US Telco Support > Verizon > Verizon Fiber Optics > Actiontec MI424WR Router Revision I - bug/problem ?!

reply to Mystiky4

Re: Actiontec MI424WR Router Revision I - bug/problem ?!

reply to birdfeedr
** The two routers don't need to be next to each other if they are wired. I have my primary on one floor, and the secondary in the basement. **

First of all, thanks for the reply.

I guess I should have worded things a little better. Physically, of course I can have both of the routers connect via Ethernet cable at different places. But the main issue is that I only have one Ethernet (CAT6) going from the basement to my physical computer location (2nd floor) that has the wire inside wall of the house. So if I make the WNDR4500 the "primary" one (located 2nd floor), the homerun from the ONT to WNDR4500 WAN is fine, but then the Ethernet from the WNDR4500 WAN to the Actiontec LAN (basement) would have to be an outside cable, and that is unacceptable. In addition, I am still using an older-based Brother LAN (non wifi) laser printer, which must be plugged into the LAN port of the WNDR4500. And the Actiontect must stay in the basement, as it it needs that Coax connection, and I don't want to run an external Coax line either. So unless I am missing something, the WNDR4500 as a "secondary" is my best choice.

** If you want to keep the Actiontec primary, and the WNDR secondary, then connect the Actiontec LAN to the WNDR WAN. Use the part 3 FAQ, except where instructions refer to "your router", apply them to the Actiontec, and where instructions refer to Actiontec, apply them to the WNDR. In this setup, both routers are running on separate subnets, so Actiontec LAN devices can't see the WNDR LAN devices, but your description so far indicates it's not required. **

It seems that this will be my 2nd choice to try after exhausting the current setup testing. Should I DMZ the IP address of the WNDR4500 inside the Actiontec, as I assume the firewall of the WNDR4500 would work since it's now connected into the WAN?

** Although I'm not convinced the problem is the Gen3 Actiontec, if you still have that Rev.F, hook it up as primary with the WNDR secondary LAN-to-LAN. **

Funny enough I started to think about that too. I just called the local (Brooklyn, NY -- a small city, ehh?) FIOS manager, and he told me that they no longer carry anything other than Rev. I. It would seem to me if there was some kind of an issue with those Rev I.'s, they would slow down the deployment of them?

But I think I will call Verizon Tech support and get one here for my future testing.

reply to More Fiber
** BTW, I'm still waiting for you to connect your PC directly to the Actiontec to see if that fixes your 52 hour dropout problem. **

Thank you again for the answers, many times over.

I have kept running the current setup, as it is now over 40 hours and I want to see if it also craps out (this is the DMZ of the WNDR4500 ip addressi nside the Actiontec but plugged into WNDR4500's LAN port, which by now I know is not a secure thing to do).

As you probably saw in my previous message, I am about to order an older Rev F router to have for further testing. If that doesn't fix the issue, then it will be a straight Actiontec to PC test. Promised!

Can you please confirm that if I end up with some configuration that the WNDR4500 is secondary and the Actiontec is plugged into the WAN port of the WNDR4500, that it would be safe to DMZ the IP address of the WNDR4500 inside the Actiontec?
My reasoning is that I don't want for the Actiontec to suddenly firewall the WNDR4500, and isn't WNDR4500 then fully protected anyhow as someone said here that "the firewall of the WNDR4500 works as long as the WAN port of it is used".

Cheers.

reply to Mystiky4
Okay - I have changed my setup for Option #1. I did factory resets for both Actiontec / WNDR4500 before starting this configuration.

My Actiontec is on 192.168.1.1
My WNDR4500 in on 192.168.1.2

In the Actiontec:
-----------------
I have DMZ'ed 192.168.1.2
Changed the DNS to 4.2.2.2 / 4.2.2.3
My Start IP address is from 192.168.0.10
Assigned 192.168.1.2 a "Static" DHCP address
Disabled Wireless

In the WNDR4500:
-------------------
Flashed to BETA 103 firmware
Changed it to "AP Mode"

And my hardwired connection is as follows:

ONT---(WAN)Actiontec(LAN)---(WAN)WNDR4500(LAN)---PC

I hope this will be a happy marriage!

reply to Mystiky4
Sometime during this past night, the same problem re-appeared with exatxly the same issues. Right on schedule, as it started sometime after the 50th hour of being online.

I have now pulled the Actiontec Rev. I router and replaced it with a Rev. E, which was sent to me by Verizon a few days ago for testing. I have reset everything from scratch (both routers) and now have the following setting running:

My Actiontec is on 192.168.1.1
My WNDR4500 in on 192.168.1.11

In the Actiontec (rev E)
-----------------
I have DMZ'ed 192.168.1.11
Changed the DNS to 4.2.2.2 / 4.2.2.3
My Start IP address is from 192.168.1.10
Assigned 192.168.1.11 "Static" DHCP address
Disabled Wireless

In the WNDR4500:
-------------------
Flashed to BETA 103 firmware
Changed it to "AP Mode"

And my hardwired connection is as follows:

ONT---(WAN)Actiontec(LAN)---(WAN)WNDR4500(LAN)---PC

I need to ask without re-reading the entire thread - what are you trying to accomplish with this setup? Verizon doesn't support stacking or bridging any Verizon BHR, so I'm surprised the FSC sent you another BHR for 'testing' purposes....

