TekSavvy → [DSL] Ports Not Forwarding, Router Problems.

Hello. I have TekSavvy DSL and when I purchased their service I also ordered the Thomson Speedtouch 585v7.

It has given me a lot of problems. The first one was, it kept turning off for no reason every once in a while. Sometimes every hour, sometimes a few days.

I searched the internet and found a few other people with this problem, and they said updating the firmware would fix this, so I did that. It basically fixed that issue (minus a problem I've had twice where all the lights were on, it looks like it's working, but nothing can access internet or LAN. turning it off and then on fixed this).

However I'm still having other problems. For one, port forwarding isn't working. I have it set up perfectly. I followed PortFoward.com perfectly, and yet it doesn't work.

So, I guess I'm still having problems with this thing. I'm wondering what I should do.

I purchased this one because it was the most expensive one available from TekSavvy, and was also a modem/router in one, and I figured this would be the best way to avoid annoying problems and have no compatibility issues or port forwarding issues. That is not the case. In fact, this router has been an absolute piece of junk, and completely not worth it. It's not even a Wireless N router, which I assumed it would be.

That may be my own fault for not checking, but these other problems are not, and are getting old. What do you guys suggest I do? Should I call TekSavvy and get a replacement? Will they even do that, given that I have updated the firmware? Am I boned? I mean, I'm pretty broke, buying another new one is simply out of my price range. I'm not really sure what to do.

Thanks for any help I guess.

Edit: I also forgot to mention that sometimes (80% of the time) after I forward a port, like 30-60 seconds after I forward a port, the router just turns off. Then comes back on slowly.

Edit: More info: For one game that required opening ports, forwarding them wouldn't work. however, I was able to work around it through a picture I found that wanted me to go to my Computer, hit Network on the left, then right click Thomson TG585 v7, and hit Properties. Then click Settings.

This brought me to a tab called "services" where I could click Add, and get a screen similiar to one where you'd forward ports. It asks for a name for the entry, my computers IP, and then to put the ports I want forwarded, followed by selecting TCP and UDP.

This worked for that game, but it's not working for something else.

Also, when I use an open port checker, if I have just the ports forwarded on my router, I get the error "connection timed out" where as if I make a service like how I just explained for the port, I get "connection refused".

I dunno if any of this will help. But this is really annoying.

Edit: Okay, so it turns out that I'm pretty sure opening ports is actually causing the router to turn off.

My techy friend was on Ventrilo with me, while i was hosting a server for a game. I went through the process of opening a port, the one that was blocking him from connecting to my server, and as soon as I opened it, he could connect. Then.. 10 seconds later.. the router turns off. Once it's back on, the port is nolonger open, even though nothing has changed in its options and it's still forwarded.

Additionally, earlier when I was trying to forward ports to the other game, the router would crash after I forwarded the port the second I launched the game.

So basically what I think is happening is a port opens, then the router can't handle it so it crashes, then it maintains all the info in it but the port isn't exactly open.

Anyone have any ideas? I spent extra money to get a router/modem to avoid having port forward issues and have no found that opening ports doesn't work and crashes the modem. Not exactly good.

I think, I know what the problem is.

The router has a small/tiny NAT table.

#1 If you do not know a NAT table is, see as need be: »Verizon FiOS FAQ »What is the NAT Table problem in the Actiontec?

#2 That FAQ only tells how to fix the issue, if on Verizon FIOS.

This forum has a FAQ too, but no FAQ on anything about fixing a router with a small/tiny NAT table.

»TekSavvy FAQ

[EDIT] Perhaps using third party firmware, for example DD-WRT.

»DD-WRT will fix small/tiny NAT table in Linksys WRT54Gv6?

sounds like the firemware you flashed the modem with is either bugged, or didn't flash properly.

I'd RE-DOWNLOAD it and flash again.

I don't think it's that Nat table thing, at least I'm not getting any of the problems listed there..

also.. can I even use this WRT54Gv6 firmware? That's not the router I have

Does anyone think TekSavvy would just send me a new router? I'm really not quite knowledgable enough to deal with this type of thing, and I just got the damn router a month ago..

#1 Maybe not NAT Table issue, maybe PlatooN was right.

#2 No, you can not use that Firmware on your router.

Okay, so I tried updating the firmware again.

Didn't fix it.

Also, when I forward a port, it does work.. for the 60 seconds or so until the modem turns off and back on. When it comes back on, even though the port is listed as forwarded, it nolonger is.

So this thing must be defective, because even before I updated the firmware it had this turning-off problem, albeit it didn't take ports being forwarded at the time. I'm going to call teksavvy and see what they can do.

Edit: I tried updating to an even higher firmware. Now It's not crashing when I open ports, but the ports aren't actually opening at all. However, when I check with a port checker, if I don't have any listings for a port, it just loads when I check it, then says connection timed out. if I forward the port, it says Connection Refused immediately.

Blah!!

Update: I downgraded again, and now it's not crashing as well on the firmware I was previously on, but it's also not forwarding the port.

One thing I noticed is that if I run the server for the game Minecraft on a certain port, which I have forwarded, then if I check, that port will be open. But if I'm not running the server, it's not open. Shouldn't it not work that way?

I really don't know what to do, but this is stopping me from playing games like Borderlands so.. :/

That is the correct way that it works.

I've used several routers in my time and it's never worked that way.

With my current one it's saying it's closed every single time I run any sort of 'is the port open?' check.

The minecraft thing is exclusive. If I run another game that requires ports to be open, it will not work even if the port is opened.

I do not know about your old routers, but I described is normal.

Perhaps those other routers, have:

#1 Remote control in the router enabled?

#2 Some sort of back door?