How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge
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DaDrgon @ 20th Jan 06:05PM:
How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

After searching all over the web for definitive information about making the ActionTec MI424-WR as a network bridge, I was unable to find any. I've experienced hell trying to make the Actiontec a bridge and after finding some loose information on making a router of your choice (a thread here and a thread at the techimo forums stated that you needed to release your router IP first before doing anything else), I was able to get everything to work.

Why make the MI424-WR a bridge?
•New FiOS installations now connect you using the MoCA system from the ONT, not ethernet, thus preventing you from directly connecting a router of your choice to the ONT (some of you may say that the ethernet jack at the ONT is still there and you could run an ethernet cable to it, but it will NOT work because the ONT was not configured for ethernet connectivity during initial install by verizon).
•As part of the new FiOS installations, you are given an ActionTec MI424-WR router
•The MI424-WR is a pretty decent router (is powerful, has lots of features, and is quite flexible), however the major issue with it at the moment is the puny NAT table (only 1kb in size). The NAT table is easily overflowed just by running a single bittorrent or in some cases, playing games. When the NAT table is overflowed, you will get the "No IP for NAT - connections may fail" error logged in your MI424-WR's security log. During this time, you will unable to browse, ping, or connect to anything until you wait about 3 minutes. This problem seems to be widespread with this router, regardless of which firmware release is used. No one has been able to produce a workaround for this issue and neither Actiontec or Verizon has acknowledged this issue officially. This problem makes your FiOS connection next to useless. While your overall throughput may drop when using a store bought consumer grade router, your actual usability may increase. I personally would take this trade off over NAT errors any day.
•Instead of paying at least $100 to fix something that's not your fault (buying a MoCA to ethernet bridge), make the MI424-WR as a bridge and use a router of your choice!

This is what you will need to do:
1) Connect your computer to the MI424-WR using an ethernet connection if you have not done so
2) Open your web browser and type in 192.168.1.1 in the URL and press "enter"
3) The default username and password for the MI424-WR is "admin" and "password, however verizon techs tend to change the password to "password1". If neither works, you will need to do a hard reset on the router (hold down the reset pinhole with a paperclip for about 10 seconds). If you did a hard reset, you may not be able to reconnect to the ONT due to a configuration issue with the default router settings (I will explain how to get it working as you keep reading).
4) Once you are logged in, go ahead and reset the router to the default settings if you have done numerous customizations in the past, otherwise don't worry about it. To reset the config to defaults, click on "Advanced" at the top, then click yes in the confirmation box. You will then see "Restore Defaults" at the lower left side of the screen (under the red toolbox icon). The router will now reboot itself. Remember that the username and password resets itself to the ActionTec default of "admin" and "password". It's a good idea to change the password after this is all done of course. :)
5) Go ahead and log back into the router if you have "Restore Defaults", otherwise just click on "My Network" at the top of the screen. Once you are there, click on "Network Connections" at the menu on the left.
6) You should now see a list of interfaces that exist in the router. To see them all, click on the "Advanced" button below that list.
7) Now you will need to do this very important step. you will need to release your MI424-WR's IP from the ONT or you will NOT be able to have your new router DHCP an IP for itself!. To do this, click on the "Broadband Connection (Coax)" from the connection list. Then click on the "Settings" button at the bottom. You will now see a bunch of settings for this interface. Make sure the "Privacy" option is enabled (if you have reset your MI424-WR to defaults earlier, it maybe disabled. Not having this setting enabled will cause the connection to the ONT to fail!). You can click on the "Release" button if an IP address is currently assigned to the MI424-WR. Click the "Release" button and immediately change the "Internet Protocol" option to "No IP Address" (default setting is "Obtain an IP Address Automatically"). Click on "Apply" afterwards, then "Yes" (if there's a confirmation message), then "Apply" again.
8) Now you will need to turn the MI424-WR into a bridge. In the connection list, click on "Network (Home/Office)", then click on the "Settings" button. You will see a list of interfaces under "Bridge". Check the box next to the "Broadband Connection (Coax)", then check the box under the STP column. Click on "Apply" afterwards, then "Yew" (if there's a confirmation message), then "Apply" again.
9) Since the MI424-WR will no longer be used for routing, go ahead and disable its wireless interface also. Click on "Wireless Access Point" in the interface list and then click on "Disable". You can also disable this in the "Wireless Settings" section.
10) Just in case the MI424-WR will do something wacky, I disabled the built-in firewall also. Click on "Firewall Settings" and then select "Minimum", then click on "Apply".
11) Verify that the MI424-WR no longer has a connection to the internet by looking at the status information in "Main". It should have a red light and say it's on PPPOE right now. The MI424-WR should still have a connection to the ONT. You can check this by going back into "My Network", then "Network Connections", then clicking on the "Full Status" button at the bottom of the list. "Broadband Connection (Coax)". Should say it's connected still.
12) Next, disconnect all computers from the MI424-WR. Setup the router of your choice (for me, I'm using a Linksys WRT54G v4 running dd-wrt). Make sure your new router's IP address is something different from 192.168.1.1 or it will conflict! Your new router should now DHCP an IP from verizon without any problems.

The only way to access the MI424-WR after this setup is to directly connect a computer to it (via ethernet) and using a static 192.168.1.* IP address. It will no longer DHCP an IP to you. You will also notice that the "Internet" light (may look like a map globe) on the router will now be lit orange and blink red. This is normal. The MI424-WR control panel will also perpetually say you're not connected to the internet. That too is normal.

You will know everything is working when you see your new router getting an IP from verizon.
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nycdave @ 20th Jan 07:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

"New FiOS installations now connect you using the MoCA system from the ONT, not ethernet, thus preventing you from directly connecting a router of your choice to the ONT (some of you may say that the ethernet jack at the ONT is still there and you could run an ethernet cable to it, but it will NOT work because the ONT was not configured for ethernet connectivity during initial install by verizon)."

Not quite true. The customer can always ask the installer to switch the ONT to use the ethernet jack instead of MoCA. MoCA over coax (WAN coax on the Actiontec) would only be required if there is no way to run CAT5 from the ONT to the router...
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Lee GWB @ 20th Jan 08:14PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hi,
I need clarification. U had FIOS for over a year with the Older ONT. I ALWAYS had CAT5 hooked up and STILL DO. I am using the Actiontec also.
If you check the Screen shot it is a Bridge over Wan.
Lee

Lee GWB @ 20th Jan 08:18PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

BTW I have my Linksys DOUBLE NAT WRT54GS and use it for Wireless. ActionTec Wireless is disabled.
This is completely untouched from VZ EXCEPT the wireless being turned OFF on the AT unit
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DaDrgon @ 20th Jan 08:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by nycdave :

"New FiOS installations now connect you using the MoCA system from the ONT, not ethernet, thus preventing you from directly connecting a router of your choice to the ONT (some of you may say that the ethernet jack at the ONT is still there and you could run an ethernet cable to it, but it will NOT work because the ONT was not configured for ethernet connectivity during initial install by verizon)."

Not quite true. The customer can always ask the installer to switch the ONT to use the ethernet jack instead of MoCA. MoCA over coax (WAN coax on the Actiontec) would only be required if there is no way to run CAT5 from the ONT to the router...

yes you can request ethernet be used, however at the time of order placement and provisioning, they automatically put you on coax regardless of whether you're getting TV or not. However, since there's quite a few people out there like me who are on coax, they will have to turn the actiontec into a bridge. I was going to have them put my install on ethernet but the techs told me that they will put me on coax anyway when I decide to get fios TV (which I plan to do so in the next few years) hence why I had them just put me on coax. Little did I know at the time that I'd run into this problem.

For those who have ethernet setups, just be glad you have it like that!
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DaDrgon @ 20th Jan 08:46PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Lee GWB :

Hi,
I need clarification. U had FIOS for over a year with the Older ONT. I ALWAYS had CAT5 hooked up and STILL DO. I am using the Actiontec also.
If you check the Screen shot it is a Bridge over Wan.
Lee

I actually got my fios installed a few days ago, so I'm using the newest ONT. It still has an ethernet jack but it's unused (I was told that you can't use both coax and ethernet at the same time or it gets screwy, which makes sense). The difference with my install than yours is mine is a true DHCP connection, it does not use PPPOE.

On another note, I did not have to clone the MAC address on my linksys either

On the 3rd screenshot, it will always say "bridge" under the "Network (Home/Office)" column because it is bridging the ethernet, coax (not broadband coax), and wireless interfaces... it does not indicate on that particular screen which interfaces are being bridged, you have to actually go into the "Network (Home/Office)" settings to actually find out which interfaces are bridged
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ctbarker32 @ 20th Jan 08:56PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by DaDrgon :

•The MI424-WR is a pretty decent router (is powerful, has lots of features, and is quite flexible), however the major issue with it at the moment is the puny NAT table (only 1kb in size). The NAT table is easily overflowed just by running a single bittorrent or in some cases, playing games. When the NAT table is overflowed, you will get the "No IP for NAT - connections may fail" error logged in your MI424-WR's security log. During this time, you will unable to browse, ping, or connect to anything until you wait about 3 minutes.

I'm a pretty heavy bittorrent user and have never experienced this log entry or behavior before? I have had a few questions about the Actiontec's behavior but mostly related to its Wi-Fi perfomance which I have largely correct ed by purchasing a Hawking HSB-2 antenna booster.

As I read many posts, it would appear the Actiontec Router is a bit of black hole when it comes to understanding its behavior and performance. It's unfortunate that there is no single entity that can be a resource for resolving problems. Right now one seems to get shuttled back and forth between Verizon and Actiontec tech support with no one really taking responsibility. That would be okay if the Actiontec Router was non-essential and you could just use your own router but if go for the "full monty" Fios package including TV then your stuck with the Actiontec. For the moment, I've made peace with the product but I wish support could be more proactive.

-CB
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Lee GWB @ 20th Jan 09:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hi,
So there isn't a Cat 5 cable plugged INTO your Actiontec ETHERNET WAN?
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smajchrz @ 20th Jan 09:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by DaDrgon :

I was going to have them put my install on ethernet but the techs told me that they will put me on coax anyway when I decide to get fios TV (which I plan to do so in the next few years) hence why I had them just put me on coax. Little did I know at the time that I'd run into this problem.

This makes no sense at all.

said by DaDrgon :

[I actually got my fios installed a few days ago, so I'm using the newest ONT. It still has an ethernet jack but it's unused (I was told that you can't use both coax and ethernet at the same time or it gets screwy, which makes sense).

Ok, someone is feeding you some bad information and really does not know what they are talking about. Al TV/data installs up until now have had TV coming in over the coax port and data/guide/VOD coming in over the ethernet port. If you are suggesting that the newer ONTs have issues utilizing both ports at the same time it is either a bug or, huge design flaw or misinformation. My money is on misinformation.
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nycdave @ 20th Jan 09:58PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

The 612 ONT has MoCA (on the CATV f-connector) and ethernet interfaces. The installer can choose which port to send the data across, but the ONT CANNOT support both interfaces at the same time - it is MoCA or ethernet..That is the way the ONT is designed, it is not a flaw.
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rmrper @ 20th Jan 10:42PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

nycdave, are you saying the new 612 cannot have ethernet just for data, and coax only for tv? Meaning, if my normal ONT died and I was given a 612 to replace it, I'd be forced to use coax only since I have TV service? If so, that's a major strike against FIOS in my opinion. I have the Actiontec just as a switch with my WRT54G in front right now. The Actiontec will not play nice with ATT CallVantage, and I had issues getting my Xbox 360 to work as well. I would hate to be forced to use the Actiontec as the primary router, so much so that I would consider dropping TV service if it meant I could keep Ethernet to the ONT.
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DaDrgon @ 20th Jan 10:46PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Lee GWB :

Hi,
So there isn't a Cat 5 cable plugged INTO your Actiontec ETHERNET WAN?

correct
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DaDrgon @ 20th Jan 10:48PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by nycdave :

The 612 ONT has MoCA (on the CATV f-connector) and ethernet interfaces. The installer can choose which port to send the data across, but the ONT CANNOT support both interfaces at the same time - it is MoCA or ethernet..That is the way the ONT is designed, it is not a flaw.

that's pretty much what I've found out
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smajchrz @ 20th Jan 11:41PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

If you are truly indicating that if one has a 612 with data and TV service they must use the f-connector, then I see that as quite inflexible and a step backwards. It may have been designed that way intentionally, but that is still a glaring design flaw as far as I am concerned.
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nycdave @ 21st Jan 08:49AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by rmrper :

nycdave, are you saying the new 612 cannot have ethernet just for data, and coax only for tv? Meaning, if my normal ONT died and I was given a 612 to replace it, I'd be forced to use coax only since I have TV service? If so, that's a major strike against FIOS in my opinion. I have the Actiontec just as a switch with my WRT54G in front right now. The Actiontec will not play nice with ATT CallVantage, and I had issues getting my Xbox 360 to work as well. I would hate to be forced to use the Actiontec as the primary router, so much so that I would consider dropping TV service if it meant I could keep Ethernet to the ONT.

No, that is not what I am saying. I am trying to explain that the 612 is designed for more flexibility. If a customer only has existing coax, then FiOS data can be sent through the coax along with FiOS TV (CAT5 would not have to be run). If CAT5 is already present, then FiOS data can be sent through the ethernet jack on the ONT (and FiOS TV would still use the coax). But, the ONT's MoCA and the ONT's ethernet cannot be used at the same time to send data to the router. The ONT only supports 1 WAN data 'path' at a time. If a customer wants to use their own router, then the ethernet output would have to be used on the 612. If that customer also has FiOS TV, the video is still using the coax (but the MoCA LAN network would have to be generated either by the Actiontec, or a Moto NIM100 inside the home).
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nycdave @ 21st Jan 08:50AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by smajchrz :

How do you figure? I never said they must use the coax for both data and video. Please re-read the previous posts.
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smajchrz @ 21st Jan 10:49AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by nycdave :

...the ONT CANNOT support both interfaces at the same time...

When I read this bit it appeared that you were suggesting that only one port could be active at a time, period. It did not appear that you were referring only to MOCA.

Your reply to rmrper clarified this statement and we are now on the same page.
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rmrper @ 21st Jan 12:44PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

nycdave, Thanks for the clarification!
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fred_p @ 21st Jan 07:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

If you get FiOS TV, the STBs will need a MoCA data path through the router for Guide / VOD; your suggested configuration will prevent that. :(

Bottom line: If you don't want to use the Actiontec, you really should have Verizon enable ethernet to the router.
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DaDrgon @ 22nd Jan 02:02AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

oh well... it's not like either way will let me have fios tv at this point... only downside with this setup now is just an extra box wasting space rather than a direct ethernet connection to the linksys had I made them set me up using ethernet

NOW, if sometime in the future they fix the actiontec NAT problem, I won't hessitate to go back to it so that I can get TV... but right now I don't care about the TV service... I'm perfectly indulged by the stupid fast speeds right now :D
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warlockd @ 30th Jan 06:19PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Just had the installer set up this last Friday in Plano, TX. He told me point blank that they were not allowed to enable the Ethernet jack as well as telling me that you can't have TV and the Ethernet port on at the same time.

He seemed knowledgeable about the install, but he might of not known about the underlying technologies.

This also could be more because of Auction Tech's contract with Verison. Maybe it’s more political than technical.

PS - Thanks for the FAQ! My bridge is set up and MonoWall is working much better than the AuctionTech:)
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FiOStech @ 30th Jan 07:02PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by warlockd :

Just had the installer set up this last Friday in Plano, TX. He told me point blank that they were not allowed to enable the Ethernet jack as well as telling me that you can't have TV and the Ethernet port on at the same time.

He seemed knowledgeable about the install, but he might of not known about the underlying technologies.

This also could be more because of Auction Tech's contract with Verison. Maybe it’s more political than technical.

PS - Thanks for the FAQ! My bridge is set up and MonoWall is working much better than the AuctionTech:)

Not true. As a tech, when I install a 612 ONT, I always have the choice to use MoCA (coax) or Ethernet (cat5e).

If tv is being installed as well as data, and the customer wants ethernet, you simply run coax and cat5e to the actiontec.

FiOStech @ 30th Jan 07:13PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

The cat5e feeds the wan side of the router, and the coax feeds the MoCA LAN, so the STB's can get VOD and program guide.

(just to be clear)
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FiOStech @ 30th Jan 07:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

612 ONT using ethernet for data and providing TV via coax

nycdave @ 30th Jan 07:50PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

That tech is obviously misinformed. That 'rule' is non-existent...MoCA-enabled ONT's are being rolled out to allow more efficient installs, depending on the customer's specific wiring requirements.
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FiOStech @ 30th Jan 08:00PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by nycdave
[/bquote :

That tech is obviously misinformed. That 'rule' is non-existent...MoCA-enabled ONT's are being rolled out to allow more efficient installs, depending on the customer's specific wiring requirements.

Exactly...
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dumbness @ 30th Jan 08:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Is the actiontec really that bad? I just had fios installed yesterday and my roomate and I are both running multiple BT downloads at remarkably high speeds with no noticeable effect on speeds of normal browsing or even other downloading.

Is it possible this has been fixed with newer firmware? I'm also curious if maybe the problem is only on the wireless side of the router? I'm using a netgear 824 router with very solid wireless solely as a switch and an access point, and it was much easier to just hang it off of the actiontec as opposed to trying to shoehorn it in between the ONT and the actiontec, or use the actiontec as a MoCA bridge. This also is the only option for us poor chaps who didn't have the foresight to ask our techs to run an ethernet cable from the ont at the install time.

I guess it's all a matter of personal preference, but so far I've actually been impressed with the actiontec router for being so solid. I guess it had better be solid as a cinder block for being the size of one. Maybe in a while i'll find out I hate it but for now the ugly bugger seems to be performing admirably.

In a related question: Does anyone know if it would be possible, and how much verizon would charge for turning on the ethernet on the ONT if I ran cat6 to it myself?
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DaDrgon @ 31st Jan 11:44AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

the actiontec itself is a decent router, it's just that the firmware is buggy (NAT tables too small like I said).... you were probably lucky with your setup, but it wasn't for me

I'm using the latest release firmware (.120), tried all sorts of settings on my PC and settings on the actiontec and it just kept flaking out on me... my research have found that gamers on a different forum had problems maintaining a connection to "steam"... it's not the issue of data/bandwidth overloading the router, it's an issue of too many TCP/IP connections which happens on intensive applications such as p2p downloads, gaming, etc

I do not use wireless for any of my computers but I seriously doubt it plays any role in making the actiontec flake out or not because it should all get routed through the same NAT table, especially since you have a netgear behind the actiontec which means the actiontec will think that its passing data through the ethernet interfaces and not the wireless (on the actiontec)
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dumbness @ 31st Jan 08:02PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'm getting a lot of these errors in the log:

NAT Error : connection pool is full. No connection created

Is this related to the tiny nat table you're talking about?
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Nafets @ 31st Jan 08:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

DaDrgon, you made my day!!! :D :D :D

I just got hooked up with FIOS today, via Cat5E connection/DHCP, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to work it without the Actiontec router. I followed your directions up to and including #8, unplugged the connection from the MI424-WR and plugged it directly to my PC. Works like a charm.

Many thanks on your great guide...
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DaDrgon @ 1st Feb 01:11AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

that is exactly what I mentioned in my original post
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Stresspuppy @ 24th Feb 05:47PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Sorry to bring this thread back, but just read it and it is great information!!

My installer hooked my ActionTec up via Ethernet so sounds like I don't have the issue some of you have. BUT, I have my own linux box that does my DHCP, firewall and NAT so I would like to take the ActionTec out of the mix. I tried this today but got nowhere. Then I read this post.

My question is do I still need to have it running in line as a bridge, or can I do like Nafets, run up to step 8 and then take the ethernet from the ONT and put it right into my firewall?

(If it makes any difference, my box is running IPCop - see »www.ipcop.org - and has two NICs, one for outside and one for inside.)
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smajchrz @ 24th Feb 07:49PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Release the ip address on the actiontec, remove it, then stick your ipcop box in its place. It should pull an ip address at this point. If you happen to have TV service as well, you will want to reconnect the actiontec behind your ipcop box so that you will still get the guide and vod data.
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Stresspuppy @ 25th Feb 11:26AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'll give that a shot, thanks!

On the IPCop setup, it asks for a DCHP Hostname. What should this be? fios.verizon.net?
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smajchrz @ 25th Feb 02:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

No it would be whatever you want to name the computer without the domain info.

So something like "firewall", "ipcop", "Bob" or anything else that strikes your fancy.
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Stresspuppy @ 25th Feb 05:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Did it and it worked great!!! Thanks again for this great info!
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Lee GWB @ 25th Feb 06:53PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hi,
I have the 610. I Have TV and Ethernet setup.. Both are hooked up and run to my Office to a Actiontec six feet away.
;)
Lee
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Aloof @ 26th Feb 04:37PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

My router isn't using the Coax set-up as you originally state, does this mean it does not need to be bridged and I can just plug the Cat5 directly into my own router?

Verizon said "no, because we need the actiontec available for diagnostic purposes" but I am unsure if that is true.

I would try it myself, but since I am a little ill-knowledged about this new ActionTec router; I don't want to screw something up.
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Lee GWB @ 26th Feb 05:15PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hi,
I would talk to "VZTECH" I'm almost positive you can use any router.Some use their own router and a "NIM".
So if your NOT using "FIOSTV" I think you can get away with it. If you are using "TV" you could still use your router but with a NIM.
Any other want to chime in..My brain is fried today.
Lee
--
"I Don't feel Tardy"
www.gwbmcfund.org
"When Clinton Lied , All that was left was a stained dress.
When Bush lied ,all that was left was 3000 + less US Soldiers..
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sz8 @ 12th Mar 01:43PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Silly question:

After configuring Actiontec into a bridge, you connect
one of the Lan ports of Actiontec to the Wan port of
your own router?

I may need this because I want to get Sunrocket VOIP.
I heard the VOIP adapter may not work (well) with
Actiontec.

Thanks,

SZ
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rtcy @ 12th Mar 02:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by DaDrgon :

the actiontec itself is a decent router, it's just that the firmware is buggy (NAT tables too small like I said).... you were probably lucky with your setup, but it wasn't for me

I'm using the latest release firmware (.120), tried all sorts of settings on my PC and settings on the actiontec and it just kept flaking out on me... my research have found that gamers on a different forum had problems maintaining a connection to "steam"... it's not the issue of data/bandwidth overloading the router, it's an issue of too many TCP/IP connections which happens on intensive applications such as p2p downloads, gaming, etc

I do not use wireless for any of my computers but I seriously doubt it plays any role in making the actiontec flake out or not because it should all get routed through the same NAT table, especially since you have a netgear behind the actiontec which means the actiontec will think that its passing data through the ethernet interfaces and not the wireless (on the actiontec)

I'm wondering, can you call Verizon back to the house and have them set up the ONT to feed you Ethernet? From What 2 techs say in here, you should be able to.

second question, since i like to tweak routers(sveasoft on all 3) and have a gnatbox.com box too, can you set the experition times to a lower number on the Actiontech NAT tables? you can do this in some firewalls like the Gnatbox for example (they used to have a freebe that would limit exactly that, the nat tables, of course all you have to do is bring the expiration time down to 3 seconds or so and that will keep all traffic alive) I've since bought the real deal, so i can leave the times set to 30 seconds or so for xtreemly slow sites ;)

one last thing beware the cheapie routers like the Linksys and Netgears taht you see for around a 100.00 can't handle the newer 50mbits connections Verizon is offering, even with some of the more optimized (low overhead) replacement firmwares. down the road we are all going to have to move newer gigabit/ faster cpu routers, and it seems Cisco is making the Linksys V5 routers less usable to make their high end stuff be worth what they ask for them ;)

I've been looking around the net for descriptions of the speed of the cpu's on the newer ones but they keep that top secret so we can't make a sound decision on what to spend our money on :(
reply

draven @ 5th Apr 09:52AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hello,

Dragging this one out from under the bed.

I got my FIOS install yesterday. It's an MI424-WR coax run. For the life of me I can't make it cooperate with my Linksys WRT54G v4 with DDWRT v23 SP2 VPN. Which seems to be exactly for what these instructions were written out for.

I need the Linksys for VPN capabilities, not necessarily because I hate the Actiontec or what not. The general familiarity with DDWRT is also a factor.

A couple questions just to double check my work:

1) When putting the Actiontec into bridge mode, what ports on the Actiontec and the Linksys should be used to connect the two?

2) PPPoE is NOT at all a factor in this configuration, correct? In other words, no need to change anything on the Linksys in this regard.

3) Is it possible that even these instructions are somehow no longer useable due to firmware upgrades or something? I followed them about 5 times to a T, and at one point I did seem to get an IP address on the Linksys, but I still didn't seem to have internet connectivity. The other 4 times, it just plain didn't seem to work. I must be missing something.

Thanks!
reply

fred_p @ 5th Apr 12:07PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

1) Actiontec LAN to Linksys WAN
2) New installs should be DHCP.

And I presume you do not have (and don't plan to have) FiOS TV...
reply

draven @ 5th Apr 12:44PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Nope, I do have TV. I can't quite make out what that means by what I've read here. Is using my own router even possible? If so, I have to leave some functionality for the Actiontec? I know the STB's are managed by the Actiontec, but I guess I need to go back and re-read through the thread to try and make sense of what it all means.
reply

JohnA @ 5th Apr 12:50PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

You can connect the second router to the Actiontec, LAN port to LAN port, and use it as a WAP. Disable the DHCP server in the Linksys.
reply

draven @ 5th Apr 12:59PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Yeah, I do realize that. I have more needs for the Linksys than just a WAP unfortunately. That's why I was hoping to figure out how to just place the Actiontec into a bridge mode and let the Linksys handle the routing for my local network - with TV service. I'll keep reading ...
reply

fred_p @ 6th Apr 12:52AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

If you have FiOS TV, your best bet is to convince Verizon to enable RJ45/Cat5e connection from the ONT to the WAN side of your router rather than using the MoCA (coax broadband) interface.

The STBs rely on a MoCA (coax) interface to the LAN side of a router/gateway for Guide / VOD info. But since the LAN and WAN MoCA interfaces are just using different frequency bands on the same physical connection to the Actiontec, you cannot insert your own Linksys router "in between". You would have to split the coax and find a second MoCA adapter to do that, e.g. either a NIM (ethernet to MoCA bridge) like Verizon used to use on the LAN side of D-Link routers or a second Actiontec.
reply

draven @ 6th Apr 12:12PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Got it. This isn't something I can do myself I suppose? Since the ONT in the basement is almost directly under where my router is on the first floor. So I could save time if there's a way I can just wire it myself, or at the most call Verizon to flip a switch to enable the Cat5e connector from their end?
reply

Hooper @ 6th Apr 03:26PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Does the Actiontec DHCP need to be enabled for the TV STB's? Or does it do that behind the scenes and we can't monkey with it?
reply

fred_p @ 6th Apr 03:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

My understanding is that selecting coax or cat5 for the broadband connection is just a command sent to the ONT, so no one would even have to come on-site if you run the cable yourself. But it really depends on how Verizon will agree to handle it.
reply

draven @ 6th Apr 03:35PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I've gotten information that asserts that a third party router can handle the DHCP for the STB's without issue. The Actiontec then just handles the MoCA.
reply

druber @ 6th Apr 03:42PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

currently i have my clarkconnect gateway behind the actiontec. tech configured the actiontec's LAN enet in bridge mode, so my CC box and the actiontec are pulling IPs in PPPoE mode. i've been told i should be able to change the actiontec's wan port to DHCP and put it behind the CC box. i will try that tonight and let you all know.

