US Telco Support > Verizon > Verizon Fiber Optics > Actiontec Firmware {4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7} Bug - Static IPs

Actiontec Firmware {4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7} Bug - Static IPs

I just tried this by attempting to assign a my piggybacked router (set up as a wireless extender) and it just plain does not appear in my list of items.

Edit: the router does work it just does not show up in my list of items.

reply to TampaJim
Well, for me, not only does it disappear from the DHCP list, but when the device (pc) in question next requests an IP address, it is assigned a dynamic one.

It would seem to me that the DHCP static lease info is not being saved at all.

Really messes up my network. Argh.

You're right. I discovered the same thing. When you go back to the DHCP list, the device is assigned another dynamic IP. Only Dynamic IP's even show on the list.

In one case, I had one MAC address (computer) that actually had TWO IP addresses assigned - one static, one dynamic - according to the "My Network" list.

Indeed, this screws up my network.

A workaround I just realized, however. If you go into advanced settings and go into the "firmware upgrade" section...you can actually ROLL BACK the firmware to the earlier verison. My current (broken) firmware was dated sometime in November 2007. The previous (rollback) version was dated May 2007. I rolled back to the previous firmware, and my DHCP list was working again, showing both static and dynamic IP's.

The only thing I'm not sure of is how long this will last, if Verizon is pushing out new firmware automatically and we can't stop it. The Actiontec shows that automatic firmware update checks are disabled, but I suspect that only means from the Actiontec site. I'm pretty sure Verizon can push the new version down the pipe any time they want. We'll see how long my rollback lasts.

reply to TampaJim
I wish they would fix this already. It's taking forever. I wouldn't mind but I don't seem to be able to stop the router from updating by itself. I have "automatic update" set to disable and changes the "check at url" to a bogus address. For some reason it finds the correct address and updates on it's own. I have run the restore a few times but today I had to install 4.0.16.1.55.0.10.4.3-MI424WR.rmt. I'm glad I save the old firmware. Anyone else have this problem?

reply to TampaJim
I wish they would fix this already. It's taking forever. I wouldn't mind but I don't seem to be able to stop the router from updating by itself. I have "automatic update" set to disable and changes the "check at url" to a bogus address. For some reason it finds the correct address and updates on it's own. I have run the restore a few times but today I had to install 4.0.16.1.55.0.10.4.3-MI424WR.rmt. I'm glad I save the old firmware. Anyone elso have this problem?

Verizon has the ability to push new firmware to your router.
The following link explains how to disable it.

»www.fiosfaq.com/content.php?contentid=79

Thanks for the link, I restored the old firmware and blocked the open port.

For a while there I thought I was going crazy. A lot of my internal connections were getting messed up with that firmware. It would give my PVR box a dynamic IP instead of the one I assigned it.

reply to TampaJim
Thanks for the tips on downgrading and port blocking. I was pretty annoyed today to find that my router wasn't handing out the static IPs that it has been distributing properly for 6 months. Even more annoyed when I learned that Verizon could, and had, pushed out an automatic firmware upgrade, and that the new firmware broke an important feature. I spent about an hour exporting, editing and re-importing router configuration files before determining that the .56.0.10.7 firmware is just completely borked when it comes to static DHCP.

reply to TampaJim
Whew,

Thought I was going insane. Saw the same things listed here in the past couple of weeks and when I tried to force static DHCP, kept getting the "address already exists in router database" message. Even manually setting the lease times to something short and then powering down the ActionTec, setting manual Static DHCP, reconnecting each device one by one, etc. failed. The result is watching your static leases converted to dynamic ones seemingly at random. Maddening, frustrating, and also a bit frightening.

I too rely on static DHCP to keep everything sane on my network. This makes me starting searching for reliable methods of making the ActionTec a bridge and going back to my D-Link as the router. Since I have FiosTV though (which relies on the MoCA), this may be an impossible task at present.

reply to TampaJim
This new firmware also breaks my VOIP service:

»Verizon Actiontec router and ViaTalk service

reply to FtWorthScott
There are numerous threads and an FAQ that explain how to either make the AT a bridge (if you have coax/MOCA connection from ONT), or put it behind your own router (cat-5 from ONT).

»How To: MI424-WR Network Bridge + working FIOS TV

reply to TampaJim
The firmware also has issues with WPA encryption and PC's running Vista.

[8F] The NyQuil Kid

reply to TampaJim
I ran the scan that is linked from the FiosFaq page »scan.sygate.com/home_homeoffice/···ndex.jsp however it just gave me a bunch of ports that were in stealth. The only open port was ICMP.

Is there another way to determine which port is open?

reply to LurkerLito
Ok the firwall rules didn't work. I had to restore my firmware again today. It looks like every friday the firmware gets pushed back onto the router.

Looks like Verizon has a backdoor into the router for firmware updates. I checked the open port with the same app as I used last time and it no longer shows that port as open.

For what it's worth, although Verizon does have a backdoor, they don't hide it.

PFD

reply to TampaJim
OK, so it seems that there is a backdoor to the Actiontec router, the backdoor the Verizon uses to push firmware updates. How long before someone uses this backdoor to push something else, perhaps a bogus dns to use to spoof the online banking applications. Is there any information on this backdoor that provides some sense of service level agreement as to no one except the real Verizon will be able to use the backdoor?

...and I am NOT a believer in security through obscurity, as eventually it becomes neither.

reply to LurkerLito

reply to ProFiOSDude
That depends on your definition of "hide".

It appears that VZ has a way to push unwanted updates even with the "filenail" port blocked. Where is full disclosure about what is being pushed? By comparison, with Microsoft Update, I can chose auto-update, update-notification, or no update. MS provides links to a full description of what has been changed. Where is that with VZ?

Why should I allow VZ to push buggy updates to my router?

If your router is less than a year old, or you have video, it's still their router. They should be able to update the firmware. Now, for over a year and not video, then I agree that they should not make any changes to the router.

PFD