If you can't figure it out via the threads, Verizon won't assist with 'fixing' something they don't support....

reply to nycdave
Mystiky4 and I have discussed this in the forum, in IM's, and even on the phone a couple of times. I think it would be good to summarize one last time.

His Configuration:

Actiontec Rev I, WAN ethernet to the ONT. MoCA LAN to the STB's. Wireless on the Actiontec disabled. WNDR4500 in AP Mode, LAN to LAN to the Actiontec.

The problem:

Every 48-50 hours, he loses all connectivity on all devices simultaneously. This includes wireless devices connected to the WND4500, a hardwired device connected to the WNDR4500, and a hardwired device to the Actiontec Rev I. When this happens, STB's are also unable to connect to the Internet. He has tried to start a VOD and gets an error message. He has had a VOD in progress, which failed.

Turning the Actiontec off and back on again fixes the problem, but it recurs 48-50 hours later.

VZ has replaced the Rev I once.

They recently also told him to put the WNDR4500 into the Actiontec DMZ, but I'm sure the phone rep was confused about his configuration, thinking he was using the WNDR4500 as a router behind the Actiontec.

Several of us have suggested taking the WNDR4500 "out of the loop" and using the Actiontec wireless, to see if it's somehow causing the issue. He doesn't want to do this because he has wireless media devices connected via 5ghz N. He has replaced the WNDR4500 but the problem persists.

We've suggested running with the 4500 as primary, and the Actiontec as a bridge for the STB's. It's remotely possible that he got two bad Rev I's in a row. I don't think he's tried this.

We've also said that putting the 4500 in the DMZ is pointless when it's in AP Mode.

At this point, as you mentioned, the only logical thing to do is to put everything into a default, VZ-supported mode. If it was me, I'd take the 4500 completely offline, or run it as a secondary router behind the Actiontec. I don't think he wants to do this, which I can kind of understand; but if he doesn't run for awhile in a supported configuration, there's not much VZ can do to help.

Not much any of us can do to help, either. Too many variables.

Hi Claiborune,

You pretty much have nailed it, so thank you.

My order of trying things now are going to be:

1) Running Rev E Actiontec, if that fails
2) Replacing Netgear WNDR4500 with WNDR3800
3) If that too fails, then getting rid of everything, except for Actiontect directly to PC

I do have to wait 50+ hours to see if when and if any of these will fail.

The only way to prove out the issue is to run the Actiontec by itself with wireless turned on. If it is stable past the 50 hour mark, then add your AP behind it - turning off the Actiontec's wireless at that point. If it fails after the next 50 hours, you have proven the 2nd router is the cause....

Not to be rude, but the FSC still won't support your setup without the Actiontec as the only router in the mix. If they are trying to help you out with your dual router setup, they are violating the FSC support boundaries.

reply to Mystiky4
I think trying this with the Rev E is crazy. You have the 150/35 package, right? You're losing a third of your bandwidth. On the plus side, if the problem doesn't recur, there may be an issue with the second Rev I.

But you're changing too many things simultaneously, without having tested each piece of the configuration and eliminated it as a possible problem. Like I say, I would start over with the default VZ configuration with the Rev I as primary, wireless enabled, and no Netgear router in the configuration at all. If you make it past 50 hrs, you know the Actiontec probably isn't the problem. If it fails, it's the router or something upstream (the ONT or something else). And VZ support will have something to work with, being unable to blame a non-standard configuration for the problem.

Given the fact that you've changed firmware and swapped out the 4500 already, and still have the problem, I'd wager that you're going to have the same thing happen 50 hours from now. You're likely going to have to revert to the VZ supported configuration anyway, so might as well do it now.

reply to Mystiky4
**DISREGARD BELOW. MISSED YOUR SIG ABOVE THAT YOU UPGRADED TO THIS LATEST FIRMWARE"

I think Netgear acknowledged a problem with dns on their routers and posted a beta for the WNDR4500. Might want to try that if all else fails.

»support.netgear.com/app/answers/···id/19894

"Bug Fixes & Enhancements:

[Fixed]: Guest network can’t access internet when client access main wifi network first.
[Fixed]: can’t find DNS server.
[Fixed]: when using fix ip, DHCP will send NAK and connection will drop and re-connect.
[Enhancement]: improve the read/write speed for ReadyShare NTFS file system."

reply to Mystiky4
I agree with [user-claibourne]. Testing with the rev. E is a waste of time.

You keep putting off testing with your PC connected to the Actiontec. That is the only way you are going to knowing the Actiontec is the issue or not.
--
There are 10 kinds of people in the world; those who understand binary and those who don't.

reply to rhdcheme
He has. Two different 4500's, with both the latest production firmware, and the beta firmware. It didn't help.

If the 4500 is somehow causing the problem, it appears that hardware or firmware changes don't address whatever it's doing to cause the problem. Which is one more reason to take it offline/get it out of the loop.

reply to More Fiber
I agree.

Incidentally, I had a problem with the WNDR4500 and my Lexmark network printer not being connected after it sleeps for an extended time (Same setup with Rev I as primary and WNDR4500 in bridge/AP mode). All the LAN clients were connected to the WNDR4500 as were the wireless clients. I replaced it with a E4200 and the problem is now resolved.

I think the Netgear is very buggy.

Claibourne,

The only problem is that the WNDR4500 is not the only Netgear router with the connect/disconnect, DNS, etc. problems. I know for a fact that the WNDR3700 suffers from the same and they have issued a beta firmware for that too. Not so sure about the WNDR3800 though.