 rtcyFACTS only pleasePremium
join:1999-10-16
Norwalk, CA
1 edit | reply to DaDrgon
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge said by DaDrgon:the actiontec itself is a decent router, it's just that the firmware is buggy (NAT tables too small like I said).... you were probably lucky with your setup, but it wasn't for me I'm using the latest release firmware (.120), tried all sorts of settings on my PC and settings on the actiontec and it just kept flaking out on me... my research have found that gamers on a different forum had problems maintaining a connection to "steam"... it's not the issue of data/bandwidth overloading the router, it's an issue of too many TCP/IP connections which happens on intensive applications such as p2p downloads, gaming, etc I do not use wireless for any of my computers but I seriously doubt it plays any role in making the actiontec flake out or not because it should all get routed through the same NAT table, especially since you have a netgear behind the actiontec which means the actiontec will think that its passing data through the ethernet interfaces and not the wireless (on the actiontec) I'm wondering, can you call Verizon back to the house and have them set up the ONT to feed you Ethernet? From What 2 techs say in here, you should be able to.
second question, since i like to tweak routers(sveasoft on all 3) and have a gnatbox.com box too, can you set the experition times to a lower number on the Actiontech NAT tables? you can do this in some firewalls like the Gnatbox for example (they used to have a freebe that would limit exactly that, the nat tables, of course all you have to do is bring the expiration time down to 3 seconds or so and that will keep all traffic alive) I've since bought the real deal, so i can leave the times set to 30 seconds or so for xtreemly slow sites 
one last thing beware the cheapie routers like the Linksys and Netgears taht you see for around a 100.00 can't handle the newer 50mbits connections Verizon is offering, even with some of the more optimized (low overhead) replacement firmwares. down the road we are all going to have to move newer gigabit/ faster cpu routers, and it seems Cisco is making the Linksys V5 routers less usable to make their high end stuff be worth what they ask for them
I've been looking around the net for descriptions of the speed of the cpu's on the newer ones but they keep that top secret so we can't make a sound decision on what to spend our money on  |
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 dravenEx-Mod 2004-10
join:2002-02-20
my bunker
1 edit | reply to DaDrgon
Hello,
Dragging this one out from under the bed.
I got my FIOS install yesterday. It's an MI424-WR coax run. For the life of me I can't make it cooperate with my Linksys WRT54G v4 with DDWRT v23 SP2 VPN. Which seems to be exactly for what these instructions were written out for.
I need the Linksys for VPN capabilities, not necessarily because I hate the Actiontec or what not. The general familiarity with DDWRT is also a factor.
A couple questions just to double check my work:
1) When putting the Actiontec into bridge mode, what ports on the Actiontec and the Linksys should be used to connect the two?
2) PPPoE is NOT at all a factor in this configuration, correct? In other words, no need to change anything on the Linksys in this regard.
3) Is it possible that even these instructions are somehow no longer useable due to firmware upgrades or something? I followed them about 5 times to a T, and at one point I did seem to get an IP address on the Linksys, but I still didn't seem to have internet connectivity. The other 4 times, it just plain didn't seem to work. I must be missing something.
Thanks! |
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fred_p
join:2003-12-26
Plano, TX | 1) Actiontec LAN to Linksys WAN
2) New installs should be DHCP.
And I presume you do not have (and don't plan to have) FiOS TV... |
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dravenEx-Mod 2004-10
join:2002-02-20
my bunker | Nope, I do have TV. I can't quite make out what that means by what I've read here. Is using my own router even possible? If so, I have to leave some functionality for the Actiontec? I know the STB's are managed by the Actiontec, but I guess I need to go back and re-read through the thread to try and make sense of what it all means. |
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JohnAPremium
join:2003-09-16
Pittsburgh, PA |
You can connect the second router to the Actiontec, LAN port to LAN port, and use it as a WAP. Disable the DHCP server in the Linksys.
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dravenEx-Mod 2004-10
join:2002-02-20
my bunker | Yeah, I do realize that. I have more needs for the Linksys than just a WAP unfortunately. That's why I was hoping to figure out how to just place the Actiontec into a bridge mode and let the Linksys handle the routing for my local network - with TV service. I'll keep reading ... |
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fred_p
join:2003-12-26
Plano, TX | reply to draven
If you have FiOS TV, your best bet is to convince Verizon to enable RJ45/Cat5e connection from the ONT to the WAN side of your router rather than using the MoCA (coax broadband) interface.
