is no solution we can provide to stop the IP address changing...'

So the bank say the problem is with Three.

I took out a mobile contract with O2. Tethering from O2 to do online banking hasn't been a problem. Yet anyway.

jsmith9

Might be worth raising a complaint with Three - or at least a protest. The underlying IP address really shouldn't be changing all the time.

TraySelect

jsmith9 said:

Might be worth raising a complaint with Three - or at least a protest. The underlying IP address really shouldn't be changing all the time.

Yes, it's subject to a complaint to Three atm. That is, I complained on 6 Dec, they have failed to respond.

So I'll escalate, and it kinda all grinds you into the ground ...

oatey

I have been having the same issue with my ID mobile sim and using a Mobile Hotspot for my laptop.
The problem is that the IP address changes frequently and you get logged off Santander every time it changes.
If anyone is still having this issue, I managed to fix it by downloading an extension for Chrome called Windscribe. It is a very easy to use, free, VPN that you can just click on and off from the top right hand corner of Chrome. 
It keeps your IP fixed and it solved the problem for me, I just flick it on when I need to login to Santander.
Hope that helps

gongy

I had the same problem with Santander banking, I am using a 'three' sim card in a router with an external dish (no other option for wifi as we live in a remote area) - I eventually spoke to someone at 'three' tech support who told me this happens because 'three' do not offer the option of a static/fixed IP address anymore (another problem is this can also cause your IP address to be blacklisted). What I have found that fixes the issue is... I use Norton anti virus software and switch on the option of having a 'Secure VPN' this has fixed my issue with Santander and I can now complete transactions without it booting me out.

Good luck I hope this works for you.

TraySelect

thank you @gongy that's really helpful.

I got nowhere useful with Three tech support so gave up trying. As you do.

mark10525

username said:

Tethering and mobile hotspot are the same thing. They just give it different names.
Interesting that your phone provider is Smarty (running on the 3 network).
3 have recently updated their core network and part of the side-effect of this seems to be that 3's network addressing changes more often between page loads - for example if you go to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ and refresh every so often, you get a completely different IP. Perhaps it is a combination of this and Santander's security thinking something is up, as it generally unusual to have a change of IP between page loads.
Certainly I have noticed that since they changed it, I get the Google unusual activity page with a captcha.

This is exactly the right answer. Typically a home broadband connection will only change IP address when the modem is reset.

A carrier (provider) who uses something called CGNAT (typically mobile broadband providers) reuses the same IP addresses for multiple requests and so your IP can change between page requests, indeed during a page request, and the bank software doesn't like that. It looks like your session has been hijacked by someone else and for your security the session is terminated so you get thrown back to the login page. The only answer I can think of is to use a VPN on the phone/device which will ensure the IP remains the same or restrict your access via the phone to when you can access a WiFi network.