UPDATE: success!
reply

radiusmax @ 9th Apr 12:03PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I've setup the ActionTec MI424-WR in bridge mode. I've got it connected to a DLink-624. My ethernet WAN connection is connected to the DLink. The Coax for TV is connected to the MOCA on the ActionTec.

The Dlink provides the LAN DHCP addresses. TV and Internet are working fine. I did want to make that I would not have any issues with QOS for the TV side with this setup.

I know when I had everything connected on the ActionTec, the STBs would get their LAN DHCP addresses from the ActionTec and I would see a QOS setting on the ActionTec for the STBs. Will the DLink need to be setup to provide any kind of QOS settings for the STB traffic?
reply

anon @ 9th Apr 12:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

All,

the problem that I have trouble understand is that if the actiontec is a bridge, then the new router behind it would have to be able to ppoe with VZ. Right? What about the username and passwd for the new router to connect to vz?

you see what I mean?
reply

draven @ 9th Apr 02:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by radiusmax :

I've setup the ActionTec MI424-WR in bridge mode. I've got it connected to a DLink-624. My ethernet WAN connection is connected to the DLink. The Coax for TV is connected to the MOCA on the ActionTec.

You mean that your ONT has both the ethernet and coax ports activated? So the ethernet runs to your Dlink and the coax runs to the ActionTec?

Or were you talking about the WAN port on the ActionTec? I'm going to be making a call to Verizon tonight to convince them to turn up the Ethernet port, I'm just looking to word things correctly so that I come out with whatever I need to have my setup work right.
reply

radiusmax @ 9th Apr 02:26PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

There is another thread in this forum that talks about that. Basically, in my area, I was able to set the pppoe username and password to whatever I wanted.

»Re: [northeast] Changing Wireless FIOS Router?
reply

radiusmax @ 9th Apr 02:29PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

draven,

My ONT has both the ethernet and coax ports activated. The ethernet runs to my Dlink and the coax runs to the ActionTec.
reply

draven @ 9th Apr 03:15PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by radiusmax :

draven,

My ONT has both the ethernet and coax ports activated. The ethernet runs to my Dlink and the coax runs to the ActionTec.

Cool. Did you request that at install? or did you just call them up to have it done over the phone at a later date? did anybody give you grief about it? That is exactly what I plan on trying to accomplish.
reply

anon @ 10th Apr 02:37PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

RadiusMan,

Thanks a lot! I will give it a try! :)

--xin
reply

radiusmax @ 10th Apr 05:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Draven,

I was one of the early installs. I had FIOS internet for a few months before TV was available in my area so they initially setup the Internet side with ethernet, CAT 5, and the DLINK router. Later when TV was available, they came out and ran the COAX side for TV and switched out my Dlink for the ActionTec.
reply

draven @ 10th Apr 07:05PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok. Well, they said they can only turn up one or the other, so they'll be turning up my ethernet port sometime in the next 24 hours and disabling the coax. Then, it's up to me to figure out the rest I suppose!
reply

anon @ 11th Apr 12:05PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Nope, the none null password didn't work for me. And I tried with my other router.

Here is the deal, I didn't use the actiontec in front of my router, is that the problem? For my install, it's CAT5 coming into my house. So I figured I didn't need to use actiontec as a bridge. Is this correct? I think it would be ideal, if I could set up actiontac as a bridge and yet get and ip address from Verizon and then let my other routers do the firewall and internal routing. Then will actiontac in bridge mode neg a PPPOE ip address then? Anyone may know?

Thanks!

--xin
reply

radiusmax @ 11th Apr 06:08PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Did you try the username as verizonfios and password can be anything?

I am using a DLink DI-624 with the ActionTec bridged on the backend so the ActionTec is not required as the main router.
reply

jeff @ 11th Apr 07:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'm a long time dslreports member, and I just switched today from Adelphia (the past 5 years or so) to FIOS.

I read this particular post with great interest as I use a dedicated Linux box (Clarkconnect firewall product - very highly recommended) as both a router and firewall in front of quite a large (40+ IP devices) internal home network. That's just my preferred way. So, I spent 20 mins or so putting the ActionTec box into bridge mode (had to check the relay-DHCP check box additionally) and voila, works perfectly. 34Mbit down and like 4.8Mbit up.

It's been rock-solid all day in this configuration and seems stable. So I'm leaving well-enough alone (for now!).

Jeff
reply

druber @ 11th Apr 08:12PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

jeff, i had it this way, but ended up switching the actiontec to dhcp on the wan and put it behind the CC box so the CC box could do all of the QoS.
reply

jeff @ 11th Apr 10:00PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

What's the benefit to having the actiontec dhcp? I just want it to be a dumb piece of equipment and let the CC box do all the work on my network...

Currently:

WAN --- ActionTec (acting as bridge) --- CC box (dhcp'ing from Verizon/whereever> --- GigE switch --- rest of network

J
reply

neftv @ 11th Apr 11:14PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thought I was going to be on to something but here is my story. I just got Fios on Monday coming from Verizon DSL. I have my Broadvoxdirect adapter connected to the Actiontec LAN port. All my incoming calls would go to voicemail. Outgoing is fine. I was trying different port forwarding for the adapter without any luck. In my DSL setup I had the DSL Modem in Bridge then my Voip adapter doing PPPOE and my Microsoft MN100 router in DHCP mode. Well now my Voip adapter is in dhcp on Fios. SO I put my Voip behind my MN100 so I am double Nat my Voip Now it works. Then I saw your procedure and I thought it was going to work. Tried the Bridge mode the Actiontec put the Voip next in DCHP then my MN100. Internet worked but my incoming calls had a problem this time it would right though but the calls still go to voicemail. ok so I reversed it the MN100 is in the Actiontec and my Voip in the MN100. My MN100 could not get the verizon address. :( So I am back to double nat my voip adapter. Anyone have ideas I would welcome them.
reply

cstmstyle @ 12th Apr 12:15PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok so after learning of this post from the DDWRT forums I'm still a bit confused. Lack of knowledge mostly but I followed the instructions in the original post but my difference is My ethernet port is enabled but I'm not using PPPOE. I still was unable to get my Linksys to obtain my external WAN IP as it would just obtain my LAN IP from the Actiontec. I understand how to set the actiontec to bridge mode but do I also turn off the DHCP so everything will be passed on to my Linksys router? Sorry for my lack of knowledge but I'm trying to learn as I go. I don't want to disconnect the actiontec if It will work as a bridge to pass everything to the Linksys.
reply

druber @ 12th Apr 12:37PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

in bridge mode on the LAN enet, the actiontec will pass thru to the WAN side, so it won't affect anything your linksys is doing. t
reply

druber @ 12th Apr 12:39PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

there's no benefit, jeff. in theory, you could disable the WAN entirely on the actiontec and just have it act as a big, power-hungry NIM (bridging MoCA from stb/dvr to LAN/WAN). i put the actiontec behind my clarkconnect box and have it get a WAN IP by DHCP from my CC box. advantage was not having to change anything with the way the fios dvr works. the dvr is now-double natted, but that seems harmless. i might end up getting a NIM on ebay and unplugging the actiontec outright...
reply

jeff @ 12th Apr 01:57PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

druber - so you're using FIOS for TV as well? (DVR you mentioned).

For me I'm a DirecTV person, so this is purely internet.

What's a NIM?

J
reply

druber @ 12th Apr 03:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

oh, sorry. yes, i've had fios internet for 1 yr, but just switched from comcast tv to fios tv. if you're not using fios tv, this is all moot - you can use whatever router you want (the NIM is a bridge between coax/MoCA and ethernet - not relevant to you, i guess.) new installs by default seem to be getting the MoCA port on the ONT enabled for WAN instead of the enet port, but the installer should do enet if you ask?
reply

jeff @ 12th Apr 03:42PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Yea, had I known I could've had ethernet I guess I would've gone that way, but either way, this connection rocks, I'll say that. I hope they don't oversell this too much.

J
reply

draven @ 13th Apr 04:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Just to follow up, I simply called the fiber solutions center and asked them to turn up the ethernet port. They had to turn down the coax. But they had no problems doing it, the guy put in a ticket and I received a call the next day that it had been completed.

Now to figure out the set top box stuff, I know it's somewhere in this thread or another thread, I just have to find it. I can't get VOD and stuff, which I've seen is a common issue until you get things properly set up between a router and the actiontec.
reply

jfalcon503 @ 13th Apr 06:08PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I've gotten the Actiontec to bridge just fine. But the problem I'm having is getting a remote DHCP address from Verizon. Is it a DHCP connection? If so, do I have to spoof/clone the MAC address? When I do try to pull DHCP off that connection, it responds once with a DHCPNAK from Verizon then it will timeout unresponding to further DHCPREQUEST(s).

Is it PPPoE? I noticed that part of the actiontec's negotiation is PPPoE during startup but I'm not sure how this would affect anything (possibly pulling PPPoE to get base configuration then restarting DHCP - but it doesn't make much sense).
reply

draven @ 13th Apr 06:21PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Did you release your IP address from the Actiontec before putting it into bridge mode?

DHCP should work fine, it worked fine for me with my Linksys. As long as you aren't currently leasing an IP with any other hardware.
reply

jfalcon503 @ 13th Apr 06:33PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Yup... released and waited then restarted the network interface inside linux. I'll try again once the daily internet fix is met. :) I should note I'm not removing the Actiontec out of the chain, I need it for MoCA/Coax which is tied to the ONT. I'm not worried about FIOSTV (it's not available here yet)...
---
From earlier
---
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient: Internet Software Consortium DHCP Client 2.0pl5
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient: Copyright 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 The Int$
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient: All rights reserved.
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient:
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient: Please contribute if you find this software us$
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient: For info, please visit »www.isc.org/dhcp$
Apr 13 06:31:32 mabell dhclient:
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: Listening on LPF/eth0/00:10:5a:84:8c:35
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: Sending on LPF/eth0/00:10:5a:84:8c:35
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: Sending on Socket/fallback/fallback-net
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: DHCPREQUEST on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: DHCPNAK from 72.87.39.1
Apr 13 06:31:33 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:31:36 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:31:41 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:31:52 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:32:07 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:32:25 mabell dhclient: DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 6$
Apr 13 06:32:34 mabell dhclient: No DHCPOFFERS received.
Apr 13 06:32:34 mabell dhclient: No working leases in persistent database.
Apr 13 06:32:35 mabell dhclient: Exiting.
reply

jeff @ 13th Apr 09:02PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Yea - I was able to DHCP from Verizon just fine thru the ActionTec as a bridge, but I had to set the bridged interface to DHCP-relay.

J
reply

jfalcon503 @ 13th Apr 09:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Maybe that's the solution. I turned off the DHCP server all together on the Actiontec.... will try that and report..
reply

Jeromie17 @ 15th Apr 09:50PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks DaDragon! Really helpful and detailed guide I've just got my fios installed today and wanted to keep my linksys wrt54gl with thibor firmware this guide helped that happen. I'm having a bit of trouble with UPNP though utorrent is being stubborn I'm just wondering if this setup might be causing this?

I'd just like to point out to anybody else curious as to how to connect the wiring it's Actiontec LAN to Linksys WAN.
reply

StevenG @ 16th Apr 11:33PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Well, I can't get this to work, and I tried all night! :)

Seriously, it just wasn't working. I followed the directions to a T, and then tried to get my Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 running Tomato 1.06 to lease an IP. It couldn't get one. It was just stuck on renewing.

I tried setting the Broadband Coax "IP Address Distribution" to DHCP-Relay and that didn't work either. I just noticed though, should I have actually done that under the Network(Home/Office) settings, and not the Broadband (Coax) entry? Makes sense now if I should have, although, I want to say that I didn't see it when I was poking around. But does this DHCP-relay setting need to be made? It's not in the first post, but a few have mentioned it. And if you do chose it, do you enter anything in the IP address field that pops up (or that you click to add the IP)?

Any ideas? One thing too, I had a heck of time getting the Actiontec to renew the IP too, when I put everything back. It was a pain. And what I noticed, odd as it sounds, is that when I reloaded my system file, the Internet Protocol field stayed at "No IP Address" vs the "Obtain IP Automatically" which should have been saved in my file. Not sure if this is a bug, but it caused some grief (not all of it, it still wouldn't renew for a while after I fixed this).

Thanks
reply

jeff @ 17th Apr 12:16AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'm running 4.0.16.1.45.160 firmware on my ActionTec MI424-WR.

I followed the guide at the top of this thread and it worked for me. Like I said, the only thing I did differently is set the IP Address Distribution for my Network (Home/Office) to DHCP Relay. My router is a Linux box with dual ethernet cards running Clarkconnect (eth0 being wan, eth1 being inside network at 192.168.100.2/24).

I have eth0 on the linux box set to acquire its IP via DHCP.

Digging into the ActionTec, on the Network (Home/Office) link, it's set to Bridge and IP Address Distribution is set to DHCP Relay. For ALL the Underlying Devices, IP Address Distribution is set to Disabled.

I just rebooted the ActionTec (first time since the day I got it), and my firewall/router/linux box, and the linux box's WAN interface (eth0) got its IP within 30 seconds of the ActionTec coming up.

Let me know if you want me to snap any screenshots of my ActionTec while in use.

J
reply

StevenG @ 17th Apr 10:30AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Jeff, thanks for replying. I think I found the error of my ways. I changed the IP setting to Relay in the Broadband Coax connection, not the Network(Home/Office) connection. Oops. I bet that does it for me. I had such a hard time getting the 424 to lease an IP from VZ afterward though, that it made me apprehensive.

Can I ask a few more questions before I try this again?

1. Do you have your Actiontec and Linksys in a different subnet, or the same? I had my Actiontec as 192.168.1.1 and I use 192.168.5.x for the Buffalo stuff and my IPs for the other PCs. Is this ok or could it cause a problem? Should I have the Actiontec in the same subnet (making sure the IP I use doesn't conflict of course).

2. When you set the IP Distribution to DHCP-Relay, you can input an IP address by clicking (New IP). Does this need to be done? If so, what IP goes there?

3. Lastly, when working in the settings for Broadband Coax, there is a checkbox in v160 of the firmware that allows you to uncheck "Firwall Enabled". Did you uncheck this, or just set the Firewall to minimum, or both?

Thanks!
reply

abulaski @ 17th Apr 11:45AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I think this questions has been answered, but if you have verizon multi room setup that using stb to pull recordings off you dvr, will this still work if you change the actiontec router to a bridge. I also use the clarkconnect linux box to handle content filtering.

Thanks,
Arnie
reply

jeff @ 17th Apr 12:13PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Yea, all my IP devices reside on 192.168.100/24. It's simpler to keep everything on one network, but not a requirement.

I only enabled the dhcp-relay on the Network (Home/Office) Rule. Underneath it, ethernet, coax, wireless, broadband(coax) all have it disabled. I've actually disabled wireless entirely as I don't want it.

In the Network (Home/Office) section the ActionTec is in fact set to 192.168.1.1/24 for me.

As for the firewall setting for broadband coax, I unchecked it, as I don't want this unit filtering my packets in any way.

J
reply

StevenG @ 17th Apr 12:15PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks again. You've answered my questions.

I'll try it again tonight. If it all works, it should only take about 5 minutes!
reply

anon @ 17th Apr 10:29PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Per the original instructions about enabling the "private" option under settings, I don't see that option. But mine is ethernet. So I'm not looking to bridge, just wanted to see if I could use a buffalo router to replace the actiontec.

I released the IP from the actiontec. Hooked up the buffalo. And it worked. Then I put the actiontec back in place and took out the buffalo. Actiontec wouldn't connect because it was waiting for DHCP lease to expire. Releasing on buffalo and renewing on actiontec did not work. Called Verizon and they fixed it so I didn't have to wait for DHCP to kick in. Is there a way I could've manually forced this (I see no private option in my ethernet settings)?

I'm just wondering if the buffalo router will successfully get a new IP once DHCP lease expires, or how to set it up so it does. It seems like the router gets an IP using some kind of pppoe authentication, but I don't know.
reply

PoloDude @ 17th Apr 10:51PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Any router will pull a new ip if the old one has been released properly from the old one first. I ahve swapped out and in just about every router out there. never had a problem.
reply

StevenG @ 17th Apr 11:09PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Well, my saga continues. I tried this again tonight, trying to set the Network(Home/Office) to DHCP-Relay. This didn't do it. The Buffalo could not pick up an IP. I then tried to go back to the actiontec and I too couldn't get it to grab a new IP. I had the same problem last night, but it came back after about 30 min of trying.

I called VZ and after an hr on the phone, they set up a tech to come out tomorrow. But as you can tell, I'm back online. It just took the actiontec about an hr of going back and forth trying to lease an IP. It finally got it. I knew it wasn't a hardware failure as the tech said. So I really wonder if for some reason, the IP leases are taking a while where I am, or if it's just the actiontec, as whattodo had the same issue. I wonder if I should leave the Buffalo hooked up for a while and see if it finally gets one. I only waited about 5 minutes and gave up. I can't wait to move my office downstairs and go to cat5 over coax.
reply

StevenG @ 17th Apr 11:12PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Oops. I thought it would be helpful to post the DHCP discover lines from the log of my Buffalo, the router I tried getting an IP through after turning the actiontec into a bridge. Here it is from the first line on to when it starts repeating the discover. It looks like it did get an IP, but it didn't stick. Notice the "wrong network" thing too, I have no idea what that is referring to, meaning my network or theirs. That MAC is my desktop PC's NIC.

Jan 1 00:00:08 Buffalo local0.debug udhcpc[71]: Sending discover...
Jan 1 00:00:08 Buffalo daemon.info dnsmasq[93]: DHCPREQUEST(br0) 71.xxx.xxx.xxx xx:xx:xx:xx:09:99
Jan 1 00:00:08 Buffalo daemon.info dnsmasq[93]: DHCPNAK(br0) 71.xxx.xxx.xxx xx:xx:xx:xx:09:99 wrong network
Jan 1 00:00:11 Buffalo local0.debug udhcpc[71]: Sending discover...
Jan 1 00:00:12 Buffalo daemon.info dnsmasq[93]: DHCPDISCOVER(br0) xx:xx:xx:xx:09:99
Jan 1 00:00:12 Buffalo daemon.info dnsmasq[93]: DHCPOFFER(br0) 192.168.5.2 xx:xx:xx:xx:09:99
Jan 1 00:00:12 Buffalo daemon.info dnsmasq[93]: DHCPREQUEST(br0) 192.168.5.2 xx:xx:xx:xx:09:99
Jan 1 00:00:12 Buffalo daemon.info dnsmasq[93]: DHCPACK(br0) 192.168.5.2 xx:xx:xx:xx:09:99 d8200
Jan 1 00:00:17 Buffalo daemon.info dnsmasq[93]: DHCPREQUEST(br0) 192.168.5.3 xx:xx:xx:xx:74:81
Jan 1 00:00:17 Buffalo daemon.info dnsmasq[93]: DHCPACK(br0) 192.168.5.3 xx:xx:xx:xx:74:81 latcs
Jan 1 00:00:34 Buffalo local0.debug udhcpc[71]: Sending discover...
Jan 1 00:00:37 Buffalo local0.debug udhcpc[71]: Sending discover...
reply

Hooper @ 17th Apr 11:13PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

You can unplug the ONT for about 5 minutes to force a DHCP renewal. Save you a call to tech support or waiting around for who knows how long.
reply

StevenG @ 17th Apr 11:19PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Is that the trick? I wonder if this is needed to get the Buffalo to grab the IP too.

But wouldn't a release command do it as well?
reply

Hooper @ 17th Apr 11:21PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Unplugging the ONT helps the situation where the actiontec can't get an IP, because it is associated to the mac of another piece of equipment.

You can always try cloning the MAC of the actiontec to see that gets you anywhere.
reply

whatodo @ 17th Apr 11:44PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

StevenG: I have the same router as you, the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 running Tomato 1.06. I wonder if that has anything to do with this. Anyway, I'll try the buffalo in bridge mode to see if I get the same results you do (except for using ethernet).
reply

StevenG @ 17th Apr 11:54PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Actually, I don't know what changed, but I got it to work. Since I got the IP leased to the actiontec, I power cycled it and it came back up fine. I figured I'd redo the setup and let the Buffalo try to lease all night, thinking it may just take as long as the actiontec due to something on VZ's network.

I switched over the actiontec and did a renew on the Buffalo and BAMN! Within seconds, new IP. I'm all set, and loving it!

Just make sure you release the IP in the Actiontec under Broadband (coax), plug in your Buffalo and do a release/renew and you should be good.
reply

divinatum @ 22nd Apr 06:49PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have FiOS hooked to my ActionTec via Cat5. Should I still make the ActionTec before my Linksys WRT54G or can the ActionTec be after my WRT. I'd like to have the AcionTec after the WRT if possible.
reply

druber @ 22nd Apr 07:37PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

actiontec behind your router should work fine. you just have to make sure the WAN port on the AT is configured to get an IP via DHCP and that your router will serve one up.
reply

dwafo @ 23rd Apr 12:49PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have a question on this thread:

I had fios internet for about a year hooked directly into my linksys. I now have the fios TV with the (I call POS actiontec). Is is possible that I can go coax to the actiontec and ethernet to the linksys (like I had prior to the tv install)? With a different IP on the linksys of course...

I'm having a ton of issues with port forwarding and FTP not working. I started another thread, but people within this thread seem to be much more knowledgeable! =)

as a note: I never had any FTP/port forwarding issues when it was just fios internet going straight to my linksys - so I know its not me or my network setup.
reply

druber @ 23rd Apr 02:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

it sounds like you're asking if you can have the coax AND the enet ports on the ONT enabled for internet access? if so, i believe the answer is no.
reply

anon @ 23rd Apr 03:22PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Sure you can...Ethernet is used for data, while coax is just for your STB, unless you have a newer MoCA only install

Mike
reply

dwafo @ 23rd Apr 08:48PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

druber - Thats exactly what I was asking. I don't see why not since I had ethernet out to linksys prior to TV install. All they did was activate the coax and attach the actiontec.
I would (I assume) just have to make the linksys a different subnet IP like 192.168.2.1 or .0.1. Verizon told me I'm not "on MOCA".
reply

draven @ 24th Apr 02:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by dwafo :

I had fios internet for about a year hooked directly into my linksys. I now have the fios TV with the (I call POS actiontec). Is is possible that I can go coax to the actiontec and ethernet to the linksys (like I had prior to the tv install)? With a different IP on the linksys of course...

I asked this specific question when I asked them to turn up my ethernet port on my ONT. The tech specifically said "I'm sorry sir, but we cannot enable both ports at the same time."

So I said fine, and they turned up the ethernet, I put my actiontec behind my linksys, did the proper configuations, and everything runs smooth as silk.
reply

dwafo @ 24th Apr 04:50PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

IF that is true, then why would THEY use coax to the action as WELL AS ethernet when they installed the TV??

"turn up the ports"? what do you mean exactly?
reply

Flojomojo @ 24th Apr 05:14PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I think there's a lot of confusion on this thread (at least there was for me!), since there are multiple kinds of FIOS installations. Not all FIOS installations rely on the coax link from the ONT (optical network terminal, your outdoor connection), some use the ethernet port (that's me). Not all FIOS installations have been provisioned for DHCP, some still require PPoE (that's me).

I had FIOS internet for about 2 years before FIOS TV became available. My installation has a cat-5 Ethernet cable running to my office, where my ethernet-only routers have sat in the past.

The FIOS TV installation used my existing coax cable, which I was using for Comcast analog service. The tech brought the (I concur, piece-o-poo) Actiontec router and hooked it up in place of my nice DD-WRT setup, attaching the ethernet cable to my original run, and my old coax to the MOCA port. My TV set-top box is downstairs, and receives its picture signal and channel guide exclusively through the coax cable.

Since my primary connection to the internet is via ethernet, not coax, does anyone see any problems with this configuration:

Linksys router, with the old ethernet line coming into it as the primary connection. This machine will be the brain of the network: internet gateway, NAT firewall, wireless access point, and DHCP server. I know that this machine can handle the port forwards and NAT tables without problems, and I prefer the interface to that of the Actiontec.

Actiontec router, sitting out of sight behind the Linksys gateway, set as a network bridge for the MOCA/coax segment of the network only. Its DHCP server will be set to relay, and the weak/flaky wireless access point will be turned off.

Will it work?
(I'm going to try it anyway ....)
reply

dwafo @ 25th Apr 11:48AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I THINK thats kinda what I'm looking to do. use the actiontec primary for the coax connection (STB's) and the Linksys (or what you prefer) for the ethernet/PC/network LAN connections...

Let us know how you make out and what you did - connection wise!
I too agree that the interface in the actiontec is not appealing (some may like it). I NEVER had an issue with my configurations on my linksys, but this actiontec has really got me drinking more and more...
reply

radiusmax @ 25th Apr 12:15PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

This should work fine as this is how my setup has been for the last month since I switched my Dlink as the main router. I only use the ActionTec for the MOCA connection for the TV service.

I was worried at first that the ActionTec had some kind of setting for QOS out to the internet which I could not setup on the DLink, but I have seen no issues yet with the setup.
reply

anon @ 25th Apr 12:53PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I was able to create the network bridge between the Actiontec Router and my Dlink DIR-655 router. Everything worked just fine. I like the 655 interface and its higher-speed wireless throughput.

I also tried reversing the set-up (i.e., going back and using the Actiontec router as the only router) I am not able to establish connection with the ONT and obtain an new IP on the Actiontec. The internet light stays orange. I have--
Ensured the privacy setting is enabled on the Coax (Broadband) menu.
Power cycled the Actiontec.
Unpluged the BBU tothe ONT.
Rebooted the computer.
Still no go. Anyone run into this issue before?

Perhaps can someone send me a copy of their Actiontec routers config file they saved while it was the main router?

I also have the HD-DVR QIP-6416-2 and am wondering if that may be the culprit.

Thanks for your help.
reply

dwafo @ 25th Apr 02:03PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

radiusmax - did you make your Dlink a different IP? Did you connect it to the actiontec as well or just use it separately?
reply

draven @ 26th Apr 12:10AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by dwafo :

IF that is true, then why would THEY use coax to the action as WELL AS ethernet when they installed the TV??

"turn up the ports"? what do you mean exactly?

By "turn up" I just mean turn on. I suppose that's my IT side mixing things in.

As for your other question, I will defer to the other experts here. All I know is that I was originally provisioned with DHCP thru coax. I ran my own Cat6 cable to the location of the Actiontec, set up my Linksys, called to have the Ethernet port "activated" and they needed to disable the coax with the request.