The STBs rely on a MoCA (coax) interface to the LAN side of a router/gateway for Guide / VOD info. But since the LAN and WAN MoCA interfaces are just using different frequency bands on the same physical connection to the Actiontec, you cannot insert your own Linksys router "in between". You would have to split the coax and find a second MoCA adapter to do that, e.g. either a NIM (ethernet to MoCA bridge) like Verizon used to use on the LAN side of D-Link routers or a second Actiontec. |
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dravenEx-Mod 2004-10
join:2002-02-20
my bunker | Got it. This isn't something I can do myself I suppose? Since the ONT in the basement is almost directly under where my router is on the first floor. So I could save time if there's a way I can just wire it myself, or at the most call Verizon to flip a switch to enable the Cat5e connector from their end? |
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HooperPremium
join:2001-10-22
Villanova, PA | reply to DaDrgon
Does the Actiontec DHCP need to be enabled for the TV STB's? Or does it do that behind the scenes and we can't monkey with it? |
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fred_p
join:2003-12-26
Plano, TX | reply to draven
My understanding is that selecting coax or cat5 for the broadband connection is just a command sent to the ONT, so no one would even have to come on-site if you run the cable yourself. But it really depends on how Verizon will agree to handle it. |
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dravenEx-Mod 2004-10
join:2002-02-20
my bunker | reply to Hooper
I've gotten information that asserts that a third party router can handle the DHCP for the STB's without issue. The Actiontec then just handles the MoCA. |
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Reviews:
 ·Bandwidth.com
1 edit | currently i have my clarkconnect gateway behind the actiontec. tech configured the actiontec's LAN enet in bridge mode, so my CC box and the actiontec are pulling IPs in PPPoE mode. i've been told i should be able to change the actiontec's wan port to DHCP and put it behind the CC box. i will try that tonight and let you all know.
UPDATE: success! |
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| I've setup the ActionTec MI424-WR in bridge mode. I've got it connected to a DLink-624. My ethernet WAN connection is connected to the DLink. The Coax for TV is connected to the MOCA on the ActionTec.
The Dlink provides the LAN DHCP addresses. TV and Internet are working fine. I did want to make that I would not have any issues with QOS for the TV side with this setup.
I know when I had everything connected on the ActionTec, the STBs would get their LAN DHCP addresses from the ActionTec and I would see a QOS setting on the ActionTec for the STBs. Will the DLink need to be setup to provide any kind of QOS settings for the STB traffic? |
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| reply to DaDrgon
All,
the problem that I have trouble understand is that if the actiontec is a bridge, then the new router behind it would have to be able to ppoe with VZ. Right? What about the username and passwd for the new router to connect to vz?
you see what I mean? |
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dravenEx-Mod 2004-10
join:2002-02-20
my bunker | reply to radiusmax
said by radiusmax:I've setup the ActionTec MI424-WR in bridge mode. I've got it connected to a DLink-624. My ethernet WAN connection is connected to the DLink. The Coax for TV is connected to the MOCA on the ActionTec. You mean that your ONT has both the ethernet and coax ports activated? So the ethernet runs to your Dlink and the coax runs to the ActionTec?
Or were you talking about the WAN port on the ActionTec? I'm going to be making a call to Verizon tonight to convince them to turn up the Ethernet port, I'm just looking to word things correctly so that I come out with whatever I need to have my setup work right. |
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| reply to problems
There is another thread in this forum that talks about that. Basically, in my area, I was able to set the pppoe username and password to whatever I wanted.
»Re: [northeast] Changing Wireless FIOS Router? |
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| reply to draven
draven,
My ONT has both the ethernet and coax ports activated. The ethernet runs to my Dlink and the coax runs to the ActionTec. |
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dravenEx-Mod 2004-10
join:2002-02-20
my bunker | said by radiusmax:draven, My ONT has both the ethernet and coax ports activated. The ethernet runs to my Dlink and the coax runs to the ActionTec. Cool. Did you request that at install? or did you just call them up to have it done over the phone at a later date? did anybody give you grief about it? That is exactly what I plan on trying to accomplish. |
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| reply to radiusmax
RadiusMan,
Thanks a lot! I will give it a try! 
--xin |
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| reply to draven
Draven,
I was one of the early installs. I had FIOS internet for a few months before TV was available in my area so they initially setup the Internet side with ethernet, CAT 5, and the DLINK router. Later when TV was available, they came out and ran the COAX side for TV and switched out my Dlink for the ActionTec. |
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