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brandon0921
join:2013-06-04
Johnston, RI

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Re: Assistance needed with VOD and Guide info in alternate setup

I configured the net mask back to /24, but I do not see the ASUS providing the Actiontec with a 192.168.0.x address. I will have to check this when I am home.

Thank you for your assitance

birdfeedr
MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI

birdfeedr

MVM

said by brandon0921:

but I do not see the ASUS providing the Actiontec with a 192.168.0.x address. I will have to check this when I am home.

Also, don't forget physical requirements. Look for the link lights to show ethernet connection is solid. A bad cable will prevent Actiontec WAN pulling an address from the Asus. Try a different LAN port. Also, my preference has been, where possible, to connect Actiontec directly to Asus LAN rather than go through a switch.

If someone else, not you, has been modifying the network, it may be useful to start from scratch with hard reset on all items. STB will only do a hard reset (well, it's really a power-off reset) when power cord is removed from wall outlet.

Your description sounds like you have the Asus as primary, with a switch hanging off the Asus LAN for your internet-connected devices, and the Actiontec WAN connected to the Asus LAN.

What's running on the Actiontec LAN besides the STB? Actiontec LAN must have DHCP running.
brandon0921
join:2013-06-04
Johnston, RI

brandon0921

Member

I'm at a complete loss.

Here is the latest.

I factory reset the Actiontec router and configured it using the LAN to LAN faq found here: »Verizon FiOS FAQ »Replacing the Actiontec (part 4): LAN-to-LAN keeps all devices on one network
-So to be clear I am not running a cat 6 line from the ONT a 3rd party Asus router. From that router I am connecting into a Netgear switch. Hanging off the Netgear switch is the Actiontec router, which has a coaxial connection to 4 STB's.

The STB's still are not getting a guide, but they are receiving a LAN IP, a DNS address, and a Gateway which is pointing at the Actiontec (192.168.1.2) --- Is this the issue? Should the STB's have the ASUS router (192.168.1.1), as their Gateway? I'm not sure since the GW for the Actiontec is the ASUS.

If i look in the address list on the ASUS, I can see all the STB's and their MAC populated.

On the Actiontec, the Coax link is a solid green and the LAN port is blinking.

Like i said, I am at a loss and desperate for some assistance. Thanks in advance to anyone that can help me out of this jam.
brandon0921

brandon0921

Member

I think I have uncovered some more useful information. I've noticed that everytime I reboot my Actiontec the LAN IP's are dropped on the STB's, this maybe has something to do with the boxes getting their IP's from the Actiontec, even tho DHCP was flipped off, idk???

I dug through the logs on the router and it is flooded with dropped packets to the STB's. The log does not identify what the packets are, but my best guess would be UDP DHCP offer packets (I will scan with Wireshark in a few). The switch shows no transmit errors, neither does the Actiontec.

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MVM
join:2005-09-26
Cape Coral, FL

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to brandon0921
said by brandon0921:

So to be clear I am not running a cat 6 line from the ONT a 3rd party Asus router.

If you're NOT running cat6 from the ONT, how are you getting to the WAN port of the ASUS?
said by brandon0921:

Should the STB's have the ASUS router (192.168.1.1), as their Gateway?

In an earlier post, you stated the subnet for the ASUS was 192.168.0.x. Have you changed that per step 12 of the FAQ?

Can a PC connected to the Actiontec get a DHCP address from the ASUS and access the internet?
brandon0921
join:2013-06-04
Johnston, RI

brandon0921

Member

I am running a cat 6 line from the ONT*, that was a type-o

I started over and followed every detail outlined in the walkthrough i linked.

And I will go check the 3rd thing after the B's game

birdfeedr
MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI

birdfeedr to brandon0921

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to brandon0921
said by brandon0921:

Hanging off the Netgear switch is the Actiontec router, which has a coaxial connection to 4 STB's.

Do you have, or intend to have, any device connected to one of the Actiontec's ethernet LAN ports?
brandon0921
join:2013-06-04
Johnston, RI

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With a PC connected to a LAN port on the Actiontec, I do NOT receive an IP. The PC is set to DHCP.
brandon0921

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I do not, aside from the link to the Netgear switch.

birdfeedr
MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI

birdfeedr

MVM

said by brandon0921:

I do not, aside from the link to the Netgear switch.

If the switch is between the Asus primary and the Actiontec secondary simply because of distance, then leave it that way, otherwise my preference has been to connect the secondary router directly to the primary's LAN port.

Since the only LAN connections on the Actiontec are to the STBs, you can use the Part 3 WAN to LAN configuration just as well plus it's simpler to set up. Set the Asus LAN to 192.168.0.1, let the Actiontec pull a DHCP address from the Asus, let the Actiontec deliver DHCP addresses to its LAN on 192.168.1.1

You should see your STBs pull addresses. If there is no problem between the Asus and the Actiontec, you should see the internet connection light on the Actiontec illuminate. You should see the STB guide data and VOD work.

Further, in the Actiontec, you can set remote admin and see it from the Asus LAN by going to the Actiontec WAN address plus remote port, similar to »192.168.0.2:8080

This is what I do and it's been working for years. Actually, the Actiontec is connected to my slingbox (needs a port forward) and to my weather station. Everything else is connected to my Asus as primary.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

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What is the default start DHCP IP address, default lease time, default subnet, default router address, and default client lease time for the Actiontec?

birdfeedr
MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI

birdfeedr

MVM

said by Mike Wolf:

What is the default start DHCP IP address, default lease time, default subnet, default router address, and default client lease time for the Actiontec?