No worries, because they released the Actiontec's IP during the process. So all I needed to do was make some small changes to the config of the Actiontec and Linksys and it pulled an IP just find. I then reset my STB's so they would pull IP's from the Linksys and now everything works just fine. My speed tests achieve a consistent 14.9/1.9 or higher every time, VOD works just fine, VPN to my home network works just fine (which was the reason for the original request to have my own router in front), and all is well.
reply

dwafo @ 26th Apr 05:55PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ah IC! I'm still PPOE connection. I currently have my linksys as a switch/hub connected to the actiontec using 192.168.1.75. However I as well as others can still ONLY connect to my ftp using port 21 ONLY. Even using another port I can't even connect locally. This makes ZERO sense. I even have ports forwarded on the linksys AND even actiontec "just in case" haha. I even have the linksys IP in the DMZ of the actiontec. This thing has fully frustrated me to no end.
reply

druber @ 26th Apr 07:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

if your linksys is behind the actiontec, try putting the actiontec's LAN port in bridged mode. that way, your linksys should transparently go thru the actiontec and get its own IP via PPPoE. worked for me (before i moved the actiontec behind my clarkconnect gateway...)
reply

divinatum @ 26th Apr 07:38PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok, so I've spent way too much time doing this. I mean this takes 3 minutes on a Linksys router and 4-5 on a Apple Airport (They take a little longer to reboot)

Can someone please make a guide on how to make the Actiontec router work behind a Linksys router? Pictures would be nice as well.
reply

draven @ 26th Apr 09:13PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I will do this tomorrow if I get a chance. I have the Actiontec working behind my Linksys.
reply

divinatum @ 26th Apr 09:35PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thank you :)

I feel stupid for asking, but the ActionTec UI is soooooo bad.
reply

Flojomojo @ 27th Apr 01:23AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ugh, this is a pain ... ALMOST everything is working acceptably: my Linksys can forward ports decently, and the Actiontec is serving up the coax for my FIOS TV guide and all the video channels. The only thing missing is video on demand.

I'm not a huge VOD watcher, but since I'm paying for it I don't want to give it up. Must I really choose between a decent data router and the video service I paid for?

Is anyone else running in bridge mode with EVERYTHING working?
reply

draven @ 27th Apr 12:53PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Did you unplug your STB's and plug them back in to allow them to get IP addresses from the Linksys instead of the Actiontec?
reply

draven @ 27th Apr 01:14PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Here's how everything looks after I finished configuring the Actiontec to sit behind the Linksys.

Here is what the main screen looks like. The .1 is the Linksys router that is now acting as the gateway to the Internet, and the .150 is my desktop workstation.

[att=4]

Here is what my Actiontec "Network Connections" screen looks like (under Main/My Network/Network Connections). As you can see, the Actiontec is statically configured. I don't know if that's a requirement but it made me feel better:

[att=1]

From that screen, here's what the "Network(Home/Office)" screen looks like:

[att=2]

On the Linksys, I have DDWRT running but the basic setup config screen practically mirrors the default firmware. Your settings may vary depending on DHCP range, number of users, etc:

[att=3]

The coax cable still connects to the Actiontec. The Ethernet run from the ONT plugs into the WAN port the Linksys. Another network cable connects a LAN port on the Actiontec with a LAN port on the Linksys.

At this point, everything should work except Video On Demand. To fix this, you will have to unplug every set-top box and plug it back in to allow it to obtain an IP address from your new router (in my case, the Linksys). Then, wait a little bit for the STB's to reinitialize, and voila, VOD should work.

I believe that's all there is to it.

Flojomojo @ 27th Apr 01:23PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks, draven -- that's very similar to what I did and I'm sure the screenshots will be appreciated by others.

All I needed to hear was "everything should work except video on demand." That's a drag ... does anyone know WHY VOD doesn't work in this configuration? Would spoofing MAC addresses or setting QoS differently help at all?

I'm considering putting the Actiontec up front again with Verizon defaults, setting a DMZ for my Linksys, and putting everything Ethernet behind it.

Question: will I get any performance improvement out of this configuration? The Actiontec NAT errors will be retained, right? At least I'll have a decent WAP out of it ...
reply

draven @ 27th Apr 01:34PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Sorry, I clarified my statement. Unplugging the STB's and plugging back in should fix VOD. Everything works in the configuration I just posted. I did not have to spoof MAC's or fiddle with QoS settings.

After tweaking my PC a bit, I'm pulling a solid 14.9/1.9 and change on a 15/2 plan. VOD streams without problems. So I'd say my performance is just peachy.
reply

druber @ 27th Apr 01:55PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

ah, okay. so you're just using the actiontec as a moca to ethernet converter then? that explains why you needed to reboot the stb to get VOD to work, they needed to pull IPs from the linksys?
reply

draven @ 27th Apr 02:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Yes, the Linksys is doing virtually everything, which is what I wanted. The Actiontec simply acts as a liason for the STB's to do their thing.

The Actiontec's DHCP Server capabilities were disabled when I disabled the broadband coax connection, so the STB's needed to be bounced to find a new DHCP lease.
reply

BarneyBadAss @ 30th Apr 12:16PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

DaDrgon,

Great guide.. I have one question, let's say I have a router that creates VPN connections between the routers.

Will your implementation permit the Router hardware to create the VPN's between the routers?

TIA for your great effort and replys.
--
---Barney
reply

dwafo @ 2nd May 01:27PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Excellent job Draven. Did you have to "release" any IPs from your actiontec to do this? Are you on PPOE or DHCP and should that matter?
reply

draven @ 2nd May 06:39PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I am on DHCP. I asked about this when I called in, and the tech assured me that when they turned off my coax port and turned on my ethernet, that they would handle the release. That was true, the Linksys picked up the WAN IP without any problems. I then disabled the coax broadband port as seen in the pictures, just to be safe.
reply

draven @ 2nd May 06:44PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Also, I have been asked to post my Actiontec config file. I would be happy to do this, but I've noticed that even though I've really streamlined it's configuration, the config file still contains a lot of old stuff from when it was acting as a DHCP server and pulling a WAN IP address.

Does anybody know how I can get that stuff all purged out of the file so that it contains just what I'm running actively? Besides combing through it manually, of course ...
reply

doopstr @ 2nd May 07:57PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I called Monday and asked them to switch me over to Ethernet. No problem they said, will take 24 hours. ;)

I called them again today, they said that it will take another 24 to 48 hours. We shall see. If they do this for me, all my problems go away.
reply

draven @ 2nd May 08:59PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

It took about 48 hours for them to do so, but they called me when they did and left a voicemail saying it was done, so you didn't need to answer the phone to have it accomplished (unless you have an unusual situation).
reply

dwafo @ 3rd May 11:08AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

What if I'm still on PPOE? Will this make a difference for me?

I guess I have to call them to tell them to also disable my coax and just have ether as well??

Doing that won't be effecting my fios TV at all? Seems strange that it won't effect it, since the TV's all connect via coax. I must be missing something here *confused* a bit.
reply

druber @ 3rd May 12:41PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

there are two things the coax is used for:

1. for the stbs to receive video&audio as usual.

2. for the stbs to have IP connectivity via MoCA.

even if you get internet via ethernet (which I do), the stbs still use moca to communicate with the router (which is why you need a NIM or bridging or whatever.)
reply

draven @ 3rd May 01:19PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I can't speak for how your system runs, but I know that I did not have the option to have both ports enabled at the same time. They turned off my coax when they turned up my ethernet.

druber explained how the TV's still work ...
reply

dwafo @ 3rd May 01:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I think I'm confused as to - if they turned off your coax - how your still getting the video/VOD/Guide/Menu to work with just the ethernet turned "on"...
reply

draven @ 3rd May 01:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Through Ethernet:

Your coax would still look like this:

    
   ------------ethernet----------\
  //-----------------------------\|
 //                              ||
 ||                              ||
 ||             -------------Actiontec
 ||          _ /
++++  coax  | |
ONT+========| |-----------STB1
++++        |_|\
             ^  ------------------------------STB2
             |
          splitter

The coax network is 'disabled' so to speak, from the splitter to the ONT, in the respect that it's a dead end. However, MoCA communication still occurs on the other side of the splitter between all equipment.

reply

druber @ 3rd May 05:38PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

If you had WAN via enet (like me), what happens is that the guide/VOD shows up as IP going into the actiontec via ethernet. It then goes out the coax port to the STB (this is where the MoCA comes in.) Note that there are a couple of ways to set this up if you want your own router (as i did):

1. Put actiontec behind your own router and have it get an IP from your router via DHCP. The STBs then are isolated behind the actiontec.

2. Put the actiontec in front of your router and set the LAN enet port on the actiontec to "bridged" mode. That way the traffic for stuff behind your router goes thru the AT transparently.

3. Disable the WAN on the AT entirely. Plug the STBs into the coax port on the AT and plug the enet port on the AT into your router's LAN segment. Disable the DHCP on the AT entirely. That way it's just acting like a MoCa/enet bridge.
reply

KenAF @ 3rd May 05:42PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by druber :

3. Disable the WAN on the AT entirely. Plug the STBs into the coax port on the AT and plug the enet port on the AT into your router's LAN segment. Disable the DHCP on the AT entirely. That way it's just acting like a MoCa/enet bridge.

How do the instructions for that differ from those described in the first post?
reply

druber @ 3rd May 05:51PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I never said they did. There has been a lot of confusion, and dozens of posts since this thread started. I just wanted to re-enumerate the 3 solutions I was aware of.
reply

dwafo @ 4th May 09:29AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

and having PPOE won't make a difference?

I think I'm going to also call them and see if they will just drop off a NIM for me and I'll use their old Dlink and the NIM. If they will do that I won't have to mess with the actiontec at all then. Just hope the Dlink will allow me to port forward and use another port besides 21 for FTP without any problems. I still can't do that now and had Zero issues using just my linksys before the actionSH!t
reply

dwafo @ 4th May 08:07PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

well I decided to give a go...so far so good. Only problem I have so far is if I goto the verizon.net website it says "something wrong with your ethernet cable". haha
other then that though my speed tests are down slightly. 1654kbps(DOWN)/4552kbps(UP). I have a 20/5 connection.
whats even more weird is if I attempt to do a direct upload to an ftp (100mbit) I can only send at about 230kb/sec. But if I connect to MY ftp locally and then send it send at like 530kb/sec.
On verizon.net is says my internet connection is already optimized.
reply

BarneyBadAss @ 4th May 08:49PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Can't anyone answer this?

Here's kind of a network topology if I understand things

+-------------------------+
|                         |
|       ont               |
|                         |
+----------+--------------+
           | 
           |                             
+----------+--------------+
|                         |
| Action Tec in Bridge    |
|                         |
+----------+--------------+
           | 
           |                             
+----------+--------------+
|                         |
| Other Router w/ HW VPN  |
|                         |
+----------+--------------+
           |\______________+-------------------------+
           |               |                         |
           |               |          PC             |               
           |               |                         |
           |               +-------------------------+ 
           |                                                                  
+----------+--------------+
|                         |
|          PC             |               
|                         |
+----------_--------------+

So my question is can the router with the HW VPN capability establish a VPN connection with another router?

Can someone answer this for me please?

TIA
---Barney

--
---Barney
reply

Tzale @ 4th May 08:52PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Guys,

Is it possible to get ethernet from the ONT to your own router then setup the Actiontec as a bridge and use the Actiontec as a MoCA bridge for the STBs without using a NIM?

Thanks,

-Tzale
--
"I'm a Geek, Are You?"
reply

draven @ 4th May 11:19PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by dwafo :

other then that though my speed tests are down slightly. 1654kbps(DOWN)/4552kbps(UP). I have a 20/5 connection.

What router/firmware are you using?

Try downloading the test512 file from »ftp://ftp1.optonline.net/ and see what speed your browser reports you getting consistently ...
reply

dwafo @ 5th May 09:07AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

using a linksys wrt54G firmware ver 4.20.7

downloading that file reports a speed of 1023KB/sec - 1770KB/sec
reply

doopstr @ 5th May 02:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Well after a week of Verizon telling me that they would switch me from MoCA to Ethernet, they now told me no. They sent a tech out today that told me he couldn't do it because my TV menus wouldn't work. I even asked him about the possibility of using my old DLINK DI-624 with a NIM. He told me no.

So I called up support and asked them about this and they end up agreeing and saying that they won't switch me. What's up with that?

Are there any techs from Verizon here that can help me get this done? I really want to be able to use my own router on Ethernet.
reply

dwafo @ 5th May 02:38PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

sounds like you got a few techs that didn't quite understand what you were trying to do. I think they were thinking you just wanted ethernet and thats it, which would disable your ability to get menus, guides, VOD. If your old Dlink was NOT the one that verizon supplied a while back, then it infact may not work. I know my linksys wouldn't work with a NIM, the dude tried. Everything was able to fire up ok, but menu/guide and VOD I couldn't get.
reply

dwafo @ 5th May 04:08PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Uh oh...not good. I lost VOD, so I disconnected the STB's coax as suggested, and now...nothing no menu, no guide and no VOD. HELP PLEASE...wife not happy...
I have the newer firmware, so I don't have the stop light, but the globe icon.
says:
Router status STOP!
coax status disconnected
ethernet status disconnected

Actiontec router is now 192.168.1.76 and linksys router is 192.168.1.1

Under: Configure Network (Home/Office)

Broadband Connection (Ethernet) Waiting for DHCP Lease
Ethernet Connected
Broadband Connection (Coax) Down
Coax Down
Wireless Access Point Disabled

Linksys shows the below under router status section:

Login Type : PPPoE
Login Status : Connected
IP Address : 71.245.*.*
Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway : 10.5.35.8
DNS 1 : 71.250.0.12
DNS 2 : 151.198.0.38
reply

druber @ 5th May 05:12PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

what is connected to what at this point?
reply

dwafo @ 5th May 05:38PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

coax from ONT to coax of actiontec. Ethernet from ont to wan port of linksys. port 1 from actiontec to port 1 of linksys.

Thinking I might have made a mistake on setup I reset actiontec back to defaults, along with hoping to get menu/guide/vod back. That works, but INSTANTLY I can no longer connect to my FTP on port 668 - (or 21 at this point) - I had ZERO issues when it was JUST hooked up with following the directions (I thought) to a tee.
This actiontec really is a big pile of S!!
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doopstr @ 5th May 06:09PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

If you do a router reset on your Actiontec and don't setup any bridging on the Actiontec, you will want the WAN port of your Actiontec to goto Port 1 of your Linksys. You'll be double NAT'd to your STBs but that shouldn't matter.

I'm jealous that the Ethernet on your ONT works. I assume your internet access from your PC is okay through the Linksys.
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draven @ 5th May 06:50PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by doopstr :

Are there any techs from Verizon here that can help me get this done? I really want to be able to use my own router on Ethernet.

Call the Fiber Team number directly if you have it. If you don't, call Verizon's support and asked to be transferred to the Fiber Team.

If anybody questions you, simply say "I was told to call once the installation of my ethernet was wired in my house."

Once you get somebody on the fiber team, say "I was told by my tech to call once I was wired for Ethernet, so that I could have my ethernet port activated." If they're asking you more questions at that point, someone's probably asking you too many questions.
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Tzale @ 5th May 07:18PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I think the major reason they don't want people on Ethernet is because supposedly the ActionTec makes it really easy for them to troubleshoot because it has a system to allow the techs to remotely work on the system and also it standardizes everything... I'm debating ethernet VS MoCA for my install in a few months, but the more that I think about it, MoCA is what 99% of people will get installed, so a few years down the road we might be stuck with techs who don't know how to troubleshoot the ethernet network, so we'll wind up being forced to switch to MoCA or something.

-Tzale
--
"I'm a Geek, Are You?"
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doopstr @ 5th May 07:45PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Well I posted a message over in the Verizon Support forum requesting a switch over. I'll see what they say.

I'm a networking guy myself and from time to time I have a need to be able to put something in front of my firewall. With a MoCA WAN that's not possible. Even with the Actiontec in bypass the connection isn't totally clean.

I'll admit that MoCA is probably just fine for 99% of their customers, and I understand that it can speed installation. I just happen to be in the 1% that needs Ethernet. If I knew what the ramifications of MoCA were ahead of time I would have told the installation tech to forget about the installation.
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dwafo @ 5th May 07:48PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

well with the reset of the actiontec I have ONT ethernet to wan port of actiontec.

internet was PERFECT from ont to linksys prior to this tv install with the actionS*!t.
Linksys worked perfectly as well when I bridged the actiontec, but then lost VOD first. disconnected coax cable and unplugged boxes, then BAM, lost guide and menu.
This is all really, really ticking me off.
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druber @ 5th May 07:57PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

look for a NIM on ebay and use it to bridge the ONT's coax to your router's enet.
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dwafo @ 5th May 08:34PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

thanks, but I really should have to do that...
besides, when the tech was here to set everything up thats what he tried to do first, but couldn't get the guide/menu/vod to come up, so he installed the actiontec.
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fred_p @ 6th May 01:11PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

A router's WAN and LAN interfaces can't be on the same subnet. Change the LinkSys DHCP server to a different range than the ActionTec default 192.168.1.x and "double NAT" setup should work fine.

ONT ethernet to LinkSys WAN. ONT coax to splitter for regular TV. ActionTec WAN to LinkSys LAN. ActionTec coax to splitter for MoCA LAN bridge (Guide/VOD).
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dwafo @ 6th May 06:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

linksys was 192.168.1.1 and actiontec was 192.168.1.75, it was werkin till next day.

i had the below almost like that.

ont ether to linksys wan. linksys lan port 1 to lan port1 on actiontec. ont coax to splitter ---> to actiontec coax and STB's.
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fred_p @ 7th May 12:33AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

dwafo:
Don't configure the ActionTec as a network bridge. The original poster has coax WAN connection to ONT and no TV. That's probably the only case where it makes sense to consider configuring "bridge mode". You say you have ethernet from ONT and you have TV.

If you connect ActionTec WAN to ONT and you have TV, then ActionTec needs to be configured as a router not a bridge.

If you want to use your LinkSys as the router and use the ActionTec as a LAN bridge only (MoCA to wired and/or wireless), not as router, then LAN-to-LAN on same subnet is fine. But you would need to disable DHCP server on the ActionTec.

Or use the double NAT setup from my previous post.
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dwafo @ 7th May 06:51AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

never did dbl NAT, and doing it the other way still doesn't enable me to totally use the linksys with port forwarding as it still won't let me connect to my FTP with anything BUT port 21 and with pasv mode off.

Draven I believe however has ethernet from ONT as I do and the bridge mode on the actiontec worked for him if I'm not mistaken.
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draven @ 7th May 10:11AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by dwafo :

Draven I believe however has ethernet from ONT as I do and the bridge mode on the actiontec worked for him if I'm not mistaken.

I don't recall ever changing a specific setting. However, from my pictures here:

»Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

you can see that it is in bridge mode of some sort!
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dwafo @ 7th May 10:24AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

after resetting options, but too does say "bridge" in the configuration on the actiontec.

Strange that I lost my vod/guide/menu when setting my actiontec same config as yours. Hmmm...

You didn't say (that I remember), if you were connected via PPOE or not...it shouldn't make a difference though in theory.
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druber @ 7th May 10:32AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

if you have enet from ONT to linksys, then the linksys should not require any port forwarding or other oddities, just use it like you always did. Then, set the WAN port on the actiontec to be enet, not coax, and set it to DHCP and plug it into the LAN side of the linksys. The stbs will be double-natted but it should just work, this is exactly how i'm set up and it works fine. are you doing this? if so, silly question: did you power-cycle the stbs after reconfiguring everything?
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dwafo @ 7th May 12:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I had ont ether to linksys when I did the actiontech conversions listed in prior post(s). I had to use port forwards on the linksys to get my FTP and other things to work. It all worked great, until the next day when I lost VOD. I then reset the STB's and bam - lost menu and guide on the STB's. I reset the power on them again and still nothing after hours of waiting.
Reset the the actiontec back to defaults and bam got vod/menu/guide back, but lost connectivity to my FTP unless I ONLY use port 21 and with pasv off.

This really shouldn't be all this difficult to do! haha

Ultimately I would like to do this:

ONT ethernet to linksys WAN. Linksys lan port to Actiontec (guessing) lan port ( I tried wan, but got no connection). All wired PCs to linksys LAN ports. Then ONT coax to splitter to coax on actiontec. Simply make the actiontec a switch/bridge for JUST my coax/stb connections.
UGH... :(
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druber @ 7th May 01:27PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

this is what i've been saying: i am already doing this and it works. plug the AT WAN to the linksys LAN. if it wasn't working for you, you need to make sure that the AT is set up for "broadband ethernet" using DHCP.
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draven @ 7th May 01:52PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

When you reboot your STB's, do you see them listed on the Linksys status screen as having addresses assigned via DHCP? If not, then we can start to narrow the problem down from there ...
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druber @ 7th May 02:53PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

and make sure he has DHCP server disabled on the AT as that will b0rk things...
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doopstr @ 7th May 08:09PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Great news, VZ_Gustavo over in the Verizon Direct forum was able to get me switched over to Ethernet! Right now I couldn't be happier!
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dwafo @ 7th May 08:18PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Draven - to be honest I don't remember seeing them listed no, but from memory I think I had DHCP disabled on the Linksys, as I wanted to static assign my IP's.

Druber - I think I also had left the DHCP server "enabled" on actiontec, but then again, I followed those directions there, so I do in fact think that I truly might have disabled that.
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draven @ 7th May 08:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by dwafo :

Draven - to be honest I don't remember seeing them listed no, but from memory I think I had DHCP disabled on the Linksys, as I wanted to static assign my IP's.

Well, figure that out later. Start with a configuration that allows everything you want and lock things down from there. The number one rule of IT.
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dwafo @ 8th May 12:37PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I know, I know - very stupid of - especially with me being in IT... :(

I'll go through the instructions again and make sure DHCP is ENABLED on the linksys and DISABLED on the actiontec.

For connection on the linksys - I should be using techfios for username though right - I have to put something cause i'm on PPOE - or am I wrong there?
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draven @ 8th May 02:39PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Are you certain you're on PPPoE? If not, you don't need anything obviously. Or you could try your service username and no password. You might not even need anything at all.
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dwafo @ 8th May 04:37PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

100% certain I'm PPoE. I just want to make sure I get all the little bits correct.
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fred_p @ 8th May 10:59PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

If you are on PPPoE then you will need a (nonblank)username and password for the sake of the protocol. But for FiOS Verizon doesn't check the values you supply; anything should work.
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dwafo @ 10th May 03:13PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I also (before re-configuring everything again) wanted to make sure these instructions would work if I'm connected via ethernet along with the PPOE?...

Some people were telling me these instructions would only work for coax/DHCP connections.

Shouldn't this all be as easy as:

ONT to Linksys (IP = 192.168.1.1) to ActionTec WAN 192.168.2.1
DMZ on Linksys has IP of actiontec.
Just not sure if I disable DHCP on the actiontec and enable on the linksys or vic versa or not...
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rocky01 @ 12th May 03:12PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

DaDrgon, (and anyone else) this is a good posting as far as making it a bridge but I wonder how to make sure you can regain the default settings if something goes awry and also ensure you can actually get back into the router configuration page? Will the ActionTec cooperate just by hitting the reset button?

I'm asking since some other posters here and my googling ActionTec shows that people on other sites who used it as a bridge had trouble regaining control, where IP address 192.168.1.1 didn't work in IE for them, even with flushing the internet temp file cache, using the release IP and renew IP commands in Windows and also even pinging 192.168.1.1 brought up nothing. My guess is they also had D-Link/Linksys/etc. routers that had same 192.168.x.x address?

Once you can't back in, it must be frustrating to try and get Verizon Tech Support involved again. And could this issue be informed by Verizon apparently forcibly updating firmmware upgrades remotely?
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Flojomojo @ 13th May 12:53PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I don't think Verizon tech support is going to help you if you get all jiggy with setting up non-standard addresses. They want you to set it up THEIR way or nothing.

The good news for you is that it's really easy to go back to the standard, default, working configuration. Just hold down the RESET button and let the thing cycle and you'll be back to the vanilla 192.168.1.1 config, which is a decent starting point.

dwafo, you are having the same problem as me. I too have PPPoE, a Linksys, FIOS TV, and a desire to put the Actiontec into a much less active role. I'll have some time to troubleshoot later and will post anything helpful I find.
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rocky01 @ 13th May 03:15PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

"if you get all jiggy with setting up non-standard addresses"

LOL. Point well taken but it seems to me the other router is the one that should be given a non-standard address.

I want FIOS TV when my contract with Dish is up later this year. Can I request an Ethernet interface after Cable has been in place and will Verizon run Cat 5 from the ONT?
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Flojomojo @ 14th May 06:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

This worked for my configuration (PPPoE addressing, Ethernet connection to the ONT) but your mileage may vary. I have a Linksys running DD-WRT in front with all the features I want: stateful firewall, DHCP server, wireless access point, VPN, etc. without much impact on FIOS TV, guide, or Video on Demand. I've noticed that sometimes the VOD returns an error -15 once or twice but always gets through eventually, and once connected, spools the video flawlessly. Putting the Coax link into the DMZ doesn't seem to make a difference.

1. Upgrade firmware on Actiontec (4.0.16.1.45.160.27 firmware is here: »www2.verizon.net/micro/actiontec···ntec.asp)

2. Connect to Actiontec and disable the wireless (weak and flaky IMHO).

3. On Actiontec, Choose "Network Connections" and disable all PPPoE connections (you don't need them if the Linksys will broker the link).

4. On Actiontec, set the primary WAN link to use "No IP address," turn off DHCP server, turn off the firewall, and get your DNS server addresses automatically.

5. On the new router (Linksys in my case), I set static reservations for each interface on the Actiontec (WAN port, coax LAN port) but I think DHCP could take care of all of them.

6. Restart the Motorola set-top-box and let it pick up an IP address from your router. Run to your TV set and see if it worked! (might take a little while to sync up, but no more than a few minutes)

In this configuration, the Actiontec is a bridge for the coax but can also be used as a 4-port Ethernet switch. Might as well put the massive black monolith to work doing something, eh? Note: if you use the Actiontec as a network hub on the LAN ethernet side, you can't forward any ports to anything behind it. Everything in front (i.e. directly attached to the Linksys in my case) will work as expected.

Speculation: I don't think that using alternative DNS such as OpenDNS will work with the Video on Demand. That's just a hunch, though -- I don't really want to change anything now that I finally got it all working. ;)
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draven @ 14th May 06:44PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Most of what you did seems like it was right in line with what everybody else has been doing. So maybe it was the firmware?
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dwafo @ 18th May 12:53PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks Flojomojo for this!

My question is in regards to your statement of:

"Edit: if you use the Actiontec as a bridge in this manner, you can't forward any ports to anything behind it."

With that said - one will not be able to forward ports on their linksys?
I'm a little confused if that is the case since the linksys would be the first router in this setup.

If I'm taking it wrong and you mean the actiontec forwarding ports...then YEPPIE!! haha

My question is did you assign the actiontec a different IP from its standard 192.168.1.1 or make the linksys a different IP from its standard 192.168.1.1 ?
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Flojomojo @ 18th May 01:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by dwafo :

"Edit: if you use the Actiontec as a bridge in this manner, you can't forward any ports to anything behind it."

With that said - one will not be able to forward ports on their linksys?

My question is did you assign the actiontec a different IP from its standard 192.168.1.1 or make the linksys a different IP from its standard 192.168.1.1 ?

Glad it was helpful, dwafo. I think we're all explaining this in slightly different ways, but it's just complex enough to be easily misunderstood. To clarify:

Linksys: My Linksys WRT54GL is indeed the gateway router, first in line from the Internet side. It's set to use 192.168.1.1. I suspect you could change that, but it would be simplest to have everything on the same network. The Linksys has no problem forwarding ports to any machine that is directly connected to the Linksys itself or the switch I have attached to it.

