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grod46
join:2012-11-25
Fresno, CA

grod46

Member

[Equip] Gateway Broadcasting 3 Wireless Networks?

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Hi guys, after getting reinstalled and receiving a Arris TG862 at first the only network broadcasting only one network, but since yesterday it started broadcasting the xfinitywifi (my gateway is the only one in the town that is broadcasting and fully active AFAIK), but now it is broadcasting a 3rd Hidden Network, anyone knows what this network is for? Could it be for Techs to connect and Diagnose and dig deeper into the Gateway?

Darknessfall
Premium Member
join:2012-08-17
Motorola MG8725
Asus RT-N66

Darknessfall

Premium Member

said by grod46:

Hi guys, after getting reinstalled and receiving a Arris TG862 at first the only network broadcasting only one network, but since yesterday it started broadcasting the xfinitywifi (my gateway is the only one in the town that is broadcasting and fully active AFAIK), but now it is broadcasting a 3rd Hidden Network, anyone knows what this network is for? Could it be for Techs to connect and Diagnose and dig deeper into the Gateway?

It's probably for something like Cable WiFi if they ever decided to put it up. I don't really know for sure.

iNick
Premium Member
join:2012-12-11
Joliet, IL

iNick

Premium Member

said by Darknessfall:

said by grod46:

Hi guys, after getting reinstalled and receiving a Arris TG862 at first the only network broadcasting only one network, but since yesterday it started broadcasting the xfinitywifi (my gateway is the only one in the town that is broadcasting and fully active AFAIK), but now it is broadcasting a 3rd Hidden Network, anyone knows what this network is for? Could it be for Techs to connect and Diagnose and dig deeper into the Gateway?

It's probably for something like Cable WiFi if they ever decided to put it up. I don't really know for sure.

When Comcast was just starting up the Xfinity WiFi BS, I had a TG862 that did the same-thing and no one from Comcast could tell me what it was at the time. So it seems like they still don't know either.
jm101
join:2011-07-17
Oakland, CA
ARRIS BGW210-700
Ubiquiti UDM-Pro
Ubiquiti UniFi UAP-AC-PRO

jm101 to grod46

Member

to grod46
The TG862 we lease broadcasts "Other Network" on our Windows 7 machine. I called Comcast about it and they didn't seem to know. I don't understand why it needs to broadcast so many SSIDs.

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
Premium Member
join:2004-06-24
The Boro
Netgear CM500
Pace 5268AC
TRENDnet TEW-829DRU

NetFixer

Premium Member

said by jm101:

The TG862 we lease broadcasts "Other Network" on our Windows 7 machine. I called Comcast about it and they didn't seem to know. I don't understand why it needs to broadcast so many SSIDs.

Actually the TG862 doesn't use Windows 7 to do its SSID broadcasts, but Windows 7 reports what is often called a "nonbroadcasting" SSID as "Other Network".

Considering that probably 1 out of 10 Comcast CSRs even knows what an SSID is, it is not surprising that you did not get an answer when you called.

The TG862 needs to broadcast multiple SSIDs because that is what Comcast engineering designed it to do; just one of the many things that must be accepted if you use a Comcast gateway box over which Comcast has full control.

And I am pretty sure that even if you get Comcast to turn off both your WiFi functionality and the xfinitywifi functionality, the WiFi radio still remains active and uses the "nonbroadcasting" SSID. I don't have one in my possession to absolutely confirm that but I have seen evidence of it happening from local WiFi scans after a Comcast gateway stopped broadcasting the user's SSID and the xfinitywifi SSID, but the "nonbroadcasting" SSID (from the same gateway box based on the MAC address) remained active.
jm101
join:2011-07-17
Oakland, CA
ARRIS BGW210-700
Ubiquiti UDM-Pro
Ubiquiti UniFi UAP-AC-PRO

jm101

Member

said by NetFixer:

said by jm101:

The TG862 we lease broadcasts "Other Network" on our Windows 7 machine. I called Comcast about it and they didn't seem to know. I don't understand why it needs to broadcast so many SSIDs.