192.168.1.2 start LAN
24 hours lease LAN
255.255.255.255 LAN
whatever VZ assigns to WAN
2 hours lease WAN

LAN address for admin is 192.168.1.1
brandon0921
join:2013-06-04
Johnston, RI

brandon0921

Member

I attempted the WAN to LAN prior to running the LAN to LAN, but I couldn't get the actiontec to pull an IP from the ASUS. I wonder if the switch is the culprit here, I know if seems very unlikely, but nothing else seems to add up. Unfortunately, I wired the whole house up with cat 6 for this project and rerouted the coax, running directly to the actiontec isn't an easy solution. Perhaps I should attempt the WAN to LAN again and back track all the way to connecting the actiontec to the ONT. Should be fun changing all static addresses again :-/
brandon0921

brandon0921

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Apparently 2 out of the 5 boxes had their guides updated yesterday according to the people upstairs...very strange

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MVM
join:2005-09-26
Cape Coral, FL

More Fiber

MVM

Something must have been working at least briefly for those two boxes to get guide updates.

Checking for guide updates is not the best way to determine if the STBs have connectivity. The best method is to go to the VOD menu and see if you can view a VOD title.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

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You sure 255.255.255.255? Is that supposed to be for Subnet because that doesn't seem valid. What is the maximum number of users again? Trying to get a default reference. Thanks for the help.

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MVM
join:2005-09-26
Cape Coral, FL

More Fiber

MVM

The default subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0 (/24).

With a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, you can have 253 devices.

birdfeedr
MVM
join:2001-08-11
Warwick, RI

birdfeedr to Mike Wolf

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to Mike Wolf
said by Mike Wolf:

You sure 255.255.255.255?

Oops. How about 4 out of 5?

5:45 may be too early in the morning to answer definitively. More Fiber got it right.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

lol thanks birdfeedr I'm currently down with a cold so I could just have easily read it wrong or did the same thing

I wonder what would happen if the router is setup to use 192.168.10.1, would the set top boxes recognize the new address scheme?

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MVM
join:2005-09-26
Cape Coral, FL

More Fiber

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Yes, the STBs would be fine with 192.168.10.x. Guide data, VOD and widgets are well behaved DHCP clients.

I've even configured the Actiontec with a 172.16.x.x (/16) subnet and the STBs had no issue. VZ CSRs may tell you non-standard subnets won't work, but the reality is that their scripts are written to assume the Actiontec is always 192.168.1.x.

On screen caller-id and remote DVR access can be problematic with a non-standard DHCP range since those features are not DHCP clients and communicate their local LAN address back to VZ servers.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

1 recommendation

Mike Wolf

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There is still no IPv6 support on the WAN or LAN side of the router and no IPv6 support on the STB's right? I wonder the behavior that would occur if one of the Actiontec routers is put on a cable provider that has native IPv6 support on the WAN side.
brandon0921
join:2013-06-04
Johnston, RI

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I have 4 out of the 5 boxes fully functioning now. I can not figure out why the 5th one isnt receiving an IP.

Thoughts? I've already tired rebooting multiple times.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

Mike Wolf

Member

I get the feeling there might be some sort of signal issue affecting the connection to the STB. For all we know it's either a box that went bad or cable that went bad? »Verizon FiOS FAQ »What Information Can My Set-Top Box Tell Me
brandon0921
join:2013-06-04
Johnston, RI

brandon0921

Member

I'm in a live chat with a tech right now...It can not be the cable, I tried it in another room where another STB was receiving an IP
brandon0921

brandon0921

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Replacing the STB, I guess we'll never know...

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

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You tried it in another room where a working STB was working and what did you discover, that the box still didn't work? If that's the case then the box went bad or it got deauthorized from the account maybe?
brandon0921
join:2013-06-04
Johnston, RI

brandon0921

Member

The box still wouldn't grab an IP.
Last night one of the working STB's lost its guide again, do you think there could be an issue with the DHCP lease time? I'm going to statically add then to my routers IPaddress table and see if that resolves the issue
brandon0921

brandon0921

Member

I've discovered a work around and locked everything in with DHCP reservations on the ASUS router. I would like to know if anyone can make any sense of the following fix.

If I change the DHCP setting on the Actiontec home/network connection back to DHCP server, all the STB's populate the ASUS routers address list. I then go in to the Actiontec, delete the connections, and flip DHCP back off. My best guess is the DHCP lease is expiring and for whatever reason the STB's or the ASUS router is unable to process the DHCP request packet??? Im really not sure, but I can verify that nothing else is stealing addresses from the 100-104 range, just about everything on my network has a DHCP reservation.

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MVM
join:2005-09-26
Cape Coral, FL

More Fiber

MVM

The VZ STBs send DHCP option code 60 and expect a response. It's up to the router what to do with the option code 60 DHCP request. It appears the Asus is choosing to not respond with a DHCP assignment.

Mike Wolf
join:2009-05-24
Tuckerton, NJ

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I would need to guess that if the lease time is 24 hours as is the default setting, that it shouldn't be a problem because it's the known working condition. For example when I adjust things from their default settings I change one thing at a time and check to make sure everything is still working before I change something else, that way if something stops working, I'll know what was changed and can undo that setting so it works again.

Anyway see if setting the boxes to a static IP from the DHCP reservation list works.