Actiontec: When I posted this, I noticed that all my machines that were connected via the downstream Actiontec could still use the internet. 4 free jacks, right? No! I assumed that since the firewall, NAT, and DHCP on the Actiontec were turned off, I could forward ports to anything connected there as well, but I can't. The extra hop appears to be stopping that from happening. Sorry if that was unclear.

In my configuration, the Actiontec does not have an IP addresses assigned to it (it's specifcally set to NO IP) so to make any changes to it, I suspect I'd have (a) disconnect the WAN jack and (b) plug into one of the Actiontec's LAN ports with a static address in the 192.168.1.x range. If that doesn't work, I'll just reset it and redo my simple configuration, which mainly consists of turning stuff off.

This would be much simpler if the Actiontec interface were laid out in a more friendly way. Perhaps it could be configured with a text file instead?
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dwafo @ 19th May 07:22PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

thanks for the clarification. However, if the actiontec has no IP how is IT getting out to the net to talk to the set top boxes?
Sorry - I'm usually not this retarded when it comes to these things. However I've never a) setup two routers on the same lan and b) never setup even 1 router having to do with coax as well.
I'm just a little optimistic to try this again since I F'd something up the first time, and the wife was not too pleased, LOL!

you got linksys as static and NOT DHCP, but have the actiontec has DHCP? Do I have that correct?
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Flojomojo @ 20th May 03:11AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by dwafo :

thanks for the clarification. However, if the actiontec has no IP how is IT getting out to the net to talk to the set top boxes?

I'm not an engineer, but I would guess that it doesn't need one since it's working at the physical layer like a hub, or *maybe* at the data link layer. All I can say for sure is that it works for me.

said by dwafo :

you got linksys as static and NOT DHCP, but have the actiontec has DHCP? Do I have that correct?

No. The Linksys WAN gateway is set to get a PPPoE address from Verizon. The Linksys LAN serves up DHCP addresses to everyone. The Actiontec LAN does not distribute any IP addresses, but it receives them from the Linksys DHCP server.
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dwafo @ 21st May 11:03AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I understand the Linksys is set to get an IP via PPoE from Verizon, but do you have the linksys set as DHCP distribution for your local lan, or set as static, and manually assigned each PC an IP?

Is the DHCP also disabled on the actiontec?
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anon @ 21st May 11:13AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

dwafo,
From the way I understand it, you're in the same boat as me. FIOS TV/Inet, Coax and needing to bridge the Actiontec "router" for more advanced purposes.

I too ran into the menus/VOD failing after successfully briding the Actiontec router. As of this time it is still broke and I reverted to the original configuration.

Here is what I *SUSPECT* happens. I THINK that Verizon may use the public IP (DHCP'ed) to work with the STBs. Simple 'nuff right? If my thinking is any where close to right, in theory a simple PC connected to the bridged AT would not break the STB menus.

A buddy just bridged his and has a plain jain Cisco router connected. His menus were fine, but he did not bump the STB or check the VOD menus. He's going to test it tonight and I'm going to hook a plain PC up tonight and see if it breaks.

I believe if I remember from the thread you were hooking a device up to pull the public DHCP addy that did some sort of filtering. I hooked up a Cisco ASA. On the ASA/PIX nothing is talking ingress to the outside interface. So that could've broke it.

If none of my little theory is correct, we need to figure out WHAT the actiontec device is doing specifically to make the STB menus work. Then replicate that on whatever device you're using. If I remember, there was some multicast configs in the AT that we may need to check out.

Take care,
Ceyko
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Flojomojo @ 21st May 12:04PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

dwafo - my Linksys is serving as the DHCP server, and my Actiontec has DHCP disabled.

ceyko - I don't think the STB is using a public WAN address. When I had the Actiontec inline, it would always give the Motorola STB the address of 192.168.1.100. Your buddy with the Cisco configuration could be seeing cached menus. If he restarts the STB, these menus will go away if the STB can't reach the internet. It would be interesting to sniff the Actiontec side of the network to see what's going on.

The only other clue I have to offer is that while everything works in my setup, VOD consistently fails once or twice before spooling the content.
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ceyko @ 21st May 01:01PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Flojomojo,
That's awesome information and I had no idea they had private addresses. Can you explain or reference a link that shows how to determine their addresses? I've never seen them listed in the actiontec device and I'd like to figure out what they need to function.

In short, I'm wanting to use a packet analyzer or whatever I have to get these work. The actiontec router seems vital for the FIOS TV service, but it is JUST a router...in theory. haha

I do recall a multicast config on the AT, wonder if that plays a part in all this somehow. Either way, these menus breaking should be fixable with a decent router. With a firewall it can be iffy depending on the tech used.

I'll reread your posts Flojomojo to determine your situation, what you did and how much applies.

Take care,
Ceyko
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ceyko @ 21st May 01:04PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Oh and my buddy is going to check VOD right away. I believe the VOD menus are ...dynamic...and require a proper configuration to work. Where as the guide is cached and won't break until update time or a reboot of the STB. Either way, he is going to test both tonight.

Take care,
Ceyko
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ceyko @ 21st May 01:20PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

One other thing if ya'll don't mind. My friend and I both noticed a severe decrease in download speeds while our ATs were bridged. I use the Dallas link of www.speakeasy.net/speedtest and have never seen anything below 8000Kbps - 'cept last night when bridged it was 1000-1500kbps and the other guy was only hitting 2000ishKbps.

Just curious if others see the same results.

Take care,
Ceyko
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Flojomojo @ 21st May 03:33PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by ceyko :

Flojomojo,
That's awesome information and I had no idea they had private addresses. Can you explain or reference a link that shows how to determine their addresses? I've never seen them listed in the actiontec device and I'd like to figure out what they need to function.

The STB's IP address should be right on the front page of the Actiontec's status page, right after you log in.

You're right about the data services:
menus = dynamic
guide = cached
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ceyko @ 21st May 03:47PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Wow, I've never seen them there...I need to check that out. Very helpful though.
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Hooper @ 21st May 06:46PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Has anyone figured out how to replicate the QoS Settings for the STB's or where this stuff is even setup in the Actiontec? I am using the Actiontec in its normal config. However, I have the DHCP server set to Relay to a Win2k3 server. The STB's get IP's from the win2k3 server but they are not tagged for QoS properly as far as I can tell.
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Hooper @ 21st May 06:52PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Flojomojo :

Speculation: I don't think that using alternative DNS such as OpenDNS will work with the Video on Demand. That's just a hunch, though -- I don't really want to change anything now that I finally got it all working. ;)

I have a win2k3 server dishing out DHCP and DNS for Active Directory updates. The DNS forwarders I am using are from Open DNS. The STB's can get guide data and VOD just fine.
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ceyko @ 22nd May 01:05PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

The short answer is no. I'm not sure how you're setup exactly, but I get the feeling that you're doing a mix between the actiontec and your stuff.

Did you setup option 60 with the DHCP as it is indicated on the AT router? I could not find any IPs to set with option 60, so I was curious what you did.

Most routers will support QoS, so you could just either mark the packets from those IPs as a CoS of 5 or possibly just throw them in the priority queue. I think marking them (assuming you're not using the actiontec router) with a CoS of 5 should be done either way since I suspect Verizon's network will queue those packets appropriately.
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ceyko @ 22nd May 01:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Flojomojo, I appreciate all your input and it really help me understand what's going on here. You're ethernet from the ONT to your "router" right?

I ended up breaking my router somehow, even factory defaults don't work so they are replacing it. However, I think I'm going to give in and just use STATIC NAT to my ASA 5505.

I can in theory get DHCP address out to the STBs. However, they'll be on the outside interface and not routable for a variety of reasons...not public IP'ed, not bridged to my LAN at all..etc - which I think is the case now with the actiontec router in stock form. The only hope I have is to find a NIM/Coax to Ethernet bridge. These are listed all over the place but I CAN NOT find one for sale. :) I'm hoping that if I split the coax and plug coax to the coax jack on the rotuer and bridge to ethernet and plug into my LAN they'll get IPs as they should and the menus will work.

Anyone seen these COAX to ethernet bridges for sale anywhere? I can't find them.
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Hooper @ 22nd May 01:45PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Someone on here has a NIM for sale:
»[FS] Motorola NIM 100
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Hooper @ 22nd May 01:54PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by ceyko :

Did you setup option 60 with the DHCP as it is indicated on the AT router? I could not find any IPs to set with option 60, so I was curious what you did.

That is the issue. Since the AT is not doing DHCP, there are no IP's to set with option 60. I wonder if there is a way to run a separate DHCP server just for the Coax connections???
reply

Hooper @ 22nd May 02:27PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Anyone know what the option 60 name string is for STB's? Looks like their is a way to add this in for Win2k3 DHCP servers. Someone had a pic of their settings on here somewhere.
reply

ceyko @ 22nd May 03:34PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

»www.juniper.net/techpubs/softwar···on60.pdf

Quote from page...

Using Option 60 Strings to Forward
Client Traffic to Specific DHCP Servers
The DHCP functionality supports the DHCP vendor class identifier option (option
60). This support allows DHCP relay to compare option 60 strings in received DHCP
client packets against strings that you configure on the router. You can use the
DHCP relay option 60 feature when providing converged services in your network
environment—option 60 support enables DHCP relay to direct client traffic to the
specific DHCP server that provides the service that the client requires. Or, as
another option, you can configure option 60 strings to direct traffic to the DHCP
local server in the current virtual router.
For example, you might have an environment in which some DHCP clients require
only Internet access, while other clients require IPTV service. The clients that need
Internet access get their addresses assigned by the DHCP local server on the
E-series router (in equal-access mode). Clients requiring IPTV must be relayed to a
specific DHCP server that provides the service. To support both types of clients, you
configure two option 60 strings on the DHCP relay. Now, when any DHCP client
packets are received with option 60 strings configured, the strings are matched
against all strings configured on the DHCP relay. If the client string matches the first
string you configured, that client is directed to the DHCP local server and gains
Internet access. Client traffic with an option 60 string that matches your second
string is relayed to the DHCP server that provides the IPTV service. In addition, you
can configure a default action, which DHCP relay performs when a client option 60
string does not match any strings you have configured—for example, you might
specify that all clients with non-matching strings be dropped.
------

If I'm reading that right...you'd set the option 60 IP to your DHCP server. Not sure that makes sense, but...
reply

ceyko @ 22nd May 04:12PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Yeah, the RFC talks about something totally different.
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Hooper @ 22nd May 06:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Basically it is a mess. If you want QoS for VOD you have to use the AT DHCP server it seems. Right now it isn't a big deal, but if they ever roll out HD VOD it will be a necessity.
reply

ceyko @ 22nd May 08:58PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Yeah, and either way QoS for VOD/etc is a good thing to have in place.

To get around my problems with site-to-site VPNs and such I'm simply going to try and static NAT that public address and see what happens. :) However, I'm going to refrain from playing with the bridging aspect until I get a better hold on what those STBs need to behave properly. I've acquired a Motorola NIM100 today and am going to see about playing with that. In theory I could go...

ONT(CoAX)- AT - ASA - Switch - NIM100 - Cable Splitter

I just need to understand why/what option 60 is a little better and figure out how to config it properly.
reply

dwafo @ 23rd May 12:46PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have Verizon coming out today to try and hook up a NIM to my LinkSYS WRT54G. Hopefully it'll work!

They said it "might" work with that, but it should work with their old Dlink. In theory if it works with the Dlink it should work with the LinkSYS as well.

Anyone have any insight on a NIM with a LinkSYS WRT54G?
reply

kambodianboi @ 23rd May 04:00PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hi,

I have done this bridge with my Airlink101 504 and it works fine. Now I want to use wireless internet and bought a Linksys WRT55AG v2, unhooked the cable from the Airlink to the Linksys, thinking it should just release and renew the IP, but it wont... I try doing it manually thru the ACP and still no luck. Does anyone have a possible solution? Any help would be great
reply

Integrator @ 23rd May 05:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Oh how I would love to get my PIX working behind this. I just had the TV service installed approximately two months ago, and basically gave up on having the PIX as part of the setup until I saw this thread. I was one of the first adopters of FIOS and I do have both a ethernet connection (old cat5e connection from the ONT) and now a coaxial connection (newly run from the ONT) to the ActionTec (which I must say is a huge POS specifically due to the NAT tables). Can I just take the ethernet portion and run that to the PIX?

I haven't done it previously due to the girlfriend kicking my butt if there was no TV and no menu's. I just haven't felt like taking the whipping over all that.......yet.
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ceyko @ 23rd May 05:43PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I don't think so, since my testing indicated you'd only get 1 public IP via dhcp. Do you have a coax to ethernet bridge from your ethernet days? Next week I'm going to try some stuff with that, but am taking a break with family in town for the holidays. In theory I WILL be able to get that to work..we'll see.
reply

SidneySM @ 24th May 02:07AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I may have solved the problem of using the Actiontec as a bridge while maintaining FiOS TV service.

I followed the OP instructions for making the Actiontec a bridge, then enabled switch view for Ethernet and set one of the ports to be on VLAN 1, a second on VLAN 2.

I put both VLANs in the network connections view and bridged the first to Coax WAN. The second I bridged to Coax LAN (new bridge). I then connected two Cat5 cables between my router and these ports.

So the path is: Actiontec bridges MoCA WAN to switch port 1, which feeds my router's WAN port. One of my router's LAN ports connects to switch port 2, which feeds the STBs, applying Verizon custom DHCP handling.

I'll restart an STB and see what happens by morning.

EDIT: Note that I also had to set the PVID (Ingress Policy) for each port to the corresponding VLAN.
reply

ceyko @ 24th May 10:08AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hmmmm...that sounds like it could work. 2 nice things about that..

1. No need for a bridge, external type.
2. No need to worry about any special DHCP options they are using since the AT is handling it.

Let us know how your set top boxes are working when you can.
reply

Hooper @ 24th May 01:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by SidneySM :

I may have solved the problem of using the Actiontec as a bridge while maintaining FiOS TV service.

I followed the OP instructions for making the Actiontec a bridge, then enabled switch view for Ethernet and set one of the ports to be on VLAN 1, a second on VLAN 2.

I put both VLANs in the network connections view and bridged the first to Coax WAN. The second I bridged to Coax LAN (new bridge). I then connected two Cat5 cables between my router and these ports.

So the path is: Actiontec bridges MoCA WAN to switch port 1, which feeds my router's WAN port. One of my router's LAN ports connects to switch port 2, which feeds the STBs, applying Verizon custom DHCP handling.

I'll restart an STB and see what happens by morning.

EDIT: Note that I also had to set the PVID (Ingress Policy) for each port to the corresponding VLAN.

Looks promising. If it works, we will definitely need a step by step on this :)
reply

SidneySM @ 24th May 11:41PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Hooper :

Looks promising. If it works, we will definitely need a step by step on this :)

Wahoo! It works!

Well... This ain't exactly a step-by-step, but here's a video walkthrough of my setup. Should provide adequate information.

I did have to modify significantly from my last post. Now, the cable out of my router's going to the Actiontec's WAN port, so it considers itself "on the internet," though through my router instead of Verizon's. Oh, and I should've used NAT'ing to describe the bridge, not routing, as in the video (gotta save my rep).

Good luck, I do know that it's cut off (only a couple seconds), and if you have issues I'll be happy to help.
reply

ceyko @ 25th May 11:45AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Good job! I'll check this out next week and see it works on my end.
reply

Hooper @ 25th May 06:23PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Got it working. Thanks for the video.

Somewhat challenging config, but seems to work fine. The only thing I noticed is that when I reboot the router, the broandband ethernet connection gets disabled. Not sure what caused/is causing that.

I really wonder how this will handle the STB QoS? VOD really needs to be carried over a private network that has QoS throughout. Even with this config, I am not so sure QoS is even being properly handled on our local network side.
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SidneySM @ 25th May 06:43PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Hooper :

I really wonder how this will handle the STB QoS? VOD really needs to be carried over a private network that has QoS throughout. Even with this config, I am not so sure QoS is even being properly handled on our local network side.

Glad it works but, to be honest, I wasn't attempting a full solution. QoS will indeed not be handled within our network unless it's manually configured. My goal was to allow the use of the Actiontec as a bridge while passing service to the STBs. The good news is that with this setup we do have to freedom to run QoS internally — it's just a bit more work.
reply

anon @ 27th May 02:54PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by SidneySM :

Wow, thanks a lot, I just got FIOS internet and TV and was wondering what the hell was going on with the service. Logged onto the router and found all the NAT errors as described. I have 2 pcs running bittorrent clients simulataneously and this killed it.

The current described set up is now working for me! It took me about 4 hours and a good night's sleep in between but I got it! THE stbs are renewing ip addresses and menus without a problem. What I found the most challenging, is, from default settings, COAX is bridged and so is ethernet I believe. Unbridging these caused the router to become unresponsive. I somehow got around it though with a lot of tweaking. Basically, the first thing I did was get my connections to look like 3m:50s in the video and than worried about disabling the ip addresses and enabling the ethernet connection. It definitely was challenging for me but I'm glad I got it. Thanks a lot.

Chris
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jmsmirage @ 27th May 10:51PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok I've followed the original post word from word. I do not have FIOS TV nor do I care about it. My ultimate goal is just go get my computers connected through my Linksys WRT54GL access to the internet by bridging the MI424-WR router.

I managed to get my Linksys WRT56GL router an IP address from bridging the Actiontec MI424-WR as described. However, with that said I'm still not able to get an internet connection.

I've also tried setting the IP Address Distribution to DHCP relay under Network (Home/Office) and disabling DHCP all together neither settings seemed to make a difference.

I've tried changing the gateway IP address on my Linksys to 192.168.2.1 to see if perhaps there was a conflict in IPs, either way, after changing the Linksys gateway IP it still managed to get an IP from Verizon, yet no internet access...

Is there something else I'm missing? I'd really like to get this fixed so that I can actually use Fios with no limitations.
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BBTom @ 28th May 02:25AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Sid, thanks so much for your instructions. The configuration is a bit more complex then I thought would ever be needed for a home network, but I guess this is what we get when dealing with the ActionTec router. I found that I needed to add a static route on my WRT54GS (DDWRT) to point to the ActionTec. This allows all the different networks can see each other, I also added my WRT to the DNS entry for the rest of the ethernet ports on the ActionTec, they too can now be used to off-site access.

VOD and all the menus are working correctly.

again thank you DaDrgon and SidneySM for the great information.
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rocky01 @ 28th May 07:06AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Allright you experts, help jmsmirage out!

Also, all I can say is when my contract with Dish is up in the fall, I won't want to try to bridge the thing with Fios TV when the time comes, as it looks complicated!
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ceyko @ 28th May 09:06AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

jmsmirage,
From the router can you ping the ip for yahoo.com? Or is it JUST from your internal network it fails? Can you plug in a PC, get an IP and surf okay?

All, when running bandwidth tests after your bridging configuration...does it seem as fast as it was before?

Thanks,
reply

anon @ 28th May 12:48PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by ceyko :

jmsmirage,
From the router can you ping the ip for yahoo.com? Or is it JUST from your internal network it fails? Can you plug in a PC, get an IP and surf okay?

All, when running bandwidth tests after your bridging configuration...does it seem as fast as it was before?

Thanks,

Hi in response to bandwidth tests:

When I go to speakeasy: »www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/ and test various servers I get varying speeds (naturally). New York's server consistantly gives me the best results ( I am near Philly) with speeds of about 15.5 mbps and ups of about 1.85 mbps. This is about right, I'm paying for 15/2 service from them. I do not think I have seen any decreases in speeds with my new setup and browsing usability has increased signficantly by a factor of about 10, that is how crippled my connection was before...

However Verizon's tests : »speedtest.verizon.net/SpeedTeste···test.jsp

This test gives me different results, usually between 8mbps and 12mbps download and about 1.5 mbps up. I do not believe I have ever gone about 12mbps with this test. Here is what it tells me when I hit analysis. The only 2 things I'm concerned about is where it says 10Mbps ethernet link found, and where it says Duplex mismatch found. Everything on my network is 100mbps, I'm not sure where it is getting 10mbps. It's also funny how the results are listing like it is in megabytes/second. Verizon techs are so confused between megabits and megabytes. Whenever I speak to one of them, I try to spread the knowledge that the service they are selling is not 5 or 15 MegaBYTEs but it is 5 or 15 MegaBITS. I've only spoken to one tech that I could actually have an inteligent conversation with. But, oh well, that is half of there business plan I think, to create confusion, Comcast does the same thing. Ok sorry about this little tangent. Any comments about the Analysis below would be greatly appreciated.

Chris

Test Analysis Information

Checking for Middleboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Done
running 10s outbound test (client to server) . . . . . 1.44Mb/s
running 10s inbound test (server to client) . . . . . . 10.97Mb/s

------ Client System Details ------
OS data: Name = Windows Vista, Architecture = x86, Version = 6.0
Java data: Vendor = Sun Microsystems Inc., Version = 1.6.0_01

------ Web100 Detailed Analysis ------
Client Received Window detectd at 229120 bytes.
10 Mbps Ethernet link found.
Link set to Full Duplex mode
No network congestion discovered.
Good network cable(s) found
Alarm: Duplex mismatch condition found: Host set to Full and Switch set to Half duplexD

Web100 reports the Round trip time = 68.76 msec; the Packet size = 1460 Bytes; and
No packet loss - but packets arrived out-of-order 0.09% of the time
This connection is sender limited 97.53% of the time.
This connection is network limited 2.23% of the time.

Web100 reports TCP negotiated the optional Performance Settings to:
RFC 2018 Selective Acknowledgment: ON
RFC 896 Nagle Algorithm: ON
RFC 3168 Explicit Congestion Notification: OFF
RFC 1323 Time Stamping: OFF
RFC 1323 Window Scaling: ON
Packet size is preserved End-to-End
Server IP addresses are preserved End-to-End
Information: Network Address Translation (NAT) box is modifying the Client's IP address
Server says [72.94.192.11] but Client says [192.168.1.100]
reply

anon @ 28th May 12:50PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

yes... I spelled intelligent wrong, please forgive me...haha
reply

anon @ 28th May 03:13PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Is it possible to have this work if you don't have a broadband coax connection?
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anon @ 28th May 03:48PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Can this work if you do not have a broadband coax connection? I only have a broadband ethernet connection.
reply

SidneySM @ 28th May 08:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Nody89 :

Is it possible to have this work if you don't have a broadband coax connection?

You don't need to go through all this if you have ethernet. Just connect the incoming Cat5 directly to your router and set up PPPoE. If you have FiOS TV, connect an ethernet cable from your router to the WAN port on the actiontec and make sure it's enabled — no special config needed.
reply

anon @ 28th May 08:34PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks for the advice. I have this to ask, I have all my STB's and PC's as wireless connections. Can I setup the AT to serve IP's from my router wirelessly thru the AT and still have my STB's work?
reply

SidneySM @ 28th May 09:08PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Nody89 :

Can I setup the AT to serve IP's from my router wirelessly thru the AT and still have my STB's work?

Quite so. I just experimented a bit, and it works perfectly.

From the Network Connections view, hit Add and make a new bridge. On this bridge, put Broadband Connection (Ethernet) and Wireless Access Point. That's it — the router'll grab an IP address for itself, its switch ports, and the STBs off the Ethernet WAN port, but pass wireless clients through the bridge to your router.
reply

nuclei2v5x @ 28th May 11:53PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

i was never able to get ppoe to work
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anon @ 29th May 12:32AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

How do I setup the switch ports and STBs to grab address from my router? Is that what you are saying at the end of your comment?
reply

SidneySM @ 29th May 01:31AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

You don't need to do anything special in this situation. I was just stating that the process described in my last post doesn't interfere with the Actiontec.
reply

dwafo @ 30th May 01:00PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Well after Verizon was at my house for 9 hours on Sat (still having pixelation issues when changing channels only on the regular STB's) they chose to take the actiontec out of the picture and put a NIM in along with using my LinkSYS router. BINGO!!! Forwarding ports worked correctly, could use my FTP on another port besides 21 and with PASV on. Everything worked like charm.

Only slight problem I have now is:
My speeds from speedtest.net were 20689kb and now only 17687kb.
Pretty consistent with those numbers as well.
Whats a little more strange is before the NIM my upload speed was between 43xx and 448x. Now its consistently 4534 or just right there abouts. Tad bit higher AFTER having the NIM installed.
I had done the "fios speed tweak" on their site before switching everything, and check again after the switch and it said "you have already been optimized".
BTW - speed tests are the same from ALL PCs in the house!

If anyone has a suggestion I'll give it a shot!

THX!
reply

rocky01 @ 30th May 01:48PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

What kind of encryption are you using? WPA2 is recommended, but later generation security protocols uses up more bandwidth. Certainly not enough to be concerned about in my case.
reply

ceyko @ 30th May 06:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hey There SidneySM (and all),
I've given this a shot and have not had any luck. One major confusion point for me is the terminology with the device interconnects. I've bridged the Coax and Ethernet2 (aka vlan1) ports. (I'm using a PIX) I plugged the AT switchport 1 into my PIX (successfully dhcp'ed IP). However, I also connected a cable from the WAN Ethernet port on the AT to an inside (switchport) interface on my PIX. This is the same as connecting it to a switch on a Linksys or whatever. Internet works great, but the STBs did not work once power cycled.

Could you explain specifically which ports to what? As a run down, here is what I had that did not work.
WAN Coax - Run to the AT box from ONT.
Switchport 1 (Vlan1) on AT - Outside (WAN) interface on PIX.
Switchport 2 on AT - Inside (LAN) interface on PIX

Was I missing anything? Also, I'm trying to use 172.16.x.x for my internal network (for a variety of reasons) - I guess I'll have to change the various dhcp scopes as well?

Take care and thanks for any help. Also, the video was pretty useful - just need some clarification on the physical connections.
reply

Hooper @ 30th May 06:41PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ceyko,
I think you have things right, but just to make sure:

AT WAN port to 3rd party Router lan port (any port where it can get dhcp address from internal network)
AT Port 1 to 3rd Party Router's WAN Port (Router will get Verizon IP through DHCP)

My set tops get IP's in the 192.168.3.10x range via the Coax interface in AT router.

You should be able to use whatever DHCP scope you want.
reply

ceyko @ 30th May 06:47PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks for the post hooper. That's exactly how I had it hooked up. Curious, your LAN...is it 192.168.x.x ? If so, that might explain my issue. If the router is giving out 192.168.x.x, but I'm only routing 172.16.x.x the STBs would not be able to talk to Verizon for VOD stuff. I may need to decide if it makes more sense to switch back to 192 or change the scopes for 172.16.x.x

Take care,
reply

Hooper @ 30th May 06:49PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by ceyko :

Thanks for the post hooper. That's exactly how I had it hooked up. Curious, your LAN...is it 192.168.x.x ? If so, that might explain my issue. If the router is giving out 192.168.x.x, but I'm only routing 172.16.x.x the STBs would not be able to talk to Verizon for VOD stuff. I may need to decide if it makes more sense to switch back to 192 or change the scopes for 172.16.x.x

Take care,

My internal lan is using 192.168.1.x IP's. Can you adjust your routing tables to accomodate the 192.168.x.x addresses?
reply

ceyko @ 30th May 06:55PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Unfortunately my firewall only supports 1 network and I don't have a decent l2/l3 switch. I might just try to get everything working on 192.168.1.x first and then figure out how to fix it afterwards. :D
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dwafo @ 31st May 12:42PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

My encryption is WEP. Wasn't sure if anyone out there was using just a NIM and linksys WRT65G router with same speed drops and then got them higher.
reply

Hooper @ 1st Jun 02:34PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I am seeing a bunch of these in my 3rd party router log. Any idea what they are for?