Actually the TG862 doesn't use Windows 7 to do its SSID broadcasts, but Windows 7 reports what is often called a "nonbroadcasting" SSID as "Other Network".

Considering that probably 1 out of 10 Comcast CSRs even knows what an SSID is, it is not surprising that you did not get an answer when you called.

The TG862 needs to broadcast multiple SSIDs because that is what Comcast engineering designed it to do; just one of the many things that must be accepted if you use a Comcast gateway box over which Comcast has full control.

And I am pretty sure that even if you get Comcast to turn off both your WiFi functionality and the xfinitywifi functionality, the WiFi radio still remains active and uses the "nonbroadcasting" SSID. I don't have one in my possession to absolutely confirm that but I have seen evidence of it happening from local WiFi scans after a Comcast gateway stopped broadcasting the user's SSID and the xfinitywifi SSID, but the "nonbroadcasting" SSID (from the same gateway box based on the MAC address) remained active.

My bad. I meant I see "Other Network" on our Windows 7 machine.

Makes sense. The Gateway is pretty limited in terms of control but it works well with everything besides our Chromecast.
grod46
join:2012-11-25
Fresno, CA

grod46

Member

Well i finally replaced it with a standalone Modem and router, WiFi in that model isn't the best in the world, would lose signal if i went just in the next room
jm101
join:2011-07-17
Oakland, CA
ARRIS BGW210-700
Ubiquiti UDM-Pro
Ubiquiti UniFi UAP-AC-PRO

jm101

Member

said by grod46:

Well i finally replaced it with a standalone Modem and router, WiFi in that model isn't the best in the world, would lose signal if i went just in the next room

I agree. The WiFi range on the TG862 is about the same, or maybe even a little worse, than the Linksys WRT54G router. The speed is definitely better though.
luckmann
join:2004-06-27
Albuquerque, NM

luckmann to NetFixer

Member

to NetFixer
I have the 862 in bridge mode. And it broadcasts nothing. Now I don't know about turning off the WiFi only (I was told that couldn't be done). At least on mine in bridge mode nothing broadcasts.

NetFixer
From My Cold Dead Hands
Premium Member
join:2004-06-24
The Boro
Netgear CM500
Pace 5268AC
TRENDnet TEW-829DRU

NetFixer

Premium Member

said by luckmann:

I have the 862 in bridge mode. And it broadcasts nothing. Now I don't know about turning off the WiFi only (I was told that couldn't be done). At least on mine in bridge mode nothing broadcasts.

Yes, if you can get a Comcast CSR to put the gateway into true bridge mode (easier said than done sometimes), the radio should be turned off. But what I think is sometimes happening is that some Comcast CSRs are only turning off the customer and xfinitywifi functionality, but are not actually disabling the radio or putting the gateway into bridge mode unless the customer specifically insists on putting the gateway into bridge mode (and that leaves the WiFi radio active, but not sending an SSID). A lot of people who want to use an external wireless router instead of the WiFi in the gateway will ask Comcast to turn off the WiFi in the gateway instead of specifically asking for it to be put into bridge mode. And there are also CSRs who just don't know the what bridge mode is or why a customer might want/need it done -- I ran into a lot of them when I was battling Comcast to put and keep my BCI SMC gateway in bridge mode.
luckmann
join:2004-06-27
Albuquerque, NM

luckmann

Member

I have been exceedingly lucky because I have had to have it done a few times after a hard reset and haven't had a problem. Though I did specifically ask.
cheeseman
join:2014-06-19
Palo Alto, CA

cheeseman to grod46

Member

to grod46
Are they dual-radio? One for B/G, one for N.
jobias
join:2006-01-18
Knoxville, TN

jobias to grod46

Member

to grod46
It's for their home security product. They used to put in a separate wireless router for it if you got it installed, now they can use an existing gateway. There's a unique (obviously not broadcast) network name per gateway, and what looks like an 18 digit wpa2 password.