US Telco Support > Verizon > Verizon Fiber Optics > How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

reply to radiusmax

Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

reply to radiusmax
Nope, the none null password didn't work for me. And I tried with my other router.

Here is the deal, I didn't use the actiontec in front of my router, is that the problem? For my install, it's CAT5 coming into my house. So I figured I didn't need to use actiontec as a bridge. Is this correct? I think it would be ideal, if I could set up actiontac as a bridge and yet get and ip address from Verizon and then let my other routers do the firewall and internal routing. Then will actiontac in bridge mode neg a PPPOE ip address then? Anyone may know?

Thanks!

--xin

Did you try the username as verizonfios and password can be anything?

I am using a DLink DI-624 with the ActionTec bridged on the backend so the ActionTec is not required as the main router.

I'm a long time dslreports member, and I just switched today from Adelphia (the past 5 years or so) to FIOS.

I read this particular post with great interest as I use a dedicated Linux box (Clarkconnect firewall product - very highly recommended) as both a router and firewall in front of quite a large (40+ IP devices) internal home network. That's just my preferred way. So, I spent 20 mins or so putting the ActionTec box into bridge mode (had to check the relay-DHCP check box additionally) and voila, works perfectly. 34Mbit down and like 4.8Mbit up.

It's been rock-solid all day in this configuration and seems stable. So I'm leaving well-enough alone (for now!).

Jeff

jeff, i had it this way, but ended up switching the actiontec to dhcp on the wan and put it behind the CC box so the CC box could do all of the QoS.

What's the benefit to having the actiontec dhcp? I just want it to be a dumb piece of equipment and let the CC box do all the work on my network...

Currently:

WAN --- ActionTec (acting as bridge) --- CC box (dhcp'ing from Verizon/whereever> --- GigE switch --- rest of network

J

reply to DaDrgon
Thought I was going to be on to something but here is my story. I just got Fios on Monday coming from Verizon DSL. I have my Broadvoxdirect adapter connected to the Actiontec LAN port. All my incoming calls would go to voicemail. Outgoing is fine. I was trying different port forwarding for the adapter without any luck. In my DSL setup I had the DSL Modem in Bridge then my Voip adapter doing PPPOE and my Microsoft MN100 router in DHCP mode. Well now my Voip adapter is in dhcp on Fios. SO I put my Voip behind my MN100 so I am double Nat my Voip Now it works. Then I saw your procedure and I thought it was going to work. Tried the Bridge mode the Actiontec put the Voip next in DCHP then my MN100. Internet worked but my incoming calls had a problem this time it would right though but the calls still go to voicemail. ok so I reversed it the MN100 is in the Actiontec and my Voip in the MN100. My MN100 could not get the verizon address. So I am back to double nat my voip adapter. Anyone have ideas I would welcome them.

reply to DaDrgon
Ok so after learning of this post from the DDWRT forums I'm still a bit confused. Lack of knowledge mostly but I followed the instructions in the original post but my difference is My ethernet port is enabled but I'm not using PPPOE. I still was unable to get my Linksys to obtain my external WAN IP as it would just obtain my LAN IP from the Actiontec. I understand how to set the actiontec to bridge mode but do I also turn off the DHCP so everything will be passed on to my Linksys router? Sorry for my lack of knowledge but I'm trying to learn as I go. I don't want to disconnect the actiontec if It will work as a bridge to pass everything to the Linksys.

in bridge mode on the LAN enet, the actiontec will pass thru to the WAN side, so it won't affect anything your linksys is doing. t

reply to jeff4
there's no benefit, jeff. in theory, you could disable the WAN entirely on the actiontec and just have it act as a big, power-hungry NIM (bridging MoCA from stb/dvr to LAN/WAN). i put the actiontec behind my clarkconnect box and have it get a WAN IP by DHCP from my CC box. advantage was not having to change anything with the way the fios dvr works. the dvr is now-double natted, but that seems harmless. i might end up getting a NIM on ebay and unplugging the actiontec outright...

druber - so you're using FIOS for TV as well? (DVR you mentioned).

For me I'm a DirecTV person, so this is purely internet.

What's a NIM?

J

oh, sorry. yes, i've had fios internet for 1 yr, but just switched from comcast tv to fios tv. if you're not using fios tv, this is all moot - you can use whatever router you want (the NIM is a bridge between coax/MoCA and ethernet - not relevant to you, i guess.) new installs by default seem to be getting the MoCA port on the ONT enabled for WAN instead of the enet port, but the installer should do enet if you ask?

Yea, had I known I could've had ethernet I guess I would've gone that way, but either way, this connection rocks, I'll say that. I hope they don't oversell this too much.

J

Just to follow up, I simply called the fiber solutions center and asked them to turn up the ethernet port. They had to turn down the coax. But they had no problems doing it, the guy put in a ticket and I received a call the next day that it had been completed.

Now to figure out the set top box stuff, I know it's somewhere in this thread or another thread, I just have to find it. I can't get VOD and stuff, which I've seen is a common issue until you get things properly set up between a router and the actiontec.

reply to DaDrgon
I've gotten the Actiontec to bridge just fine. But the problem I'm having is getting a remote DHCP address from Verizon. Is it a DHCP connection? If so, do I have to spoof/clone the MAC address? When I do try to pull DHCP off that connection, it responds once with a DHCPNAK from Verizon then it will timeout unresponding to further DHCPREQUEST(s).

Is it PPPoE? I noticed that part of the actiontec's negotiation is PPPoE during startup but I'm not sure how this would affect anything (possibly pulling PPPoE to get base configuration then restarting DHCP - but it doesn't make much sense).

Did you release your IP address from the Actiontec before putting it into bridge mode?

DHCP should work fine, it worked fine for me with my Linksys. As long as you aren't currently leasing an IP with any other hardware.

Yup... released and waited then restarted the network interface inside linux. I'll try again once the daily internet fix is met. I should note I'm not removing the Actiontec out of the chain, I need it for MoCA/Coax which is tied to the ONT. I'm not worried about FIOSTV (it's not available here yet)...
---
From earlier
---
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient: Internet Software Consortium DHCP Client 2.0pl5
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient: Copyright 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 The Int$
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient: All rights reserved.
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient:
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient: Please contribute if you find this software us$
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient: For info, please visit »www.isc.org/dhcp$
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient:
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: Listening on LPF/eth0/00:10:5a:84:8c:35
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: Sending on LPF/eth0/00:10:5a:84:8c:35
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: Sending on Socket/fallback/fallback-net
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: DHCPNAK from 72.87.39.1
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:31:36 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:31:41 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:31:52 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:32:07 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:32:25 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:32:34 mabell dhclient: No DHCPOFFERS received.
Apr 13 06:32:34 mabell dhclient: No working leases in persistent database.
Apr 13 06:32:35 mabell dhclient: Exiting.

Yea - I was able to DHCP from Verizon just fine thru the ActionTec as a bridge, but I had to set the bridged interface to DHCP-relay.

J

Maybe that's the solution. I turned off the DHCP server all together on the Actiontec.... will try that and report..

reply to DaDrgon
Thanks DaDragon! Really helpful and detailed guide I've just got my fios installed today and wanted to keep my linksys wrt54gl with thibor firmware this guide helped that happen. I'm having a bit of trouble with UPNP though utorrent is being stubborn I'm just wondering if this setup might be causing this?

I'd just like to point out to anybody else curious as to how to connect the wiring it's Actiontec LAN to Linksys WAN.