[INFO] Fri Jun 01 12:27:47 2007 Blocked incoming packet from 192.168.2.1:65535 to 224.0.0.1:65535 (protocol 2)
[INFO] Fri Jun 01 12:25:42 2007 Blocked incoming packet from 192.168.2.1:65535 to 239.255.255.250:65535 (protocol 2)
[INFO] Fri Jun 01 12:25:42 2007 Blocked incoming packet from 192.168.2.1:65535 to 224.0.0.1:65535 (protocol 2)
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ceyko @ 1st Jun 04:42PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

192.168.2.1 is something on your LAN and that is multicast traffic.
reply

draven @ 1st Jun 05:54PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

That's pretty odd, as 65535 is the last available port for TCP/UDP traffic. Sometimes viruses will listen on ports up near that range because it's like flying 62,000 feet above sea level; people really have to be looking to find you and chances are they won't.

In your case, it might be a bot trying to scan you although it would have to somehow be masked behind a private IP address; a couple explainable scenarios come to mind.
reply

Hooper @ 1st Jun 06:09PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Sorry. Should have been a little clearer. 192.168.1.x is my LAN. 192.168.2.1 and 192.168.3.1 is the Moca bridge with 192.168.2.x for ethernet and 192.168.3.x for Coax.

In other words, the only devices in those two subnets are set top boxes. :)
reply

ceyko @ 1st Jun 06:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Okay all,

First, great job SidneySM on figuring that solution out and thanks to the OP for his/her post.

SidneySM's solution works quite well when you get your subnet/ip addressing right. :) I did however want to clarify some minor things just in case the video disappears OR other people have some minor confusion like I did.

First thing to remember is that this assumes a 192.168.x.x IP addressing scheme internally. If you check my earlier posts, I was trying 172.16.x.x which I don't think will work when STBs (set top boxes) get 192.168.3.x address via the AT. This CAN be changed, I just don't know if I consider it worth the effort. :) I don't consider the AT easy to work with like a Cisco router/switch and without a console port I don't like chancing having to hit the reset button again. hehe

Anyway...
I'm going to say the EXACT same stuff that Sidney did, but I'm going to try an throw more details and quotes from the AT in there.

1st- via "My Network" then "Network Connections" and then "Ethernet" I think...scroll down and change "hide" to "show" for the 4 port switch on the AT (Actiontec). Click port 1 (can be any port, but you can change that later if needed). Click "Add" and put in the VLAN number you want, I made it VLAN 2 due to native/default VLAN paranoia and change Ingress policy to tagging and enter the PVID as 2 (or whatever you made it). Do it in that order or else it'll cause a minor error. Apply.

2nd - create the VLAN as mentioned before via "My Network" then "Network Connections." Click "Add." I used Vlan 2 since I was paranoid about Vlan 1...default/native vlan...etc However, remember to select "Ethernet" from the drop down. Apply.

3rd - I followed the OP's advice and released the IP and disconnected the COAX cable to make SURE it did not pull another IP address. On the PIX you can't release it and then you're stuck calling Tech Support to get them to break your DHCP lease.

4th - I went "My Network", "Network Connections" and then "Network (Home/Office)", "settings". I also emulated exactly what was in the video which was "Broadband Connection (Coax)" and "Ethernet 2" both being checked in the left hand box AND STP boxes. Also select "No IP Address" from the "Internet Protocol" drop down. Apply.

5th - At this point plug your ethernet cable into port 2,3 or 4 and do an "ipconfig /release" then do an "ipconfig /renew" and you should get a 192.168.2.x address and be able to admin the box via 192.168.2.1.

6th - Once I was back in I saw "Broadband Connection (Ethernet)" was disabled, so I enabled it.

7th - Now comes the part I had some confusion with terminology on. Here is what you do with cable.
a. Plug a cable in from switchport 1 on the AT and plug it into the WAN/Internet side of your router/firewall.
-What Sidney did was bridged the VLAN/Switchport 1 and the WAN connection together.

b. Then from the non-switching ethernet port which is directly next to the "Reset" button...plug that into a LAN port. Meaning any port on your LAN side of your router/firewall.

c. Make sure your router/firewall pulled an address from Verizon and then proceed to make sure you can get on the Internet.

8th - At this point I went and reset a STB (set top box). One mistake I had been making earlier is expecting immediate results. This is not the case. You can try a widget those seem to work right away, then about 5 minutes later the VOD will work and about 10 minutes later the regular guide should work.

9th - I then went to advanced - remote administration and allowed remote https connections so I can remotely admin the AT via the web interface.

-----
Looks like I finagled a CoAX to Ethernet bridge from a tech for no good reason. :) I hope this reiteration helps clarify it for some people.

Take care,
Ceyko
reply

ceyko @ 3rd Jun 10:00PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Hooper :

The only thing I noticed is that when I reboot the router, the broandband ethernet connection gets disabled. Not sure what caused/is causing that.

I discovered mine does the samething today. We had a power outage in the morning that was very short (seconds) and later in the afternoon the STBs lost their menu. When they lost their menu I remembered this post and check the router - sure enough the broadband ethernet was disabled.

Can't figure out why and did not have time to check the logs or anything (was on my way to a night project here at work) - however, I think I'm just going to buy a el cheapo UPS to keep the router from losing power for short power issues.
reply

javaMonk @ 8th Jun 12:49AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

hey all - this is a great thread, i've learned a lot just trolling the posts.

i have been searching for a way to get my at&t call vantage d-link (DVG-1120M) tele adapter (TA) to work with my fios. its a known problem that the ATT TA and ActionTec do not co-exist nicely.. the TA will not function behind the actionTec.

my initial post: »FiOS and ATT CallVantage - made progress?

verizon switched me to ethernet from coax because AT&T said its the *only* way to get there TA to work.. they swapped out the coax for ether, then i put AT&T's d-link TA first in the network, then the actionTec behind it.. everything worked..

..this is fine, but the TA is a bottleneck and drops my wonderful fios 20/5 to pitiful 5/1 *sigh*

..so wondering if this original is a solution for me? i already have ethernet from the ONT (so i dont have to do all the crazy actiontec configuration) ..You all are saying that I can just plug my linksys router into the verizon provided ethernet, and put my AT&T d-link on my router AND put the actiontec on my router? ..this won't effect the STB or other stuff? (ive read about strange side-effects if the action-tec is not first in the network, e.g. PPV not working, STB's going out of synch, etc) -

..just want to make sure i understood the posts.

thanks in advance,
javamonk
reply

ceyko @ 8th Jun 01:15AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

At first I thought it was a no brainer, but here are some additional links for you to check out. I can't confirm or deny either way, but it sure seems like it would work. *I* would guess that you'd simply plug in the LAN port, make sure it has an IP, proper gateway and figure out the PAT entries you need.

Please forgive me if I booger these up. Try to copy them over from another PC.

Towards the bottom there is some mention of PAT entries..

»blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehran···ter.html

More stuff.

»DVG-1120M and slow downloads....
reply

joja15 @ 10th Jun 09:19PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

OK, I am a little confused and hopefully someone can help me out. I have read through this thread and other ones on other forms but am still stuck. Here is the history of my FIOS setup
(1) Got FIOS data installed awhile back and got a DLink router.
(2) Got FIOS TV installed and they gave me an ActionTec MI-424

Under My Network->Network Connections I have the following Listed:

Network (Home/Office)---------Connected
--------Ethernet--------------Connected
--------Coax------------------Connected
--------Wireless Access Point-Disabled
Broadband Connection (Ethernet)-Connected
Broadband Connection (Coax)---Down
WAN PPPOE---------------------Connected
WAN PPPOE 2-------------------Disabled

I have a Linksys WRT-350N router with DD-WRT that I would like to use as my main router.

So do I use the Linksys WRT-350N to connect to FIOS via PPOE with the CAT-5 cable from the ONT going into the WAN port of the Linksys? I understand that I need to release the IP from the Actiontec before hooking up the Linksys.

Then I plug a CAT5 cable from the LAN port of the Linksys to the WAN port of the Actiontec? I need to make sure I turn off the DHCP capability of the Actiontec so that my FIOS TV STB's grab IPs from the Linksys correct?

Is there anything else special I need to do? Do I need to set the Actiontec to Bridge mode?

I apologize if any of this sounds ignorant I am just new to it and there are so many different posts with different configurations (or at least it appears that way to me). :)

Thanks in advance for any help provided.

- John
reply

ceyko @ 11th Jun 12:56PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Curious of exactly how you're setup. Do you have both the Dlink and AT in place or did they nuke everything and put in the AT only? From the ONT is it ethernet, coax or both? I could make some assumptions from your post, but I'd prefer not to. :)
reply

joja15 @ 11th Jun 01:18PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by ceyko :

Curious of exactly how you're setup. Do you have both the Dlink and AT in place or did they nuke everything and put in the AT only? From the ONT is it ethernet, coax or both? I could make some assumptions from your post, but I'd prefer not to. :)

I currently just have the AT in place with CAT5 and COAX running into it. The DLINK is no longer used once they added TV and replaced the DLINK with the AT.

I believe that from the ONT I have ethernet and coax so both. I am making that assumption since I have a coax connected to my AT and I have ethernet connected to the AT. How do I check to be 100% sure?

In the AT configuration it looks like the COAX serves the TV STB's. The ethernet looks like it provides my internet via PPPOE.

I hope that helps. Please let me know if there is any more information you need. I appreciate your help!

- John
reply

dwafo @ 11th Jun 01:38PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

through all the problems I had trying to make the AT into a bridge, and hooking up my linkSYS or even the older Dlink that VZN provided - after everything I still couldn't get port forwarding to work right and could get an FTP to connect other then on port 21 and it had to be with PASV off. Even that port sometimes didn't work.
I begged VZ to give me a NIM, and now everything works like a charm. VOD, Menu, Guide, and ftp with port forwarding and a different connection port.

Only thing I noticed was my download speeds went from 20mbits down to about 17.
reply

TheOtherPete @ 11th Jun 02:04PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by joja15 :

OK, I am a little confused and hopefully someone can help me out. I have read through this thread and other ones on other forms but am still stuck. Here is the history of my FIOS setup
(1) Got FIOS data installed awhile back and got a DLink router.
(2) Got FIOS TV installed and they gave me an ActionTec MI-424

Under My Network->Network Connections I have the following Listed:

Network (Home/Office)---------Connected
--------Ethernet--------------Connected
--------Coax------------------Connected
--------Wireless Access Point-Disabled
Broadband Connection (Ethernet)-Connected
Broadband Connection (Coax)---Down
WAN PPPOE---------------------Connected
WAN PPPOE 2-------------------Disabled

I have a Linksys WRT-350N router with DD-WRT that I would like to use as my main router.

So do I use the Linksys WRT-350N to connect to FIOS via PPOE with the CAT-5 cable from the ONT going into the WAN port of the Linksys? I understand that I need to release the IP from the Actiontec before hooking up the Linksys.

Then I plug a CAT5 cable from the LAN port of the Linksys to the WAN port of the Actiontec? I need to make sure I turn off the DHCP capability of the Actiontec so that my FIOS TV STB's grab IPs from the Linksys correct?

Is there anything else special I need to do? Do I need to set the Actiontec to Bridge mode?

I apologize if any of this sounds ignorant I am just new to it and there are so many different posts with different configurations (or at least it appears that way to me). :)

Thanks in advance for any help provided.

John, I have a similar configuration and I did not put the Actiontec into bridged mode. Also you do not need to release the IP from the Actiontec before you start reconfiguring - that's probably the only benefit of PPPoE (DHCP users are the ones that must release)

I connected a LAN port of my border device (WRT-350N) in your case to the WAN port of the Actiontec. The actiontec inside/LAN segement has to have a different network space then the WRT-350N uses (ex: 192.168.1.0/24 for WRT-350N, 192.168.2.0/24 for Actiontec)

In this dual-rouer configuration the Actiontec is only providing ethernet connectivity for the STB's, your normal ethernet network is hanging off the WRT-350N (so no need to do any double port forwarding if you require any).

The Actiontec does provide DHCP services for the STB's (but it is handing out addresses in 192.168.2.0/24 range) I configured the Actiontec IP statically, you could also let it pull an address dynamically from the WRT-350N but then it becomes harder to manage in the future if the address changes - your choice.

Hope that helps, this stuff can get confusing and its been a few weeks since I set mine up so undoubtly I didnt include everything I did to get it working.
reply

Hooper @ 11th Jun 03:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by ceyko :

I discovered mine does the samething today. We had a power outage in the morning that was very short (seconds) and later in the afternoon the STBs lost their menu. When they lost their menu I remembered this post and check the router - sure enough the broadband ethernet was disabled.

Anyone have thoughts on why this is happening?
reply

joja15 @ 11th Jun 06:13PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by TheOtherPete :

John, I have a similar configuration and I did not put the Actiontec into bridged mode. Also you do not need to release the IP from the Actiontec before you start reconfiguring - that's probably the only benefit of PPPoE (DHCP users are the ones that must release)

I connected a LAN port of my border device (WRT-350N) in your case to the WAN port of the Actiontec. The actiontec inside/LAN segement has to have a different network space then the WRT-350N uses (ex: 192.168.1.0/24 for WRT-350N, 192.168.2.0/24 for Actiontec)

In this dual-rouer configuration the Actiontec is only providing ethernet connectivity for the STB's, your normal ethernet network is hanging off the WRT-350N (so no need to do any double port forwarding if you require any).

The Actiontec does provide DHCP services for the STB's (but it is handing out addresses in 192.168.2.0/24 range) I configured the Actiontec IP statically, you could also let it pull an address dynamically from the WRT-350N but then it becomes harder to manage in the future if the address changes - your choice.

Hope that helps, this stuff can get confusing and its been a few weeks since I set mine up so undoubtly I didnt include everything I did to get it working.

Pete that helps out a lot! I am glad you have a similar setup and could explain how yours works. At the end you said you didn't include everything to get it working. Are there any other important steps you can think of that you had to do to get it working. Little things I can probably figure my way around just want to make sure there are not any big stumblers or important steps I might be missing.

Also what problems come up if I setup the AT to allow the STB's to get their IP's from the Linksys DHCP server? If I do that then I could get everything on a 192.168.1.1 subnet.

- John
reply

TheOtherPete @ 11th Jun 06:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by joja15 :

Pete that helps out a lot! I am glad you have a similar setup and could explain how yours works. At the end you said you didn't include everything to get it working. Are there any other important steps you can think of that you had to do to get it working. Little things I can probably figure my way around just want to make sure there are not any big stumblers or important steps I might be missing.

Yea, I meant that I couldnt recall anything else at the time but if you have any questions about my setup I'm glad to post any info you need.

Here what my "Network Connections" screen looks like:

Rule Name Status Action
Network (Home/Office) Connected
Broadband Connection (Ethernet) Connected
Broadband Connection (Coax) Disabled
WAN PPPOE Disabled
WAN PPPOE 2 Disabled

said by joja15 :

Also what problems come up if I setup the AT to allow the STB's to get their IP's from the Linksys DHCP server? If I do that then I could get everything on a 192.168.1.1 subnet.

Turning the AT into a bridge (so that the STB's get their IP's from the Linksys) is probably a more elegent solution but it sounds like its more complicated (more changes from the default VZ config) and I also prefer to isolate my network (192.168.1.x) from the "FIOS TV" data network (192.168.2.x). If you go that route (turn the STB into a bridge) then I'm afraid I'm not going to be of my help.
reply

druber @ 11th Jun 06:56PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

yeah, i briefly flirted with that, but then went back to the original plan (AT sits behind my CC router/gateway, and serves up 192.168 addresses to the DVR).
reply

ceyko @ 12th Jun 02:26PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Hooper :

Anyone have thoughts on why this is happening?

A little bump incase anyone recently figured it out. :) I did stick a 30 dollar UPS on mine and it worked for another short power outage. Still, a long power outage...or if you have to bump the router you're SOL until you enable the interface.
reply

LimoMan @ 12th Jun 08:19PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

cb, where did you purchase your HSB-2? I am having a tough time trying to locate it. thanks!
reply

luvstar99 @ 15th Jun 05:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hi ceyko,

Do you think it would be possible for you to create screenshots step by step on making the Actiontec a bridge. Also photos would be nice how the Actiontec and router are connected. I think this part is confusing in the threads.

Thanks,
Angie
reply

ceyko @ 15th Jun 08:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

luvstar99,
I could, but probably won't have the time for awhile. Check out the video that was posted prior to me doing what I did. You'll get to see the softeware/config settings. As far as what cable connects to what, just ask if you're confused - although it is laid out pretty thoroughly in one of the the prior posts.

Take care and good luck.
reply

icyura10 @ 18th Jun 09:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Can some kind soul please explain this to me?

I have a router that has HW VPN capabilities that I need to use about 3 times / week.

I have an Action Tec Router that is connected via Cat5 for the internet side and coax for the tv / vod stuff.

I need to hook up my VPN router in front of the action tec.

My other router has an ip address of 192.168.50.1/255 and the action tec has an ip of 192.168.1.1/255.

I hooked up my router (192.168.50.x) and in one of the lan ports hooked up the action tec.

Initially, it seemed like all was well... execpt for the VOD stuff.

When I came home this evening; my spousal unit had hard re-set the action tec; and I played 10,000 games getting the network working again.

Can someone explain to me what I've done incorrectly?

thanks

Icy
reply

rocky01 @ 18th Jun 10:44PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'm hardly the guy to help in this network stuff, but which unit is doing DHCP? Did you turn off that function in the ActionTec if you have the other router in front? Maybe someone with more networking background can pitch in here.
reply

aefstoggaflm @ 19th Jun 03:00PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by rocky01 :

I'm hardly the guy to help in this network stuff, but which unit is doing DHCP? Did you turn off that function in the ActionTec if you have the other router in front? Maybe someone with more networking background can pitch in here.

If you turned the MI424-WR into a network bridge, the other router behind it (example: WRT54G v7) does the DHCP.
--
Please use the "yellow (IM) envelope" to contact me and please leave the URL intact.
reply

rocky01 @ 19th Jun 03:21PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Yes, that would jibe with the stated purpose of this thread but, perhaps going a little OT, Icy says:

"I need to hook up my VPN router in front of the action tec."

It looks like they have Fios' ethernet connection but not enough information has been supplied, so I can't be sure. If he connects via ethernet (and not broadband coax) it seems to me it should be easy to substitute another router before the ActionTec and the third party router should do DHCP and not the ActionTec. Unfortunately, I've not done VPN except when armed with explicit instructions from IT guys at work. Seems like the bright network types that visit here should be able to help ... unless more information is needed.
reply

aefstoggaflm @ 19th Jun 04:51PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Opps, sorry about that.

I don't use VPNs, but I hear that Double NAT causes trouble for them.

Perhaps With the MI424-WR a network bridge the VPN router on the LAN side handles the DHCP. ( Post »Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge )
--
Please use the "yellow (IM) envelope" to contact me and please leave the URL intact.
reply

icyura10 @ 19th Jun 06:19PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Oh this is so much fun... :)

I truely apprecite your assistance.. but I'm still stuck
reply

Ancalagon @ 19th Jun 06:53PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok, I read through the whole thread and I'm still a bit shaky on what I need to do.

I have the coax MOCA coming from the ONT to the Actiontec, two STB's for FiOS TV. The wireless quite simply sucks, so I'd like to pass the internet connection through to a WRT54G with my firmware of choice. Ideally I'd like this connection to be completely unaltered so that the Linksys does all the routing/wireless/IP's for the internet side of things, but leave the FiOS TV to the Actiontec. If the Actiontec handles any routing of internet traffic, that kind of defeats the point because then I'm getting crappy traffic still.

Also the guide mentions something about once the other router is attached, you can't access the Actiontec config through 192.168.1.1. If I want to get into the Actiontec to set it back to VZW specs for whatever reason, how would I then do that?
reply

PoloDude @ 19th Jun 08:41PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

That is easy just press in the hard reset on the back for about 10sec.
reply

runngunnin @ 22nd Jun 08:47AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Here's the deal. I work for Verizon and have spoke with several techs about my problem. Of course none of them have a damn clue. My setup goes something like this:

ONT --> Actiontec via MoCA and Ethernet.

Recently (makes me believe its a firmware upgrade problem) my Actiontec will experience a problem after a few minutes of sustained bandwidth usage. It completely cuts off network traffic. All the lights look correct and my wireless connection says that I am still connected, but no dice. Hard reset brings everything back up.

Tried reverting to the older firmware and disabling the firmware's updating ability; however, it only works fine for a few minutes and then the firmware somehow updates itself and dumps out again.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I know that this may not be the exact usage of this thread, but wanted to see if this type of problem has spurred other users to search for a new/different router setup.

Thanks
reply

cb9fl @ 21st Jul 07:43PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

How does the Actiontec handle VOD and guide information after the update?

I contacted Verizon support regarding a bandwidth issue and was told the STBs use a seperate pipe for VOD and guide info through the Actiontec. They have a 30/5 connection completely seperate from my 20/5 connection. If the main internet connection is being handled by a 3rd party router with an connection going from that router to the Actiontec, won't the entire pipe come from the 20/5 connection, and not from the VOD pipe?

Here's the setup:

ONT --Coax-> BuffaloDDWRT(through bridged Actiontec) --Port1-> Actiontec Ethernet WAN

Is VOD and guide seperated from my internet connection like it should be or is it sucking up my bandwidth?
reply

razambon @ 14th Aug 03:49PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'd like to know the answer to this as well. I have a feeling it may be sucking up bandwidth. I'll do a test tonight - I only have a 5/2 connection so if I start both my boxes on a VOD stream it should choke.

I know for a fact that having my router first does cause an issue in VOD starting right up - sometimes I have to try once or twice for the video connection to 'catch' before it goes. My guess is this is getting the expanded bandwidth to activate...somehow the actiontec does it faster.

I'll post my findings ~~tonight~~ tomorrow (didn't have a chance last night...got engrossed in Metroid Prime and lost track of time...hehe).
reply

anon @ 14th Aug 08:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I am looking at bridging a Buffalo WHR-G54S .. not to replace the Actiontec, but merely have it bridge so I can get my Xbox 360 online w/o the Wireless Adapter that doesn't work with it.

I have had no luck on finding a guide in doing the reverse of this, any pointers?
reply

draven @ 14th Aug 10:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

you'll most likely need to install third-party firmware on your Buffalo that allows it to act as a bridge. Check out DD-WRT for this.
reply

BarneyBadAss @ 15th Aug 11:23AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

This is a great thread.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to sort all this out for the rest of us!
--
---Barney
reply

razambon @ 15th Aug 10:55PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

It appears that the boxes can pull the extra bandwidth for VOD even if a router other than the ActionTec is the 'primary' router in the network. I just tested and my Buffalo was pulling down 10mb for the two video streams and I only have a 5/2 connection.
reply

anon @ 24th Aug 04:02PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Guess the biggest question I have does your TV guide go once you bridge with your own router?
reply

draven @ 24th Aug 08:00PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Not with mine, which is documented earlier in this thread.
reply

MPSAN @ 25th Aug 12:10AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hello all...I get FIOS Tuesday, Aug 28.
I now have Comcast and a large home network. My router is 192.168.123.254 and my "stuff" is using 192.168.123.1 thru 20 (with 3 replaytv's on fixed ip (1 thru3) and a print server at .20 as well.

Someone said I can do the same but if I do, when I get FIOS TV, I will have to go back to 192.168.1.xxx has anyone been OK with their own scheme as I have? In fact I even want to turn off their Wireless and still use my WRT54GS as a WAP as I do now.

TIA

P.S. I use Eudora and XNews...I sure do not want Verizon messing with my system ie: I don't need no stinkin software!

Is email still incoming.verizon.net, SMTP outgoing.verizon.net and NEWS (NNTP) news.verizon.net?

Are these region specific as I am in Portland, OR.

TIA
reply

kennedys14 @ 25th Aug 12:40AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I originally had a 10.x.x.x class c (255.255.255.0) on the ActionTec. 3 months later I finally had the FIOS TV installed. To make things easier for the installer, I allowed him to completely reset the ActionTec to the 192.168.1.x scheme. Once he was done, and everything was working I simply went back in on the ActionTec and changed back to the 10.x.x.x (you will need to reset the STBs). The STBs picked-up the a DHCP address just fine. The network config even survived a remote firmware upgrade (from the Verizon side).
reply

anon @ 25th Aug 10:33AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Question... I found a review here regarding the AT router

»www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/···0022/51/

Pretty much they said that the router is a great router other then the amount of simul. connections -

Wireless has not been tested but I can see that it sucks already..

Any other reason? I am asking.. I dont want to hear my wife bitch when something goes wrong and the set boxes dont work..
thanks...
reply

dalesd @ 26th Aug 07:58PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Mike21576 :

Question... I found a review here regarding the AT router

»www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/···0022/51/

Pretty much they said that the router is a great router other then the amount of simul. connections -

Wireless has not been tested but I can see that it sucks already..

Any other reason? I am asking.. I dont want to hear my wife bitch when something goes wrong and the set boxes dont work..
thanks...

Mike, I'm in the same boat. "Keep the wife happy" is a major motivator. :)

The pitiful P2P performance has me worried.

I've been reading and searching, but I think that even bridging the router won't fix the p2p performance. Can anyone confirm this?

I have prewired everything with cat5e ethernet to make that the path of least resistance for the installer.

"Yeah, you can wire the coax if you have to, all the way from one end of the house to the other and up two floors (and I'll watch you like a hawk the whole time) or you could just plug in the Ethernet cable and be done with it in 5 seconds."
reply

anon @ 26th Aug 10:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

To very honest.. since my install on Friday.. I have been downloading using BearShare... No issues at all.. I have also been playing Battlefield 2, company of heroes in addition to my little bro playing also on the lan on another computer. No issues..

The only issue I have is the wireless router does not have the distance like my dlink... im talking about going from my 2nd floor to my lower floor diaganol... So its not that bad...

I dont think this is necessary at this point
reply

sangreal @ 27th Aug 02:20PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by MPSAN :

Hello all...I get FIOS Tuesday, Aug 28.
I now have Comcast and a large home network. My router is 192.168.123.254 and my "stuff" is using 192.168.123.1 thru 20 (with 3 replaytv's on fixed ip (1 thru3) and a print server at .20 as well.

Someone said I can do the same but if I do, when I get FIOS TV, I will have to go back to 192.168.1.xxx has anyone been OK with their own scheme as I have? In fact I even want to turn off their Wireless and still use my WRT54GS as a WAP as I do now.

TIA

P.S. I use Eudora and XNews...I sure do not want Verizon messing with my system ie: I don't need no stinkin software!

Is email still incoming.verizon.net, SMTP outgoing.verizon.net and NEWS (NNTP) news.verizon.net?

Are these region specific as I am in Portland, OR.

