Verizon DSL → Can't reach even-numbered IP addresses

Turned up a dry DSL line for a client more than a week ago, and it's a disaster. I can only reach IP addresses whose last octet is an odd number.

For example, _._._.17 is reachable while _._._.18 is not. Destination network is irrelevant, and affects addresses both on-net with VZ, and off-net. Can't ping, can't browse, can't make VPN connections. And for ALL addresses, even or odd, I cannot traceroute.

A call to support the day after installation put me in touch with a clueless drone who kept putting me on hold for long periods at a time, only to come back and ask more misguided questions like "what DNS server are you using". Ummm, this affects IP addresses directly, not nameserver resolution.

After several more long holds and a full 45 minutes without any resolution, the call just.... dropped. Music on hold disappeared, and the line clicked dead. I didn't have time that day to call back and start from scratch with a new person.

At the beginning of the call he asked, "What is your callback number, in case we get disconnected?" Yet he never called after we were disconnected.

Next, I opened a thread in the VZ Direct forum 6 days ago, and it hasn't even been viewed yet, even though clearly there is view/response activity on other threads.

So far this DSL experience has been HORRIBLE.

Anyone know the magic phone number to a CLUEFUL contact at Verizon who can look at a Florida (Tampa metro) DSL problem?

well, i may not be a verizon person, but i can try some non-verizon-idiot troubleshooting.

to start off, a couple basic questions:
what model of router/modem?
does it happen on all devices you try?
if yes, which os's do the devices use?
can you post up the transceiver stats from the modem here? (i can help you locate these if needed)
the reason i ask for stats is because it might be that the line can't handle it because of the speed, because you mentioned turning it up.

i have someone knowledgeable i can contact in one of the presidential departments, because i have to call anyway, i might as well help out someone else in the process, or heck, even i might be able to solve it.

Would you be able to post up one of those traceroutes that shows the problem and also a good one that shows how things should be routing? That will help.

I assume you've already tried different routers too on your end, in addition to different computers correct?

Nope.Both connected to the router, and directly attached to the PC.

After dancing around with 2 Verizon reps and more than 2 hours of my life wasted, they've confirmed I'm stuck in the walled garden because the service hasn't been activated from the customer end. But the problem is, it's impossible to browse to ANY site, including the activation site.

The problem was escalated yesterday morning to the team that was "supposed" to remove the walled garden restriction-- and I was promised "2 to 4 hour resolution" and a callback.

We are now 36 hours later, no resolution, no callback. This issue has fallen into another Verizon black hole.

And what's worse is, the building is surrounded on 3 sides (shares a common property boundary) by properties with FIOS. I submitted the form for engineering review to extend FIOS the additional (literally) 50 feet, more than 2 months ago.

Same story-- no callback, no decision. So we're stuck with this miserable DSL. All our other locations are on FIOS.

If it's actually stuck in the walled garden (you know, on the account side, not the modem side of things) it's something most techs should be able to remove while you're on the phone. I've had it done after the tech said they found a problem with the account.

verizon techs are truly stupid, especially residential ones.
try this:
[modem ip]/redirect.htm
or
[modem ip]/redirect
»Verizon DSL FAQ »How to Turn off the Walled Garden
before doing this, i suggest resetting the modem with the reset button to erase all settings that might cause issues. after doing this, you should be able to use the activation site normally.

Our modem doesn't have an IP. It's a bridge device, no routing functions, no NAT.

i remember those things, such a pain. i'm guessing you told verizon you already had a router, and that's why they sent you that model. unfortunately, although i know how to make one work when the service is already set up, i don't know how to set up the service with one.
the best i can tell you to do is call verizon and tell them to give you a westell 6100f. if you're tech savvy, and don't mind buying a modem yourself, go to best buy (yes, i hate the place too), and getting an actiontec gt701d. it's what i use, and it works great for me! once you get the modem (this applies to both the 6100f and the gt701d), plug everything in, set router to dhcp (modem will hand out ip to router), and go activate.verizon.net. if you need any help, just say so

It has to be a bridging modem, since we're running tunneling protocols that don't work with NAT or NAT-T. We had this modem (the old white "WireSpeed" bridge) from a previous Verizon DSL install and found no reason not to use it again.

We have 14 locations connected via tunnel mesh and, depending on location, we are using either »www.juniper.net/us/en/pr ··· s/srx240 or »www.juniper.net/us/en/pr ··· s/srx220 as our CPE routers.

This DSL circuit is just an emergency backup, and will only carry traffic if our primary circuit has an outage. 99.9% of the time it will sit idle.

UPDATE: Field tech called this morning, and we met on-site. He determined the problem wasn't at the premises... and ironically, had to go through the same low-level phone support drones as the public does. The phone drones are completely unable to "think outside the script" and kept telling the field tech to reboot his laptop, power cycle the modem, replace the patch cable, replace the modem, again and again.

Field tech got so frustrated, he hung up on the phone drone (!!) then dialed some super-secret Bat Line that's only supposed to be used when all else fails. After doing the song and dance, he ended up speaking to a router god who seemed very clued and very empowered. (tech put the call on speakerphone) After more than an hour of diagnostics and high-level thinking, the router god found a config error, fixed it, and the DSL line magically started working.

Bottom line-- the engineers hidden deep within Verizon Engineering are talented and run a great network. The field techs are usually pretty good guys with a good sense of humor. But the outsourced front-line phone drones are simply AWFUL. They refuse to believe (or admit) there is a problem beyond a modem reboot, and they won't even listen to the Verizon field techs, let alone you and me.

I didn't realize the field techs had to use the same front-line support the general public does. That was a surprise. I just wish I could have the number he dialed to reach the inner circle of router gods.

he's not the only one with that kind of number, i have one too. it's nice to talk to someone who instead of babbling on for half an hour eating up my minutes, instead fixes the issue in 1-2 minutes, or can get another person who can if they can't.

anyway, i didn't realize that was how things had to be set up, if i did, i would've probably just given you a number to a non-idiot in a pm.

:) I'll keep that in mind, if there's ever a next time.

Now if I could only find the secret Bat Line into the FIOS field engineering department, to get 2 locations qualified for FIOS. The kicker is, both of them share common property boundaries with other properties that ARE already lit for FIOS. I filled out the proper forms a few months ago, but have yet to receive any contact from VZ on either property.

let's hope there isn't a next time. in my case, it's all the time xD. as far as the fios department, i think i was in that department once already xD. unfortunately, i live in the middle of nowhere (my dsl line is 17000 feet long), and will probably never see fios. as far as helping you though, call the regular department, specifically the tech department (least stupid of them), and ask to go to the presidential appeals department, this is the department of people who will actually help you.

Appeals department sounds familiar. I think I may have a direct line for that, left over from a previous adventure into the wasteland that is VZ phone support. As I recall, I used it but was stuck in a hold queue for soooo ridiculously long without ever reaching a human, that I gave up and hung up.

i suggest using it again, and waiting for someone, it's well worth the wait. when you get someone, and create a case, give them a good contact number, and make sure to get their number and extension number.