TIA

You can continue using the Linksys as your router, and you shouldn't have issues with your IP scheme. My STBs are on 192.168.3.x while the rest of my devices are 192.168.0.x
reply

MPSAN @ 27th Aug 02:35PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by sangreal :

You can continue using the Linksys as your router, and you shouldn't have issues with your IP scheme. My STBs are on 192.168.3.x while the rest of my devices are 192.168.0.x

Great. I think I will let them use the 1.1 default and change my setup. Otherwise, I can try using my existing 123.xxx scheme.
reply

dalesd @ 29th Aug 07:50AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks OP!

It didn't work for me the first time through. Apparently the Actiontek was giving my Linksys an IP of 192.168.1.3. After troubleshoting that for a while, I just reset it to factory defaults and went through it again. The second time through I notice a few more places where I had to hit "Apply". Now it's working great.
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bhampel @ 6th Sep 12:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'm a subscriber of the FiOS Verizon Business Level Service, which includes 5 static IP addresses. I'm using the ActionTec MI424-WR configured as a router. In addition, I have NAT working with the port forwarding to successfully route incoming traffic from each one of my 5 public static IPs to the appropriate server on my internal network.

However, I'd like to route the outgoing internet (e.g. port 80/443) traffic to one of my 5 public static IP of my choice. Right now, it appears all outgoing traffic is using the first public IP in the series. Does any have any suggestion on how to configure the ActionTec MI424-WR in order to specify which IP to use for outgoing internet traffic?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Brian
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aaronwt @ 14th Sep 02:58PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by cb9fl :

How does the Actiontec handle VOD and guide information after the update?

I contacted Verizon support regarding a bandwidth issue and was told the STBs use a seperate pipe for VOD and guide info through the Actiontec. They have a 30/5 connection completely seperate from my 20/5 connection. If the main internet connection is being handled by a 3rd party router with an connection going from that router to the Actiontec, won't the entire pipe come from the 20/5 connection, and not from the VOD pipe?

Here's the setup:

ONT --Coax-> BuffaloDDWRT(through bridged Actiontec) --Port1-> Actiontec Ethernet WAN

Is VOD and guide seperated from my internet connection like it should be or is it sucking up my bandwidth?

Mine must be set up differently. I was told that I only have a 30mbs total connection to the ONT which is also what tier I'm on. Whether I have the ONT connected to the Actiontec or my own router, I will take a 4 or 5 mbs hit when using VOD.
The main difference is my router does a better job of splitting the bandwidth between devices, but even with only 1 pC and the STB, witt either router connected diretly to the ONT, I lose 4 to 5 mbs of download bandwidth.
Is this something I should contact Verizon about? I know intially they had to change the ONT configuration since it was only set for 30/2 when I was suppsoed to have the 30/5 tier and they had to spend time trying to change the configuration.
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anon @ 23rd Sep 03:33PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok, I have converted the Actiontec to a bridge and all seems to work so-so. I am using a Linksys WRT54G v8 and it seems like I am losing some speed, not much but hey perception right. Anyway, I tried to undo the changes (ie: put the Actiontec back in router mode) and it does not seem to want to revert. Does anyone know the proper steps I can take to reset the Actiontec MI424WR to router mode so that it recieves a DHCP address from Verizon? Thanks in advance.
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HD_Ride @ 24th Sep 07:26AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by sats4life :

I tried to undo the changes (ie: put the Actiontec back in router mode) and it does not seem to want to revert. Does anyone know the proper steps I can take to reset the Actiontec MI424WR to router mode so that it recieves a DHCP address from Verizon?

Use the Advanced tab and select Restore Defaults
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anon @ 26th Sep 02:36AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Tried that... but it still acts as a bridge. Is there there a method doing the hard reset? Hold for some length of time and or turning on/off?
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HD_Ride @ 26th Sep 07:26AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I never had to reset mine.. I know what you are asking, you what to know if you hold the reset while powering-it-up, or if pressing the reset button alone will do it. I assume you tried the reset and it didn't work, try holding the reset while powering-it-up, continue to hold it for a few extra seconds and see if the LED(s) give you some indication, if it don’t work you could always call Verizon.
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uberwurst @ 30th Sep 03:27AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

19 Sept 2007: FiOS installed, supplied with Actiontec router using MoCA

27 Sept 2007: I successfully configured my Actiontec as a bridge with this guide, and my router (WRT54GL with latest DD-WRT) retrieved an IP address within seconds of being connected.

A few things I did that DaDrgon did not mention or specify:

Network (Home/Office)

IP Address Distribution

DHCP Relay

Thanks to jeff for the tip

Verizon

As a final note: I'd been using the Actiontec as my primary router for about a week during which I had time to give it real world (anecdotal) stress tests by going about my everyday business.
I'm a HEAVY bit torrent user, alway seeing =>50 torrents, often downloading a dozen at a time, and with settings of 1200 max connections and 250 connections per torrent. The Actiontec had no problem establishing and sustaining the many connections. Speeds were fast and sustained, and peer connections were swiftly made and unhampered by NAT errors, even when left on for several days. In checking the logs over my week of usage I saw one single NAT table full error, despite the router being subjected to the heaviest of usage (3 connected computers running ventrilo, various games, bit torrent, etc.)
On switching to the WRT54GL with DD-WRT an instant diminishing of speed was noticed in bit torrent, and in general internet use when stress was put on the connection. In bit torrent the router is slow to attain peer connections and as a result downloading in general was perceptibly slower. Apparently the thing lacks the processing power to handle so many connections at once. I really cannot recommend these routers as a replacement for the one provided by Verizon.
I'll be switching back to the Actiontec soon, until I find the time/motivation to setup an old box as a linux router.
--
Criticism is a misconception: we must read not to understand others but to understand ourselves.
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anon @ 30th Sep 02:29PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

uberwurst,

Where did you get v4.0.16.1.55.0.10.4? When I go to the link at verizon
»www2.verizon.net/micro/actiontec···ntec.asp

and download the file. When opened up I get version v4.0.16.1.45.160.27.

Does anyone have a link for v4.0.16.1.55.0.10.4?
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uberwurst @ 30th Sep 09:16PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

This is the file I got directly from the verizon site:

»www.sendspace.com/file/hnioyp
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anon @ 30th Sep 10:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks for the file. The verizon link downloads version v4.0.16.1.45.160.27 for me.
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uberwurst @ 30th Sep 11:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Rookie87: I downloaded that file Friday, September 21, 2007, 7:21:04 PM from that exact address. Maybe they pulled that firmware version from the site (in the short interlude between then and now) for a reason?... I haven't had any problems with v4.0.16.1.55.0.10.4 so far.

I recently switched my Actiontec from bridge to normal router functionality. Some notes on the process:

After directly connecting the Actiontec to my PC I reset the router to default settings, restarted, and waited for it to retrieve and IP. The router hung: trying, failing, and retrying to retrieve an IP. I called tech support, he had me turn off the router while he "reset the lease" for me. That did the trick.

I asked him:
"What can I do in the future to solve this issue without calling a tech?"
"Wait about 20 minutes."
--
Criticism is a misconception: we must read not to understand others but to understand ourselves.
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anon @ 3rd Oct 07:59PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

uberwurst, Thanks for the extra information. I'm not sure if I will setup in bridge mode or not. Right now, I can hang the router using CounterStrikeSources Server browser as it finds more than 1000 servers and thus I get the NAT table full problem.

I would be curious to know if you down load the same link if you still get v4.0.16.1.55.0.10.4. Maybe different parts of the country get different versions. I'm Dallas, TX.
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Wraith1283 @ 4th Oct 03:03PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thank you guys so much for this guide. I now have my Dlink Router hooked up as my main router and my Actiontec pos is acting as a bridge. Im so happy as I have no more problems connecting to play Counter Strike or any other game for that matter. Thanks again guys!

P.S. I have no speed losses by using this technique of connecting I constantly get 19.6 down and 4.6 up. I am very pleased that my connection isnt being hampered by the crappy Actiontec Router anymore.
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TheYoshi @ 4th Oct 09:18PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok, I've read this thread and several others and I *think* I know what I need to do to get things working using my own router and still having fiostv VOD, etc. I'd greatly appreciate any feedback one way or the other on this.

I was able to get a Verizon guy in my neighborhood to give me a NIM100 he had sitting around on the truck, so my plan is to have Verizon enable the Ethernet port on my ONT and then plug my own router directly into that. Then I will plug the NIM into one of the router's local jacks and then connect the IN coax port on the NIM to the coax line in my house (pre-splitter) and the OUT coas port on the NIM into the coax port on the ONT. As I understand it this will serve MoCa IP to the STBs in my house but filter IP from going back into the coax on the ONT.

So my setup would look like this

                        |----computers
                        |
ONT---cat5---ROUTER----NIM100---NIM coax OUT---Splitter---STBs
  |                                     |
  |                               NIM coax IN
  |                                     |
coax----------------------------|

Thanks so much for all the detail you guys have put into this thread, I'm really hoping this is right but I'm not 100% sure so I'm looking forward to any responses you can provide.
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xNBKxZ3r0 @ 10th Oct 11:56AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Wow I don't even have fiber layed out here yet and all that coax and ethernet to the ONT stuff. I can't wait for fiber now, I'll make sure that I have a bottle of excedrin ready. Thanks for this post at least if I do run into any problems I know which form to go to. The info that is provided here has tons of details that will help me with my FIOS when that time comes. Hoping for it by the end of the year if not the beginning of next year.
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markrsmith83 @ 10th Oct 06:20PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Here's a quick note (it took an hour to straighten out after I got this wrong).

Let the technician do his tests on your computer BEFORE you reconfigure the router. His tests assume the default setup and will fail if you make the router a bridge first.
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anon @ 11th Oct 04:29PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have 2 mi424wrs. I want one connected to my main pc (router 192.168.1.1 and pc 192.168.1.15)..then I want the other actiontec in another room to act as a wireless bridge (ip for that one would be 192.168.1.250 and it would have 2 pcs and an xbox 360)... I tried to use the original instructions but they arent seeing each other. Any help... my email is cwhiteh2@gmail.com

thanks
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anon @ 13th Oct 08:13AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

What am I missing here in all of this?

Verizon just installed FIOS with AT, coax to STP and the AT.
I connected my AXBS to AT, lan-to-lan, in bridge mode (the AXBS, plus two AX's have IPs, self-assigned by the AT, as 192.168.1.x, with the AXBS as 192.168.1.6, e.g.). I used the airport utility in manual mode to set up, ignoring warning about leave DNS blank. I left the AT wireless on, but also have the AXBS wireless on, but use this AXBS network, with the two AX's for internet, airtunes, printing throughout the house.

EVERYTHING works perfectly on each side. VOD, PPV, guide.
What am I missing in all of this discussion? Seriously, Im ignorant about this and am worried I am doing something very wrong. Thanks for enlightening a newbie here.
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anon @ 17th Oct 07:45PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

FYI - One of the things I found missing from the above instructions, which directly impacted the ability for VOD and the Guide to function, was to change the Coax network to 192.168.1.x. By default, when following the steps previously outlined, the Coax network ended up with 192.168.3.x. While I initially thought things were functioning, the next day I lost my guide and VOD capabilities.

There must be something hardcoded to 192.168.1 in the set top boxes.

This change seems to have fixed things for now.

Thanks to everyone in this thread who contributed - I was having an awful time trying to deal with the NAT Connection pool limit.

Cheers!
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freejak13 @ 22nd Oct 12:41PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I was able to set up the actiontec as a bridge and get an airport extreme working behind it but could not get VoD nor did port forwarding work. If you set the coax network to 192.168.1.x then I assume you would need to set the airport lan to something else (192.168.0.x)?

Also, based on some other posts am I correct in assuming that I need to connect a cable from an airport lan port to the actiontec ethernet wan?

Were you able to also get port forwarding working with your setup? If so, can you describe it in detail?

Thanks!
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uberwurst @ 22nd Oct 06:16PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

There should be a separate thread for folks using FiOS alone and FiOS with TV, the clutter is just about unbearable in this thread for users uninterested in either one ('just internet' or 'internet and TV').
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avguser @ 22nd Oct 07:01PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hello. I just had FIOS TV connected and my VZ Dlink Router was replaced with the ActionTec MI424 Rev C device. My son's Xbox is in for repair but is due back in two days. I started reading this thread in anticipation of getting the Xbox back. As the poster above me stated, this thread has gotten very large and unwieldy. It's hard to make out fact/fiction. But, I will continue the thread. :)

1. I emailed Actiontec web support over the weekend. Here is their reply: "Currently we're seeing an increase in calls with XBOX wireless connections with the MI424 router that has Rev C on the back of the unit. This issue is under review and once a solution is found you can contact Verizon support for an upgrade to your MI424 firmware.
I do not know when this update will become available."

2. I also called VZ tech support. I said that I was calling for an update on the problem since I was expecting the Xbox in a couple days and wanted to start prepping for work-arounds/fixes. The tech I spoke to told me that he was aware of a supposed problem, but that he has many customers that use Xbox Wirelessly with the ActionTec.

3. I mentioned DSLR and said that this is a pretty reliable source of info. I also noted that I had an email from the router vendor that nore or less confirmed a problem. I stated that DSLR has a long thread with the issue. There is suppsoed info from both VZ and AT of the problem. Still, the tech added that he has many customers using the Actiontec and Xbox successfully.

Is anyone able to use the RvC router with the Wireless Xbox adapter? I could not see if this was stated above?
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anon @ 24th Oct 11:54AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I've had the same problem experienced by some in this thread. I have FIOS triple play with MoCA ONT and coax feed to my Actiontec router. Initially I had FIOS Internet only, using my own Linksys wireless router, and had no problem for months. When I added FIOS TV Verizon required I use their Actiontec router. Since then I have repeated intermittent connectivity problems with my Internet service. Several times per week all IP devices in my home lose Internet access (PCs, Xbox), whether wired (CAT-5) or wireless. Power-cycling the Actiontec temporarily resolved the problem. This week, after dozens of previous attempts over the last 5 mos., including replacing the ONT, router and cable feed between them, I gave Verizon one last attempt to resolve the problem. It's only been ~36 hrs. but apparently the problem has been resolved. I'm not sure exactly what the fix was because a number of changes were made by the Field Tech working with the Network Group over the phone. Two major changes were: 1) Firmware on the Actiontec was updated to the latest ver. (can't tell you the latest ver. because I'm @work and don't have access to the router), and 2) every coax cable in my house, including all to the STB's, was visually inspected and tested for errors/signal loss. Apparently according the Network Group @Verizon, coax runs to the STB's with errors/loss can interfere with the Actiontec. The Field tech replaced one coax cable that had two severe twists, as well as a couple of coax cable end-connectors that appear to have been causing minor errors/loss. So, to this point I'm fixed. If these two changes indeed resolved my problem, I have to say that I'm surprised at the overall fragility of the installation.
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Yostix @ 28th Oct 03:21PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by uberwurst :

There should be a separate thread for folks using FiOS alone and FiOS with TV, the clutter is just about unbearable in this thread for users uninterested in either one ('just internet' or 'internet and TV').

I agree. I can't decipher which is a cat5 install and which is the MoCA coax install for TV and Internet.

I cannot get my VOD and the guide after I change the coax router to a bridge and using my old WRT54G as the router.
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anon @ 1st Nov 05:55PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

The problem with using another router is that the set top boxes need a certain ip address range and that range is determined by the Vendor Class Identifier (Option 60) function in conjunction with the QoS setting. QoS makes sure that the set top boxes (or any device) will always have a guaranteed bandwidth no matter how much downloading is done. Option 60 looks at the vendor class header and if it sees IP-STB, it will allocate an ip address in a specified range.
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danclan @ 1st Nov 06:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

They can use any dhcp address you provide them with nor do you need any QOS.

right now im using 10.400.x.x and without any QOS as are several of my neighbors some of whom are bridged to their private router
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anon @ 2nd Nov 02:18PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

The guide will work fine but when downloading a large torrent and try VOD, u will notice skipping and pauses or a pixellazation of a sort
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coold8 @ 3rd Nov 12:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Alright guys,

Here is my current configuration:

20/20 and Fios TV w/ constant use of VOD.

I have my ONT which plugs into my MI424-WR by Ethernet to the WAN port. Then I have my coax go from the router into the splitters and go out to the rest of the house. I need to keep Video on Demand but plug the fios right into my router. Please explain how to have this done! Thanks.

-Dave
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sxotty @ 9th Nov 02:26PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have a very strange problem.

When I go to enter the password it puts in random characters.
This is in Vista
Happens in IE and Firefox both

Like I enter
user: admin
password:password but it changes it to pppaaas
or if I paste it from notepad it changes to
passwor and it always deletes the last letter like that. Any ideas of how to fix this?

I have a dlink dir-655 just sitting here and I figured I would use it since it has great reviews.

I know it has something to do with javascript but not how to fix it.

Further checking indicates the problem is effecting my xp machine as well...
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sxotty @ 9th Nov 03:15PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok I just found out I am retarded. They make it show a random number of stars to confuse someone trying to break in...

That makes no sense.
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anon @ 9th Nov 09:50PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have a hard time to set up port forwarding on the ActionTec router to allow RDP over http. Since I only can connect coax cable to the ActionTec, I guess I have to use the first post to turn this router into a network bridge. Does anyone have problem configuring port forwarding?

Mike
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Teasip @ 10th Nov 09:35PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I've tried this all day today and can't get the DVR's to allow for PPV/VOD. I ran my PPPoE Cat5 from the wall plate to the WAN on the DLink, then ran a LAN cable to the WAN of the AT. I went to My Network, Network Connections, then Network (Home/Office) which shows "bridge" connection type, selected "Obtain IP address automatically", then rebooted the boxes to no avail. I would get a quick flash screen then VOD error 5 I believe it was. I had the coax out from the AT to the wall plate going to the switch as it normally is. Once I returned everything to the AT all was fine but I would like to go without the AT except for video (assuming I don't make the jump to TiVo which doesn't appear to be without its' own issues).
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Hooper @ 13th Nov 11:48PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I followed Sidney's instructional video a while back, and everything has been working smoothly.

I added a NIM to give myself a hard wired ethernet port in another room thanks to the MoCA capabilities. Problem is the device behind the NIM is pulling a 192.168.3.x IP. It can access the internet fine, but I am unable to connect to it from my other computers from the 192.168.1.x ip range.

I can ping 192.168.3.1 fine from my 192.168.1.x computers, but I can not ping anything else on that netblock.

Any thoughts on how I can access those computers on the 192.168.3.x network?

TIA
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danclan @ 14th Nov 09:29AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Phybertek :

The guide will work fine but when downloading a large torrent and try VOD, u will notice skipping and pauses or a pixellazation of a sort

not at all if your router supports enough connections. I've never had any issues and i have 30/5. The only impact i have ever seen is now with HD VOD finally impacting me.

Otherwise i can dl at max speed and no impact on my tv experience.
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RolteC @ 15th Nov 12:57AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Can someone please help me understand why we should make this a network bridge and not just remove it from the picture completely?

What purpose does it serve being in the middle?
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Teasip @ 15th Nov 07:26AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

It would function as a NIM for TV (which is what I'm trying to use it for and can't get it successfully configured).
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danclan @ 15th Nov 09:05AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by RolteC :

Can someone please help me understand why we should make this a network bridge and not just remove it from the picture completely?

What purpose does it serve being in the middle?

because unless your personal router has MOCA or you have ethernet connectivity already to the ONT you need it to perform the MOCA to ethernet bridging to connect to the internet.

MOCA: Multimedia over coax. Its essentially a standard to allow coax to handle all wiring needs given that most existing homes and even new homes are only wired for power, water, cable and phone. Ethernet isnt on most builders radar. So the MOCA standard allows for IP networks to utilize existing coax cabling. This actually makes Verizon and others lives easier given that virtually all homes have coax today and coax located in most rooms making locating the actiontec router a snap.

If more home routers would incorporate a MOCA port I bet you would see significant improvement in the Actiontec firmware and more folks actually considering using it. The hardware really isnt the issue...its really cruddy firmware.

If linksys(cisco) or dlink would make a moca router id consider it. Even better if they made one that had similar firmware features as DD-WRT id be all over that......im ranting now arnt i.....
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RolteC @ 15th Nov 10:54AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Uh, I only have 20/20 and the ethernet from the ONT connected at full duplex 100MBit, so why would anyone need faster? Ok, so since i dont use MOCA then this doesnt apply to me. Thank you for making me understand.
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danclan @ 15th Nov 11:39AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by RolteC :

Uh, I only have 20/20 and the ethernet from the ONT connected at full duplex 100MBit, so why would anyone need faster? Ok, so since i dont use MOCA then this doesnt apply to me. Thank you for making me understand.

You would likely need faster if say like me you are on 30/5 and are trying to watch HD VOD as the vod sucks away your available bandwidth...

the moca also currently allows verizons tv stb's to pull guide and vod. Without a MOCA bridge (NIM or Action) you can't currently get guide data or vod services, or widget data.
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RolteC @ 15th Nov 04:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Really.... I dont get it then, only because its not available for me yet(fiostv), but how does it work, I am currently using my cisco 851w as my router and it works just fine.

But I also see a coax connection on the bottom of my ONT, and it says MOCA/Video.

So what happens, do they directly connect a cable box to that connection? or does it have to be ethernet to the tv and then converted there? Please enlighten me on how this all works and if that actiontec router really has to be used. And you also mention it uses your current bandwidth when watching tv? uh, I wouldnt like that...
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danclan @ 16th Nov 07:37AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

if you currently have ethernet internet service they would most likely install a NIM which would connect to an ethernet port on your existing router and tie in to your coax plant. The NIM will do the bridging and nothing else would need to change on your network.

Its my understanding that when streaming vod they boost the network downstream temporarily to 30mbps to accomodate the VOD and to (for most folks) eliminate impact on internet services.

This is true for a very very large swath of users...i bet those of us with 30/5 are in the minority and a very tiny one at that....
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marbat @ 23rd Nov 11:29PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'm having issues getting my VOD, Guide, and Widgets working.

I have a Tomato powered Buffalo router in front of the ethernet (non Coax) fed network, with the AT set up to not distribute any IP's to the STB connected to it. I can see through Tomato that the STB gets an IP from the Buffalo, but then the menus and guides never seem to update.

Any thoughts? Someone posted a more complicated solution a few pages back, but as far as I can tell, that's for people who have the Coax type of ONT, I'm 90% sure I have the ethernet.
--
My PC
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Teasip @ 23rd Nov 11:47PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ethernet to router. LAN router to LAN Actiontec. On Actiontec disable DHCP and set to "Do not obtain IP" in Network (Home/Office) Settings (bottom of page). Reboot the STB(s) and you should be good to go. I went back solely to the AT today since I kept having connection issues with the Internet portion with my old DLink 624 (set to WPA-PSK) and AT for the Guide/VOD portion (this part was working fine).
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marbat @ 24th Nov 12:15AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Wait, LAN of the Buffalo to LAN of the AT? Shouldn't it go to the WAN of the AT?

Looking at this picture:

»/r0/download/1···fice.jpg

If I set the Broadband Connection (Ethernet) to disabled like in the picture, I can't even ping the STB or AT from Tomato or another computer. If I enable it, I can. This is assuming AT's WAN is the correct port to patch the Buffalo's LAN into.

Wow, that's what I get for thinking I know better than you guys ;) It is LAN to LAN (why? I don't know) for anyone else having issues, and it works now. Thank you everyone!
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Teasip @ 24th Nov 12:02PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'd be interested to know whether or not you have any wireless drop issues, assuming that you utilize a wireless setup.
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anon @ 24th Nov 02:19PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I tried the steps that are at the start of the thread but i couldn't get an ip address unless i set my WRT54GX2 to clone the coax broadband MAC address, and setup dhcp relay. Now i have an ip address but i cant get out to the web! I tried pinging the public IP the router was getting no go, tried the gateway, no go, tried the dns server no go. I have the linksys hooked up to a normal port on the actiontec and wan on it. Any suggestions?

Also to let anything thinking of asking actiontec or verizon to help you, don't. They'll just say you can't do it, or they dont support it. I had a length talk with someone that said they helped develop the actiontec router for verizon, and verizon specifically told them to take out bridging. Alot he knows since everyone still seems to be able to bridge it.
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marbat @ 24th Nov 07:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I only use my modded PSP on WiFi, which is only B spec. No drops so far. Any router running Tomato will have fantastic wireless, I just prefer Buffalo because it comes with a high-gain antenna, and it cost me $30 on Black Friday ;)

Speedtests from »myspeed.visualware.com are pulling 20.7mbps/4.7mbps, so I'm in perfect shape. Now, for that 20/20 upgrade...

For anyone interested, while running VOD, I am granted extra bandwidth, so there is no need for QOS.

My Buffalo claims that max throughput is 25362.46 kbit/s (3096.00 KB/s) download, and 4918.32 kbit/s (600.38 KB/s) upload. The extra 5 mbit/s kicks in only during VOD and while running a speed test to myspeed.
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alages @ 26th Nov 03:23PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have the coax MOCA coming from the ONT to the Actiontec, two STB's for FiOS TV. The wireless quite simply sucks, so I'd like to pass the internet connection through to a D-Link 655. Ideally I'd like this connection to be completely unaltered so that the DL655 does all the routing/wireless/IP's for the internet side of things, but leave the FiOS TV to the Actiontec. If the Actiontec handles any routing of internet traffic, that kind of defeats the point because then I'm getting crappy traffic still (is that possible?).

Can anyone please either explain the correct settings to use for this configuration or a link to the correct post from this thread that explains how to get it done? Thanks for your guidance.
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alages @ 28th Nov 01:44PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Bump. The FIOS guy is here. Any suggestions? Please.

said by alages :

I have the coax MOCA coming from the ONT to the Actiontec, two STB's for FiOS TV. The wireless quite simply sucks, so I'd like to pass the internet connection through to a D-Link 655. Ideally I'd like this connection to be completely unaltered so that the DL655 does all the routing/wireless/IP's for the internet side of things, but leave the FiOS TV to the Actiontec. If the Actiontec handles any routing of internet traffic, that kind of defeats the point because then I'm getting crappy traffic still (is that possible?).

Can anyone please either explain the correct settings to use for this configuration or a link to the correct post from this thread that explains how to get it done? Thanks for your guidance.

rtwilliamsjr @ 30th Nov 08:09PM:
will this work?

I am in the process of preparing myself for FIOS TV. At this time I do not use the AT, since I have a Cisco 1841 terminating a VPN tunnel to my work. Here is what I did. I plugged my computer into the AT and logged and changed the Broadband connection to 192.168.1.3 with 192.168.1.1 as the GW. I changed the ethernet side to 192.168.1.2. I then created a subinterface fa0/1.10 on the Cisco with 192.168.1.1 as the address. I put that vlan on my switch as a dot1q trunk. I then plugged one end of an ethernet cable into the AT WAN port and the other end into a port on my switch that is set to the proper vlan of 10.

ATWAN(192.168.1.3)---CISCO2950---CISCO1841(192.168.1.1)

I would think this would work. I get a green light from the AT on the admin page. I'm not new to networking, but I am new to FIOS TV and how it works when using your own router. Where will the STB gets there IP from? I did not turn off the DHCP server on the AT since I don't have the AT lan port plugged into my network. I was thinking that they could get them from the AT, is that true?

Thanks for any help
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anon @ 3rd Dec 10:57AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Just got fios tv, internet and phone installed on Firday. Asked the tech to set it up for ethernet not moca. He plugged the ethernet cable that he ran into my dlink 655 and the internet worked right away. He then installed the actiontech router so I would get the program guide, menu, etc. This is the part that doesn't work. No menus or guides on any of the TV's. Since I already have ethernet and not moca is there an easy way to set this up so that my dlink 655 can be first and the actiontech second and the menus and VOD will work?

Thanks
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Dnepr @ 3rd Dec 11:51AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

For CAT5E connected people:

It works in following way:

ONT -> WAN of Linksys : LAN of Linksys -> WAN of Actiontec

Coax -> Actiontec obviously.

For this to work you need to set Linksys default IP to something like 192.168.20.20 last two numbers being important here, so it doesnt overlap with ATs default
IP.

Nothing else needs to be changed, VOD and Guide will both be working.
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anon @ 3rd Dec 12:11PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

So I need to put my router on another subnet?
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anon @ 3rd Dec 12:16PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Also, which router will be giving the STB's their DHCP address? Do I leave both DHCP servers enabled?

Thanks
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bram @ 5th Dec 03:16PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I've read/skimmed this entire thread in preparation for my upcoming Fios TV install. I've had data only for about a year now, which worked flawlessly with my Netgear router, but of course I had an RJ45 ethernet to work with. I will ask the tech to preserve my ethernet, but it sounds like this is hit or miss.

The one thing I haven't seen posted in this thread or elsewhere is whether any special ports need to be opened on the non-Verizon router for the STBs? If not, how can Verizon push things like software updates and diagnostics to the STBs? This would apply whether I wind up on coax using the Actiontec as a bridge or stay with my current Cat5 and use the LAN ports on the Actiontec as a glorified NIM, since in either case it is my router, not Verizon's, which is the barrier between the STBs and the outside world. I do see that QOS in favor of the STBs is not necessary, although I may set it up anyway, as my router supports it and it can't hurt.

So, any port forwarding needed? Thanks in advance for the replies.
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anon @ 5th Dec 05:20PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I tried following the guide, but I screwed somethign up somewhere so i reset to default settings.

What I realized is i'm connected through PPOE not through MoCA, for both tv and internet. But I see a coax cable on back of my AT also.

Any Tips and advice for how to find out what the PPOE user/pw is on the actiontech?

It seems default because after i reset it including downgrade to firmware
username:verizon
pw:*******
only need to know what that default ***** is
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anon @ 5th Dec 05:21PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Username is actually:verizonfios
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nostrum09 @ 7th Dec 10:13AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I finally found the time to run a Cat5e cable from my ONT inside my house and had Verizon turn on the ethernet port. I was originally provisioned for Coax, since I signed up for Internet/TV/Phone in March of this year, and at the time I didn't realize what issues I would run into. After seeing the relative ease of setting the Actiontec as a bridge when your connection is ethernet versus coax, I decided to run the ethernet cable. Last night I setup a Buffalo WHR-G125 router running DD-WRT as my main router and turned the Actiontec into a bridge.

At first I was having issues with the STBs getting the IPG or VOD, even though I could see that they had pulled IPs (I did remember to unplug/plug them in and waited about 20 minutes before checking). At the time, I had the Actiontec as 192.168.1.2 and my Buffalo as 192.168.1.1, with a cable going from the Buffalo LAN to the Actiontec WAN.

I then tried switching the IPs (making the Actiontec 192.168.1.1 and the Buffalo 192.168.1.2) and powercycled the STBs, waited, and still nothing.

Finally, I made the connection from the Buffalo LAN to the Actiontec LAN, powercycled the STBs and waited, and the IPG and VOD started working. As a plus, I can access both the Buffalo and Actiontec admin menus w/o having to connect directly to the Actiontec and assigning a (temporary) static IP to whichever computer is connected.

I haven't yet tested VOD while doing serious downloading, but assuming that this setup works for me, I think I'll keep it, even if they release a firmware update to fix the Actiontec NAT issues. I've never run a router with custom firmware until now (based on all the people on here mentioning the success they have had!), but after seeing DD-WRT and all of the controls and monitoring functions, I don't think I want to go back.

As a guide, here's how the final connection looked:

ONT==(Cat5e)==>Buffalo==(LAN to LAN)==>Actiontec as Bridge==(Coax)==>House Coax System
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vtrusty @ 22nd Dec 11:54AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Nostrum09, I have the same setup. I have 2 questions for you.

1. Did you disable the DHCP of the Actiontec?
2. You didnt put your Actiontec in bridge mode, did you?

Thanks for the feedback!
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anon @ 31st Dec 01:42AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

when I get the login screen, I can't type in the password with out 2 extra dots apearing, and that default username stuff isn't working
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rtwilliamsjr @ 2nd Jan 07:49AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Does anyone know what IP range the AT hands out for the STB? When I first got my AT it was running the older firmware which had a separate range for the STB. Now I don't see that with the Verizon branded firmware.

TIA
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anon @ 5th Jan 02:27AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I just had FiOS installed here in Southern California, very disappointing to find that I cannot have a direct Ethernet connection to my own router.

I ordered FiOS Internet, TV, and phone. I asked the tech numerous times if I could get the Ethernet connection direct to my own router, and use the coax for TV only, he said that he did not know a way to do that.

I work in the computer industry professionally and know the problems that occur with low-quality routers; not to mention that I have my own router configured exactly how I want it. I NEED a public IP address direct to my own router. I tried configuring the ActionTec router to bridged mode, but now my on-demand movie services don't work.

I plan on giving Verizon a choice to figure out a solution for me, or loose my business for the TV service. Quite ridiculous they didn't implement the coax port of the ONT to provide all the services directly to the set top boxes. I would hate to see what a small business who orders all three services would have to go through.
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Teasip @ 5th Jan 08:22AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

After you made the connections did you re-boot the boxes (STB)?
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furiomoca @ 6th Jan 11:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Great thread - I've read a lot of it and after viewing the video I noticed one glaring difference between my setup and the setup in the video. My "Ethernet" interface is a member of the "Network (Home/Office)" subgroup - it's not sitting by itself underneath the rule name. Is that a show-stopper? For the record, I had FIOS Internet only and then upgraded to FIOS TV. I had the AT in bridge mode working flawlessly but now I can't get the guide data downloaded to the boxes. Along those lines, are there supposed to be 2 VLANs configured, or just 1? I wish all of the information was in one place but at least a few people here have it working - I'm not giving up!
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d60pdp @ 7th Jan 10:07PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks for a detail and helpful guide. I have succeeded in setup my AT (Rev. D) as a bridge and use D-Link DIR-655 as an wireless router. I am now able to play 720p HiDef media files wireless in the living room, from an Infrant ReadyNAS NV+ in my den. The TV guide is also working. Great!
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furiomoca @ 7th Jan 11:51PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by d60pdp :

Thanks for a detail and helpful guide. I have succeeded in setup my AT (Rev. D) as a bridge and use D-Link DIR-655 as an wireless router. I am now able to play 720p HiDef media files wireless in the living room, from an Infrant ReadyNAS NV+ in my den. The TV guide is also working. Great!

Which part of the instructions in this thread have you followed? Can you supply any screenshots? Are your STBs using IP addresses that have been distributed in the default settings (192.168.1.x)? Thanks in advance!
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tshinds @ 8th Jan 07:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I need some help -- I turned my Actiontec into a bridge after I got it because of it's lack of connection w/my xbox. I used my Linksys wrt54gs v7.5 as the router and thanks worked pretty well. We started to notice that the Linksys isn't keep up w/the throughput when we moved upto 15/2 service (we get barely 5/2 at the wireless computer, but get 16/2 when we wire it to the back of the Linksys). The long and short of it, is that I want to try and turn the router back into a fully functional router now that the 360 patch works, but like an idiot forgot to save a config file when I made the first changes. Reverse engineering the instructions from the bridge don't seem to be getting me anywhere. (although I did save a config file this time to get me back to the bridge in case of emergency). Has anyone seen any instructions for getting it back to the router? Or a config file somewhere that will do the trick? thanks for your help
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furiomoca @ 8th Jan 07:38PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

your best bet is to restore the Actiontec back to factory defaults and then start over. You can do that by pressing the reset button for 10 seconds.
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d60pdp @ 8th Jan 09:16PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by furiomoca :

Which part of the instructions in this thread have you followed?

The first post of DaDrgon. I have also read a few other related posts, but the OP's post is almost a complete guidance.

said by furiomoca :

Can you supply any screenshots? Are your STBs using IP addresses that have been distributed in the default settings (192.168.1.x)? Thanks in advance!

My 3 STBs using IPs: 192.168.1.100; ...101; ...102 while my home network (wired and wireless) using IPs from DIR-655 192.168.0.xxx.

IPs from Actiontec
IPs from DIR-655

furiomoca @ 9th Jan 04:48PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks for the screenshots. I had to alter the OP's procedure because it didn't quite work for me, which is very odd - you would think it would work for everyone, but one of the things I noticed was that the "Ethernet" interface is under the categroy of "Home Network". It's not sitting by itself like in the video. Is that the same for you? Did you follow SydneySM's instructions for getting the TV guide? I may restore back to factory defaults and try it again for the 1000th time. One of the big things that I have not been able to determine is how many VLANs have to be configured in the AT. According to one post, it's 2, and there are little to no instructions. According to the directions in other posts, it's only one. The other thing I can't figure out is how the AT automatically creates the 192.168.2.0 network after the VLAN is set up. Argh.

Edit: The other setting that I made that's not in the OP is to change the DHCP distribution setting to DHCP relay.
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floepie @ 10th Jan 10:59PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

For those of you who have only coax (not ethernet) from the ONT and wish to use your own router to provide all the functionality of routing, DHCP'ing, etc as in the original post AND you have FIOS TV service, you might want to give this a try:

Follow all directions in the OP. Make sure you have your router's WAN port connected to the Actiontec's LAN port to use it as a bridge. You can then connect one of your router's LAN ports with the WAN port of the Actiontec. Quite simply, you then create ANOTHER bridge in the Actiontec, bridging the Broadband Connection (Ethernet) with "coax" (not the Broadband Connection (coax)). In this circular way, you will have 2 bridges within the Actiontec. But, you would have to create this bridge in the config page in the actiontec.

The first one bridges the Broadband Connection (coax) with "Ethernet". The second one bridges the Broadband Connection (Ethernet) with "Coax". You will then be able to have your cake and eat it too.
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Hooper @ 10th Jan 11:03PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by floepie :

For those of you who have only coax (not ethernet) from the ONT and wish to use your own router to provide all the functionality of routing, DHCP'ing, etc as in the original post AND you have FIOS TV service, you might want to give this a try:

Follow all directions in the OP. Make sure you have your router's WAN port connected to the Actiontec's LAN port to use it as a bridge. You can then connect one of your router's LAN ports with the WAN port of the Actiontec. Quite simply, you then create ANOTHER bridge in the Actiontec, bridging the Broadband Connection (Ethernet) with "coax" (not the Broadband Connection (coax)). In this circular way, you will have 2 bridges within the Actiontec. But, you would have to create this bridge in the config page in the actiontec.

The first one bridges the Broadband Connection (coax) with "Ethernet". The second one bridges the Broadband Connection (Ethernet) with "Coax". You will then be able to have your cake and eat it too.

I am completely confused on how this differs from SidneySM's video. What does it accomplish over and above his technique?
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floepie @ 10th Jan 11:24PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Huh, well, someone beat me to it it seems. My method, while untested, would do away with any VLANs. If someone wanted to give it a shot, I think it would work just fine.
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Hooper @ 10th Jan 11:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by floepie :

Huh, well, someone beat me to it it seems. My method, while untested, would do away with any VLANs. If someone wanted to give it a shot, I think it would work just fine.

The ultimate solution or holy grail is getting the Coax network on the same subnet as your regular LAN. This way you can add a NIM anywhere you have a coax outlet and seamlessly use home media appliances that rely on quirky automatic network configuration protocols like Bonjour.
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floepie @ 10th Jan 11:52PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

So, are you saying that Sydney's method does not accomplish that? If not, why not simply create a new bridge (Broadband Connection (Ethernet) with coax) and connect the Actiontec's ethernet WAN port with a LAN port of your router (in addition to the bridge created in the OP?

Alternatively, you could connect one of your router's LAN ports to a LAN port on the Actiontec OTHER THAN the port reserved for the VLAN. Then, you bridge ethernet with coax. In either case, you would want to disable the DHCP server in the newly-created bridge's properties so that all devices on your network will be issued IP's by your own router.
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Hooper @ 11th Jan 01:04AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by floepie :

So, are you saying that Sydney's method does not accomplish that? If not, why not simply create a new bridge (Broadband Connection (Ethernet) with coax) and connect the Actiontec's ethernet WAN port with a LAN port of your router (in addition to the bridge created in the OP?

Alternatively, you could connect one of your router's LAN ports to a LAN port on the Actiontec OTHER THAN the port reserved for the VLAN. Then, you bridge ethernet with coax. In either case, you would want to disable the DHCP server in the newly-created bridge's properties so that all devices on your network will be issued IP's by your own router.

Well that was easy. Thanks!
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furiomoca @ 11th Jan 02:08PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Alert the media - everything is working now. I finally have the AT in bridging mode *and* the set-top boxes are getting guide data. My breakthrough came when I realized that when I set the AT back to factory defaults, those defaults did not match the starting point that several people here had. If it weren't for the video, I would have never realized that. I saved off the configuration file so that I can restore it on demand if I need to. Now that I have a working config I might start to play around so that I can gain a deeper understanding of how the MI424 behaves. By the way, I did open the configuration file and it is indeed a flat ASCII file. There were a lot of great posts in this thread - like others I had to piece together 3 or 4 of them to get my setup working. When I get some more time I will document everything I did in case someone else out there needs help. The big issues are as follows:

1. apparently all factory defaults are not created equal - check yours against the connections screen in the video to create a decent starting point

2. The instructions in the OP are good, but they won't get you into bridging mode and into a state where you can just make a few changes and get your STBs working. It's a package deal.

3. Make small changes and then save the config file so that you don't have to start from scratch if something goes wrong and you have to go back to factory defaults
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anon @ 15th Jan 03:24PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Is there anyone who can post a config file for a working configuration. I don't know how big they are but if it's just a text file a cut/paste into a post would be great.
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Grooby @ 16th Jan 09:56AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

ok..i have follow the guide and was able to get my WRT54G to get the IP address via DHCP. However, I cannot get access to the internet from there. my WRT54G is running DD-WRT V24-RC5. Do I need to enable STP on the WAN port and also enable DNS MASQ and DHCP MASQ?
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rocky01 @ 16th Jan 05:49PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

What's this I hear that bridging the ActionTec leaves you wide open to exploits? I recall seeing a post in a recent thread where this was implied. Seems to me if the router is bridged, your security is passed on to the NID or second router that you choose to use instead. Is there some network or wireless secuity risk in making the ActionTec a bridge that I'm missing?
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Grooby @ 16th Jan 08:24PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

still trying to work out the issue I have. I have setup a bridge in AT and so far my Linksys can receive IP from the MoCA. I can also ping the gateway listed from the DHCP info. However, I cannot ping or trace route to anywhere else. Anything I do, I get Destination Host Unreachable. One thing is that I can set either VLAN ID or Ingress tag for first port, but I cannot set the VLAN ID AND Ingress tag. Any help would be great before my GF, brother, and roommate decided to kill me for the down internet for the 2nd night.
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dee0jee @ 16th Jan 10:42PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Here's something that's totally B*LLSH!T.

I have a pure Ethernet connection from the OTN. The OTN splits MoCA and Ethernet very nicely. Great! I thought, I can run my own router without having to go through a bunch of crap, AND still watch the boob-toob!!

I can, and have, done just that.

However, I very recently upgraded my service from 15/2 to 15/15. I wasn't getting my 15/15, therefore I was mad. So, I called Tech Support and blahblahblah, so-on-and-so-forth, they told me the OTN WAS turned up for 15/15.

Hmmm, so I went into troubleshooting mode. I applied a quick `dhclient -r em0` and put the VZ AT router back into it's default place on MY side of the network, got a new IP lease, and WAP!, 15/15... Yeah!!

So I immediately released that IP lease, put things back on MY side of the network to MY default, (with MY router in place of that POS VZ AT), applied a `dhclient em0` and WAP!, back to 15/2... Godd**mit!!

Once again, I undid the above, returned things to the Verizon default, and got 15/15 again...

I am so pissed off about this. I am SO SICK to DEATH of STOOPID POS's getting a computer and an internet connection and saying "WAHHH, it doesn't work, I don't know how it works, I don't have a FRIGGEN CLUE about what I'm doing! so, make it Idiot-Proof!" and not even bother to learn about what it is they have (with the obvious exception of you troopers out there on this thread! Kudos for you, don't give up, and best of luck!! :). THANK GOD cars are getting more and more Idiot-Proof!!!!

It totally screws it up for the rest of us that just want a friggen connection to the internet, and piss off from there!!

Gonna try that one cat's idea, a few pages back, of bridging the WAN to one of the internal switch ports via a VLAN on this POS VZ AT and see if my 15/15 sticks.

I'd ordinarily tell Verizon (or anyone else) to apply a soft, undulating vacuum to my third leg :) for this, but God! that upload rawks, the best available in my neck of the woods on the left coast! Guess I'll mess with it a little longer to see if I can get what I want...

OK, I've vented, I've said my piece.... (Verizon, Kiss My A**!!)

Good-bye!
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d60pdp @ 17th Jan 11:54AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Unfortunately, I've losen Program Guide after just a few days. I am now thinking of leaving AT as default (with default wireless) to reserve for VOD and PG, and connect AT_LAN2LAN_Dlink (or AT_LAN2WAN_DLink) to D-Link DIR-655 to setup a 2nd wireless network for other devices in the house. Will I be able to do that? Any suggestion? Thanks.

said by furiomoca :

Alert the media - everything is working now. I finally have the AT in bridging mode *and* the set-top boxes are getting guide data. My breakthrough came when I realized that when I set the AT back to factory defaults, those defaults did not match the starting point that several people here had. If it weren't for the video, I would have never realized that. I saved off the configuration file so that I can restore it on demand if I need to. Now that I have a working config I might start to play around so that I can gain a deeper understanding of how the MI424 behaves. By the way, I did open the configuration file and it is indeed a flat ASCII file. There were a lot of great posts in this thread - like others I had to piece together 3 or 4 of them to get my setup working. When I get some more time I will document everything I did in case someone else out there needs help. The big issues are as follows:

1. apparently all factory defaults are not created equal - check yours against the connections screen in the video to create a decent starting point

2. The instructions in the OP are good, but they won't get you into bridging mode and into a state where you can just make a few changes and get your STBs working. It's a package deal.

3. Make small changes and then save the config file so that you don't have to start from scratch if something goes wrong and you have to go back to factory defaults

Would you please specify your settings, or better yet, upload your working configuration file (only 200KB?). As stated above, mine settings were only good for a few days and now I lost all program guide and vod! Thanks.
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dimi1963 @ 18th Jan 06:55AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

My current setting is a WRT54G linksys, connected to comcast cable modem (also linksys), then I have three hubs/switches connected to the router. I am scheduled for FIOS install on the 24th of January, my question is, given that I will use the AT router, can I connect the three switches/hubs directly? Or do I need to do some type of router configuration?

Thank you all for your input.
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Grooby @ 18th Jan 08:48AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

if possible, get the CAT5 connection directly INTO your house. You should be able to connect your linksys to the CAT5 from ONT (might have to look on what u need to do..MAC cloning, etc.) Afterward, connect your AT's WAN to a port on your Linksys LAN so the SetTopBox can go on the net and retrieve program guides and such over the coax connection.
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dimi1963 @ 18th Jan 09:13AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

What if I want to use only the AT router and connect the hubs to it, how can I accomplish that? Do I need to make any changes in the AT router config, or just conenct the hubs/switches the same way I currently do with the Linksys router. Basically I do not want to use the WRT54G router (yet). Your help is highly appreciated.
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Grooby @ 18th Jan 09:37AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

should be the same way then.
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dimi1963 @ 18th Jan 09:38AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

That's what I thought, but i needed to confirm it with you. Once again thank you for your precious input.
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anon @ 19th Jan 04:05PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I used the initial instructions to get the AT to function as a bridge, then lost the menus / guides after a few days. I tried to use the instructions to create a VLAN, but had a problem. No matter what I did, I can not get the PVID and VLANs values to be the same. Is there a trick to entering this? Also, Verizon has told me I can dump the AT and get any MOCA enabled router. I need wireless, does anyone have any suggestions (in case I can't get VLAN to work)? Thanks.
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anon @ 20th Jan 11:46AM:
How bridge both ethernet and coax wan ports?

I have a 611 ONT which is configured to send IP over the ethernet port. I am able to get the Actiontec to bridge an ethernet lan through the ethernet port of the ONT. But the coax is not being bridged to the lan. I can tell because the STB's are not getting DHCP addresses.

When I configured the actiontec, it would not let me "capture" both the enet and coax wan ports. So I captured the enet port, and that is working. But the coax seems to be partitioned now. Any clues how to bridge both the ethernet and coax? Thanks
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anon @ 20th Jan 12:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Just to be clear on my post above.
1) I go to the the ethernet screen, show the ports, select Edit to the right for Port 1.
2) If I add a VLAN ID (1) first by selecting the Red Add button, and then apply, when I go back to change the Ingress Policy and set it to 1, I get an error message "Port is already added to the VLAN".
3) I get the same message if I reverse the order (do the Ingress Policy first as 1, the try to add a VLAN.

As far as alternatives to the AT goes, the only one I have been able to identify is the WCG200 from Linksys, but based on the reviews at Best Buy, it doesn't look any better.
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dccrens @ 21st Jan 12:05PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok.. After reviewing this entire post (which is really good) I didn't see the configuration I am looking to implement.

I have an older install (PPOE) and have FIOS Internet/TV/Phone. I have a newer model MI424WR router (older model died and was replaced by Verizon). I am looking to "upgrade" my wireless to 802.11N. I have looked at several routers and looks like D-link has the best rated for wireless-N. If I don't want to change anything except the wireless, I would think I would just have to turn off Wireless on the actiontec and plug the D-link into the lan port of the actiontec. Then enable wireless and DHCP on the d-link and set up a separate subnet? Anyone know if there is a guide around for this type of setup?
So it would go:

ONC->Coax->Actiontec->Dlink->wirelessN-->PCs
.....................................\
......................................\->Ethernet(Wired)-->MainPC

So in essence I am just looking to change the wireless from 11G to 11N...
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jhearn @ 25th Jan 12:56PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have done a search of this topic and can't find anything relating to my question. I want to install FIOS TV and use the ActionTec as a bridge to supply guide and VOD HD and my 802.11N router as the connection to the internet. My understanding is when someone in the household is watching a VOD HD selection Verizon somehow increases the data rate cap to the home to allow VOD HD and the subscribed internet data rate, in my case 30/5. I don't want a situation to develop where either the VOD HD suffers or my internet data rate suffers because the ActionTec router is behind my N router. Should this be a concern for me?
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d60pdp @ 26th Jan 12:04AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by dccrens :

I am looking to "upgrade" my wireless to 802.11N. I have looked at several routers and looks like D-link has the best rated for wireless-N. If I don't want to change anything except the wireless, I would think I would just have to turn off Wireless on the actiontec and plug the D-link into the lan port of the actiontec.

As stated in my post above, I think I have succeeded in setup 2 wireless networks from FIOS coax line:

1. AT (192.168.1.1) with most of default settings for TV Guide, VOD, wired and b/g wireless networking.
2. D-Link DIR-655 (192.168.1.x) with wired (gigabit) and b/g/draft N wireless networking

That way, AT is always active and hopefully TV guide, VOD and draft N wireless will be working alright as they have been for a week now. I am also able to use both wireless networks (from AT, and from D-Link) and D-Link is definitely much better for wireless transferring of hi-def media files from my NAS/server to PH A-100 HD media player.
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dbussert @ 28th Jan 02:34PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by stanh2002 :

Just to be clear on my post above.
1) I go to the the ethernet screen, show the ports, select Edit to the right for Port 1.
2) If I add a VLAN ID (1) first by selecting the Red Add button, and then apply, when I go back to change the Ingress Policy and set it to 1, I get an error message "Port is already added to the VLAN".
3) I get the same message if I reverse the order (do the Ingress Policy first as 1, the try to add a VLAN.

As far as alternatives to the AT goes, the only one I have been able to identify is the WCG200 from Linksys, but based on the reviews at Best Buy, it doesn't look any better.

I had the same problem with VLANs, it seems that the updated Actiontec firmware does not allow setting the PVID on the Ingress Policy the way most directions for bridging suggest.

But you don't not need to use VLANs. I followed the directions at »agaricdesign.com/note/how-setup-···zon-fios to get my Buffalo router getting the verizon IP address. The directions are pretty good, my only suggestion is that you'll need to clone the Broadband (coax) MAC on your router WAN MAC address, and then change the Broadband (coax) MAC to something different (can't have 2 identical MAC addresses).

Once you get your router's internet working, connect a LAN port on your router to the WAN port on the AT. I'd suggest giving the AT a static DHCP and set it to DMZ. Enable Broadband (ethernet) on the AT and once it has an IP from your router, create a new bridging group on the AT. Put broadband (Ethernet) and coax into the bridge. Your STB should still get its IP address from the AT, and the AT will think its broadband ethernet connection is coming directly from Verizon and not your own router.
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anon @ 29th Jan 01:34AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have a rev D and I have the same problems with the vlans. I followed your instructions and was able to get my linksys to bridge with the actiontec. Internet is fine however, I still can't get the Actiontec's ethernet broadband to work with the Linksys for my STB. It doesn't seem to want to get an IP address from the Linksys. Any ideas?
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dbussert @ 29th Jan 05:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by baxtr :

I have a rev D and I have the same problems with the vlans. I followed your instructions and was able to get my linksys to bridge with the actiontec. Internet is fine however, I still can't get the Actiontec's ethernet broadband to work with the Linksys for my STB. It doesn't seem to want to get an IP address from the Linksys. Any ideas?

Getting an IP on the ethernet broadband should be pretty straight forward, make sure its enabled (sounds stupid but it defaults to disabled) and its set to automatically pick up an IP address. I'm assuming your own router is set to give out DHCP on the LAN, does the AT show up in your router's device list? You can also try to set a static IP on the broadband ethernet, but that probably wouldn't help.
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jester16 @ 30th Jan 09:36PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Has anyone got this technique to work on the newer firmwares?

The last one i was able to make this work on was 4.0.16.1.45.160

Last weekend i woke up and my AT was in an infinite reset cycle. After reading some on this forum and others it seems that Verizon attempted to push out a new firmware (if this is the case it effectively bricked my AT).

All bitterness aside, I now have a new AT. Unfortunately this one was loaded with newer firmware that doesn't seem to want to take the settings I used before (I followed the same steps I previously used when setting up bridge mode on my old AT).

My AT is now firmware 4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7. Did i miss a crucial step or does this firmware just not want to bridge?
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anon @ 31st Jan 12:29AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by jester16 :

Has anyone got this technique to work on the newer firmwares?

The last one i was able to make this work on was 4.0.16.1.45.160

Last weekend i woke up and my AT was in an infinite reset cycle. After reading some on this forum and others it seems that Verizon attempted to push out a new firmware (if this is the case it effectively bricked my AT).

All bitterness aside, I now have a new AT. Unfortunately this one was loaded with newer firmware that doesn't seem to want to take the settings I used before (I followed the same steps I previously used when setting up bridge mode on my old AT).

My AT is now firmware 4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7. Did i miss a crucial step or does this firmware just not want to bridge?

Hello,
First let me say this, my rev. A brick of an actiontec got "bricked" with the forced firmware (had vlan and bridge, etc.) So I figure I will get a new hardware revision....nope! The same old big black box comes and I hook it up and load the saved configuration file... My set up is all good again. I blocked the port and made a mod to the config file this time...Hopefully I'm in the clear...

HOWEVER,
My father has a REV D. Box. I messed with it again tonight. Basically, it will not let you put old firmware on it, and when you save a configuration file, it does not let you load it anyway! It's ridiculus.

MY EXPERIENCE:
So, I was able to get the bridge and vlan working with the rev. d. When I say working, I mean working but not well. First, it would not let me make the Network (Home/Office) have no ip address. It would not accept this setting. Also, when editing the "Ethernet" port 1 for the VLAN ID or PVID, it would only let me do 1 or the other, not both. HOWEVER, in my current setup with the original hardware and earlier firmware when I check the 4-port switch, there is a 1 under PVID and nothing under VLAN and it is working fine.

All of this aside, I got my linksys router to renew the VZ ip address and the internet was working. 2 main problems, it was not working well, (slugglish, random time outs, etc). Speedtest ran fine. Also could not admin the box from the same connection as I can here at my home.

I set it all back up the way it was just using the rev D. AT. Anyone have anyluck with the rev d hardware? BTW, this was a setup with the bridge while keeping the STBs happy which has been working perfectly for me for 9 months on the older hardware (no revision # at all).

Hope this helps someone or someone can help me. Thanks.

Chris

here is a pic of the Network (Home/Office) 4 port switch with just the PVID as one and it works great on the old hardware

anon @ 31st Jan 11:26AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I went with the path of least resistance solution, which seems to be working (90% solution). I had two problems.

1) NAT errors (as discussed in thread) which show up in AT firewall log.
2) Wireless errors - 1 of 4 packets was consistently dropped during ping tests even with 90% signal strength.

One of these two problems was causing the PCs / XBOX connected wirelessly to seize up periodically, particularly under heavy use.

After trying the bridge / VLAN solution unsuccessfully for days, I just connected my Dlink router to the AT router, turned off wireless on the AT, and set my Dlink to Access Point mode. It now handles all wireless. Things slow down a bit sometimes, but not as frequently and not nearly for as long. For those non experts out there, I'd give this a try before your brain hurts from trying to config routers.
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dimi1963 @ 31st Jan 11:50AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Well my setup is much simpler than the set up(s) adopted by the readers/posters of this forum. In a nutshell here is what I did:

AT DHCP scope set for .100 to .110 for STB, firewall wide open by lowering to minimum setting, connected mt WRT54G to the AT via WAN port. Prior to the latter step I did change the address of the WRT54G from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.X.1; I have then assigned a static IP in the WAN setup page to the WRT54G, keep in mind I use static IPs in my network at home. I changed all the IP addresses on my devices, to reflect the changes done to the WRT54G router. Connection is now stable and so far no NAT issues.
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elongatedm @ 31st Jan 01:49PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

After going through several forums I haven't been able to find the answer to my issue. Using the instruction from the OP I got my Linkysys 310n running dd wrt to bridge with the actiontec. I am able to get on the net no problem. I can connect with my laptop as well. The big problem is trying to do a bridge with a linksys 54gs with dd wrt. For some reason the secondary router is not getting an IP from the primary. The same thing is happening when I try to connect with my PS3 wirelessly. Any thoughts? I have about run out of hair trying to find some sort of solution if any exist.
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anon @ 1st Feb 12:09AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Oh man, this is so annoying. Woke up the other day to find my AT bricked. Thanks Verizon! I got what I think is a Rev.D (new smooth silvery design with Verizon logo and smaller). I follow the directions in the video exactly, which worked fine with my old box. Everything seems to work fine, except my Linksys router never gets an IP from the AT. The AT gets coax just fine and forwards it to the STB's, but it doesn't bridge to the LAN port for my router. The Linksys router just never gets an IP at all. I'd be really great if someone could post a new, updated guide for those of us with the new routers and STB's as well. The new one has the same problems as the old, any Bittorrent session slows the thing to a halt.

Thanks so much!
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boatasiaus @ 1st Feb 08:44AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I am trying to setup the VLAN as described, but am having a minor (?) problem. I can't seem to get both PVID and VLAN set simultaneously. On the ethernet page, Port 2 values always seem to show up as either VLAN 2, with PVID blank, or PVID 2, with VLAN blank. Can someone post a step by step please?

Will the STB's pull an IP from the range 192.168.111.x? Right now, they don't seem to want to grab an address.
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anon @ 2nd Feb 11:21AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Raerey :

Oh man, this is so annoying. Woke up the other day to find my AT bricked. Thanks Verizon! I got what I think is a Rev.D (new smooth silvery design with Verizon logo and smaller). I follow the directions in the video exactly, which worked fine with my old box. Everything seems to work fine, except my Linksys router never gets an IP from the AT. The AT gets coax just fine and forwards it to the STB's, but it doesn't bridge to the LAN port for my router. The Linksys router just never gets an IP at all. I'd be really great if someone could post a new, updated guide for those of us with the new routers and STB's as well. The new one has the same problems as the old, any Bittorrent session slows the thing to a halt.

Thanks so much!

Same thing happened to me, except I got lucky and somehow received the older box. Look on the bottom, does it say rev C or D? I did not have any luck with Rev D box, got it working but the QOS sucked, laggy pages loads, timeouts, etc...
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anon @ 2nd Feb 11:22AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by boatasiaus :

I am trying to setup the VLAN as described, but am having a minor (?) problem. I can't seem to get both PVID and VLAN set simultaneously. On the ethernet page, Port 2 values always seem to show up as either VLAN 2, with PVID blank, or PVID 2, with VLAN blank. Can someone post a step by step please?

Will the STB's pull an IP from the range 192.168.111.x? Right now, they don't seem to want to grab an address.

With the newer firmware, it won't let you create both. Just make it so PVID has the value and not VLAN and it should work, at least mine is working in that way if you look at page 19 I think, I posted a picture of exactly this
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jyushinx @ 3rd Feb 04:26AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I just managed to finally implement Sydney's technique creating the VLAN. It took a while, but everything seems to be working as it should.

However. I am still having an issue with port forwarding. I am trying to get uTorrent set up and when I go to uTorrent.com/testport.php to test my port it comes up as closed. My PC has a static IP and I set up the rule in my Zyxel to forward the port to my IP. My router aside, is their anything in the AT which could be causing this considering I have it set up as I do?

Also, I know this is correct, but I need to check anyway. In my Zyxel, the rule I set up is for WAN -> LAN. This is the proper setting, right?
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anomaly66 @ 8th Feb 03:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hey folks, I got Video on Demand AND guide data working VIA only a COAX MoCa connection using the guide above, and the info I posted below. Hope it helps. Works just fine at my house (for a week now) and no issues at all.

»
FIOS VoD/Video success with actiontec in bridge mode

good luck, and best regards,
andy
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anon @ 9th Feb 08:56PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Earlier this week, I followed the MOCA bridge instructions in the video. Everything worked great!!......for about 2 days. Then the AT went into a rebooting loop. It restarts about every 30-45 seconds. I can't get any connection.

Called Verizon. They sent a new AT. Hooked it up the same way. Everything worked great!!....for about 2 days. Then the exact same problem with the AT again. Keeps restarting.

I did have to downgrade the firmware to follow the MOCA bridge instructions. If I didn't do that, I got an error when setting up the VLAN.

Could the firmware downgrade cause these problems? After setting up the VLAN, could I upgrade to the newest firmware and keep all my VLAN settings? Or restore them from a backup?

Anyone have any ideas? Verizon is sending a tech out tomorrow. They will most likely replace the AT. I have unhooked my WRT350N so they don't give me any crap about having non-Verizon hardware hooked up.
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anon @ 10th Feb 05:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I am confused. I followed the guide all the way, but when I got to the step were it said it should be red light, it was still green and I was still connected to the internet.

Then I was raised to the question, I don't know much about this. So I took all my computer LAN cables and plugged them into my Linksys, but what am I suppose to do with the WAN cable that provides the internet?

Right now, I am on the Linksys as if it was my one and only router. Hopefully I can redo this set up and make a bridge.
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way2evil @ 10th Feb 05:43PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

can anyone help with this, i bridged it so now my net works great but my STBs get no IP addresses and cannot get VOD or guide data. What do I have to do so my router can talk to the STBs
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anon @ 10th Feb 06:01PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

It just keeps getting worse.....they brought my new AT out today. It is the rev. D hardware. I cannot set up the VLANs properly because it gives me the error "Port is already added to VLAN" just like beore.......however, when I try and flash back to the firmware that worked correctly, I get the message "this firmware file is not compatible with this hardware" (or something to that effect)

I NEED HELP!!!!
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anon @ 12th Feb 10:04PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Okay...I have read this entire thread...and it has lots of great information...but I need some serious help. I cannot get the network bridge setup to work at all. I have tried the steps at the start of the thread and used the video that is posted also...nothing seems to work. I want to use a Linksys WRT54GS to connect wirelessly. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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anon @ 13th Feb 08:08PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Still wanting help...
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anon @ 15th Feb 01:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

warwick, once you restore defaults in your actiontec, log in and release the ip from the broadband coax and disable the ip.
After that go to your home network and check the broadband coax and the STB box and apply it. I also diabled the DHCP server on the home network bridge. Lower the firewall and disable the wireless... All of this is the same, but you need to test the bridge first. with your pc still connected to the actiontec, do an ipconfig /release and /renew in the command prompt and see if you get an external ip. If so, then your bridge is correct. just plug in your new router and you are golden. If you are still getting the 192.168.0.X ip, then you didn't disable the DHCP for starters. It will work without disabling the DHCP but it makes it easier to do so.
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tobycable1 @ 2nd Mar 11:01PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'd like to thank DaDrgon for the guide, but I didn't realize till afterwards that I was breaking my guides and on demand. I'll see what happens, but I had to switch because I was tired of all the problems. It stopped handing out DHCP ip addresses for some reason about a month ago, so I had it downgrade the firmware using the run backup feature. It seemed to fix it, for a few days... until Verizon forced an upgrade.

I too was told by the tech that they have to use coax if I have TV service, because the modem provides the tv service to the boxes. I know that's not true, BUT, when my internet goes out (it was going out pretty often, but only for 5 minutes a day) the on demand also goes out. Who decided it'd be a good idea to devolve and depend upon a modem? Used to be we had digital cable boxes which themselves could handle data reception/transmission, now we need a dumb actiontec modem that breaks NAT/dhcp to do on demand/guides... why go backwards?
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M509272 @ 3rd Mar 01:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

***** THIS IS FOR CAT5 INTERNET SETUPS *****

If I'm being redundant, apologies but I didn't need to change any settings regarding bridging. I got my install on Jan 11 for all 3 services with a DVR. Had them use CAT5 for internet and COAX for TV running both to the Actiontec. Finally the other day I got tired of my sessions getting hung and put my Linksys in. Got it working in 45 minutes with VOD/Guide data.

Here's what I think I did.

First the Linksys (WRT54G with Hyperwrt firmware, others should be no issue)

1) Set IP to 192.168.1.3
2) Set to DHCP not PPPoE
3) Turn DHCP server on (my range starts at 150)
4) Turn wireless on
5) NO need to clone MAC from Actiontec

Actiontec (not sure if order matters)

1) Disable DHCP server
2) Disable Wireless
3) Set firewall to minimal
4) Go to Broadband Connection (Ethernet) and under DHCP Lease, select RELEASE, then immediately after select No IP Address under Internet protocol
5) Disable Broadband Connection (Ethernet)????
6) Turn off and unplug set top box (STB) or DVR
7) Turn off Actiontec (AT)

Plug Fios CAT5 into Linksys WAN port, might need to reboot. You should get connected. Confirm your connection via your computer. If you don't connect you probably didn't release the DHCP lease. You can try turning everything off for awhile to lose the lease -OR- you can call to see if it was released and get it released -OR- you can reset the AT and start all over again.

Once the Linksys is connected run a standard CAT5 from any Linksys LAN port to any AT LAN (not WAN) port. Turn on the AT and wait a bit. You should NOT see a connection in your Linksys connection page.

Plug in your STB/DVR. Wait and then turn on. See what IP address you picked up. It needs to be 150 (the starting IP range from above) or higher. If not you're still getting IP from the AT. I originally went wrong the first time. I thought DHCP server was off and it wasn't. You should also see the STB/DVR in your Linksys device list. If you got 0.0.0.0 then you didn't get an IP from anywhere. Try plugging a computer into another AT LAN port and see if you get an IP assuming your computer is set to grab an IP from a DHCP server. Confirm this by restarting or for those in the know ipconfig/release then ipconfig/renew.

Assuming you did the right thing try On Demand and if it's working you're done.

Just to repeat, I didn't write down what I did on the Actiontec. You can always use reset if something goes awry with the above.

My theory which seemed to be proven correct was that there was a transparent connection between the COAX-based feed into the STB/DVRs and the CAT5-based switch on the AT. You might notice how the coax from the ONT (passing regular video) goes into a splitter along with coax from the AT (passing the VOD/guide data) and then that "combined" signal runs to the STB/DVR.

I more or less based this attempt on the beginning of this thread which is for COAX based internet access but adapted it to CAT5 based. Don't forget to press Save Settings and Confirm and Apply and all those buttons to cause your changes to take effect.

»Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with REV D

If anyone is successful and finds problems with what I wrote up please let me know so I can correct it.
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sashwa @ 5th Mar 10:30PM:
(topic move) How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Moderator Action
The post that was here (and all 2 followups to it), has been moved to a new topic .. » How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge - ISPS_sux
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substance12 @ 7th Mar 12:09AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'm not getting the nat error that most of you seem to be getting but I do believe I'm having a p2p & actiontec issue. I'm having to reboot my router once a week. What I'm finding is that the web won't work but I'll still be connected to IRC and AIM. I checked the log and this is what I got:

daemon.info got signal 13

[repeated 34 times, last time on Mar 6 20:59:08 2008]
daemon.info dhcp client: WAN MoCA renew dns server:
daemon.info dhcp client: WAN MoCA renew gateway
daemon.info dhcp client: WAN MoCA renew netmask:
daemon.info dhcp client: WAN MoCA renew ip address:

is this normal to renew so often? And is the network bridge a solution?
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anon @ 11th Mar 03:27AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I personally have a Linksys WRV54G router and I was able to make it work. Verizon set me up with a Fios connection, the only catch here is they gave me a static ip address. What I did was connect the ethernet cable from the FIOS installation directly on the back of my router. I then when into the router's settings and under setup I completed all of the fields such as: ip address, subnet mask, default gateway, primary & secondary dns, with the information verizon had provided. My network is working fine. Did not have to use the MI424WR modem/router verizon provided. Hope this is helpful.
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Dnepr @ 12th Mar 09:41AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by M509272 :

***** THIS IS FOR CAT5 INTERNET SETUPS *****

Have similar set up and can confirm that it is working.

Only difference for me is that I did not turn on DHCP server (I used static IP's) and connected Lan port on my WRT54 to WAN (not LAN) port of Actiontec which is Rev D btw.

With latest HyperWRT Thibor15c my WRT54GL can download at maxed 20mbits and stream HD VOD without any hickups. Good stuff, much better then Actioncrap.
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M509272 @ 14th Mar 03:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have a mix of static and DHCP clients and in some cases I'm using the Static DHCP feature on the Linksys. The WRT54G LAN to AT (rev D) WAN made sense to me too but I didn't get it to work although I must admit I didn't play around with it much. We must have slightly different settings. I probably disabled the AT WAN port with my tinkering.
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anon @ 18th Mar 05:31AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Great post A+++ but I have a question. Apologies if this has been answered but 21 pages is a lot to go through.

Under Network Connections I have

Network (Home/Office) Connected

Ethernet Connected
Coax Connected
Wireless Access Point Connected
Broadband Connection (Ethernet) Connected
Broadband Connection (Coax) Down
WAN PPPOE Disabled
WAN PPPOE 2 Disabled

So for me broadband connection (coax) is already down. Does that mean my router is using the broadband connection (ethernet) and I should apply your instructions to that network connection?

thanks for any help
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More Fiber @ 18th Mar 09:21AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by buckman341 :

Broadband Connection (Ethernet) Connected
Broadband Connection (Coax) Down

Does that mean my router is using the broadband connection (ethernet) and I should apply your instructions to that network connection?

Yes. You have a cat-5 connection to the ONT.
reply

anon @ 18th Mar 10:09AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

An additional question. I've been reading through this thread and watched the video posted earlier in this thread.

I have Coax running from the ONT to my AT and I also have an ethernet cable running from the ONT to the WAN port on my AT. Disconnecting the WAN port ethernet cable kills the internet, disconnecting the Coax does not effect the internet.

Just for clarification, even tho I apparently have ethernet broadband enabled, the Coax is there to run the STBs for the TVs correct? If I move the ethernet cable from my AT's wan to the wan on another router my TVs will soon stop receiving their guides etc correct?

I guess what I'm wondering is if I have to go through all the multiple bridging procedures mentioned earlier in this thread even tho I have broadband ethernet enabled.
reply

More Fiber @ 18th Mar 11:26PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by buckman341 :

I have Coax running from the ONT to my AT and I also have an ethernet cable running from the ONT to the WAN port on my AT.

If I move the ethernet cable from my AT's wan to the wan on another router my TVs will soon stop receiving their guides etc correct?

Are you sure the coax connection goes to the ONT and not to a splitter? If it goes directly to the ONT, how is the video getting to the STB's?

With a cat-5 WAN connection from the ONT to the Actiontec, the coax feed from the ONT should go to a splitter, and from there to the various STB's. In this situation, you should also have a coax connection from the AT to the splitter to backfeed the MOCA LAN signal to the STB's. This is indicated by Coax Connected status in your original post.

Having a cat-5 connection to the ONT makes running your own router quite simple.

1) Release the WAN IP address on the Actiontec. Immediately disconnect the Actiontec.

2) Move the cat-5 cable from the ONT to the WAN port of your favorite router.

3) Connect a cat-5 patch cable from an open LAN port on your router to an open LAN port on the Actiontec. Do not use the WAN port on the Actiontec. This effectively makes the Actiontec a switch and provides the LAN connectivity for the STB's.

4) Turn off DHCP on the Actiontec (assuming it is enabled on your router). You don't want both routers giving out IP addresses.

5) Make sure your router and the Actiontec have different IP addresses on the same subnet.

6) Reboot the STB's and make sure they get an IP address from your router.
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ISPS_sux @ 28th Mar 12:07PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hello Everyone, I have been following this post with great interest, but the truth is (At least for us) this is a fairy tale that has no happy ending.

So that I can be objective in this frsutrating moment let me tell you WHAT I DID DO

This is what you will need to do:
1) Connect your computer to the MI424-WR using an ethernet connection if you have not done so
DONE
2) Open your web browser and type in 192.168.1.1 in the URL and press "enter"
DONE
3) The default username and password for the MI424-WR is "admin" and "password, however verizon techs tend to change the password to "password1". If neither works, you will need to do a hard reset on the router (hold down the reset pinhole with a paperclip for about 10 seconds). If you did a hard reset, you may not be able to reconnect to the ONT due to a configuration issue with the default router settings (I will explain how to get it working as you keep reading).
N/A
4) Once you are logged in, go ahead and reset the router to the default settings if you have done numerous customizations in the past, otherwise don't worry about it. To reset the config to defaults, click on "Advanced" at the top, then click yes in the confirmation box. You will then see "Restore Defaults" at the lower left side of the screen (under the red toolbox icon). The router will now reboot itself. Remember that the username and password resets itself to the ActionTec default of "admin" and "password". It's a good idea to change the password after this is all done of course.
DONE
5) Go ahead and log back into the router if you have "Restore Defaults", otherwise just click on "My Network" at the top of the screen. Once you are there, click on "Network Connections" at the menu on the left.
DONE
6) You should now see a list of interfaces that exist in the router. To see them all, click on the "Advanced" button below that list.
DONE
7) Now you will need to do this very important step. you will need to release your MI424-WR's IP from the ONT or you will NOT be able to have your new router DHCP an IP for itself!. To do this, click on the "Broadband Connection (Coax)" from the connection list. Then click on the "Settings" button at the bottom. You will now see a bunch of settings for this interface. Make sure the "Privacy" option is enabled (if you have reset your MI424-WR to defaults earlier, it maybe disabled. Not having this setting enabled will cause the connection to the ONT to fail!). You can click on the "Release" button if an IP address is currently assigned to the MI424-WR. Click the "Release" button and immediately change the "Internet Protocol" option to "No IP Address" (default setting is "Obtain an IP Address Automatically"). Click on "Apply" afterwards, then "Yes" (if there's a confirmation message), then "Apply" again.
DONE, though this last step makes very little sense, after doing all the previous steps, its this last one that seems to hose everything, explained further down!)
8) Now you will need to turn the MI424-WR into a bridge. In the connection list, click on "Network (Home/Office)", then click on the "Settings" button. You will see a list of interfaces under "Bridge". Check the box next to the "Broadband Connection (Coax)", then check the box under the STP column. Click on "Apply" afterwards, then "Yew" (if there's a confirmation message), then "Apply" again.
DONE, but i find it funny how their are OTHER boxes checked in this screen but the instructions do not specify whether we should uncheck or leave them alone
9) Since the MI424-WR will no longer be used for routing, go ahead and disable its wireless interface also. Click on "Wireless Access Point" in the interface list and then click on "Disable". You can also disable this in the "Wireless Settings" section.
DONE
10) Just in case the MI424-WR will do something wacky, I disabled the built-in firewall also. Click on "Firewall Settings" and then select "Minimum", then click on "Apply".
11) Verify that the MI424-WR no longer has a connection to the internet by looking at the status information in "Main". It should have a red light and say it's on PPPOE right now. The MI424-WR should still have a connection to the ONT. You can check this by going back into "My Network", then "Network Connections", then clicking on the "Full Status" button at the bottom of the list. "Broadband Connection (Coax)". Should say it's connected still.
DONE
12) Next, disconnect all computers from the MI424-WR. Setup the router of your choice (for me, I'm using a Linksys WRT54G v4 running dd-wrt). Make sure your new router's IP address is something different from 192.168.1.1 or it will conflict! Your new router should now DHCP an IP from verizon without any problems.
DONE, tested this using a belkin wireless G, basic setup is the belkin has a local address of 192.168.0.X and verizon router IS GIVING it an address, but its not a WAN one, its just a local one, something like 192.168.1.X, being assigned via dhcp from the actiontec.

The only way to access the MI424-WR after this setup is to directly connect a computer to it (via ethernet) and using a static 192.168.1.* IP address. It will no longer DHCP an IP to you. You will also notice that the "Internet" light (may look like a map globe) on the router will now be lit orange and blink red. This is normal. The MI424-WR control panel will also perpetually say you're not connected to the internet. That too is normal.
DONE

You will know everything is working when you see your new router getting an IP from verizon.

to conclude when all is followed here the verizon router seems to be getting a signal, and the belkin shows the internet connection to be up, a cable is run from port 1 on the actiontec to the WAN/modem port on the belkin, then a secondary cable is run out of a port on the belkin to the linksys/cisco hub (is a dumb hub so no config issues) but alas no webpages can come up, we even tried to fool with DNS and give it global DNS, i think the autor of this post had good intentions but the truth is there are things missing in this, I have been a network administrator for 11 years + so I have some idea of whats going on, not just a basic user out there trying to download ILLEGAL TORRENTS (FYI, verizon can track you all day long while you do that :), i hope the pieces can be cleared up as i would like to see this working but i dont have HIGH HOPES, jsut so its clear all we are trying to do is run our VOIP lines and a basic server for AD (acutve directory) to authenticate users working outside the local domain, however verizon in its ignorance has locked htis device down and we arent getting anywhere
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Gordo74 @ 30th Mar 03:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok, so let me get this straight....

I am having FiOS installed here within the next month and want to use my AirPort Extreme as an "N" router and want to use the Actiontech as the "G" router. My very simple solution (which I am asking you guys if this would work) would be...

1. Configure Actiontech to broadcast as "NetworknameG"
2. Connect Airport WAN port to Actiontech LAN port
3. Configure Airport to broadcast as "NetworknameN"
4. Of course, make sure the DHCP servers IP's dont conflict
5. Set the Airport to the DMZ on the Actiontech.

Done, right?

Now thats one way of doing it.... the IDEAL way that I would want it done making the Airport the main router and piggy backing the Actiontech...

Like...

ONT --> Airport --> Actiontech
(Both broadcasting different network names)

Possible? While still keeping the TV's data connection open however they do it?
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More Fiber @ 30th Mar 04:20PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Possible, but you need a cat5 connection to the ONT to do that.

If you are going to put the Airport in front of the Actiontec, you need to make sure the Airport has sufficient horsepower if have the higher FIOS speed tiers.

I would be inclined to use a LAN to LAN connection to the Airport and not put the Airport on a different subnet, but there is no reason it won't work on it's own subnet.
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Gordo74 @ 30th Mar 05:14PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

The reason I would put it on its own subnet is that I want to broadcast at 5.0GHZ (N) so I can get full 300mbps connectivity, running it in mixed mode it only connects at 130mbps. Therefore, to connect my G devices, I need 2 networks by my reckoning. One running G and one running 5.0GHZ N
--
Ever wonder about the stars?
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More Fiber @ 30th Mar 06:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

IP subnet addressing is unrelated to whether the wireless network is G or N. Each wireless router can assign IP address in a unique range for it's respective wireless network.
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Gordo74 @ 30th Mar 06:27PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Exactly, but for my universal N/B/G wireless card in my computer, only one network would show up... without 2 networks, I have no idea how to make it only to connect to the N network.
--
Ever wonder about the stars?
reply

More Fiber @ 30th Mar 07:03PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Each of the two wireless routers should have a different SSID. When your computer scans available networks, it will see SSID-G and SSID-N. Only then will it request a DHCP address from the respective AP.

My original point was that I find it easier to manage one DHCP address pool, rather than two.
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ISPS_sux @ 31st Mar 10:56AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

nice how people ignore posts, that was a brilliant piece of "professional" behavior, this forum is a joke!
reply

birdfeedr @ 31st Mar 12:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by ISPS_sux :

nice how people ignore posts, that was a brilliant piece of "professional" behavior, this forum is a joke!

Maybe no one had an answer to your question, and didn't reply. It's not like we have an answer to *everything*.

You are bridging your Actiontec from coax WAN to a router of your choice. If it didn't produce the results you're expecting, something went wrong.

It's easy to write instructions for a procedure and not include something that you think is self-evident. So, ok, maybe something is missing that you didn't do because it's not detailed.

Or maybe it didn't get done by mistake. After each step, are you verifying action complete?

As far as 'brilliant piece of "professional" behavior, this forum is a joke!' is concerned, you're sure to get a lot of positive replies after that one.

If you want "professional", call the FSC. If you want help, ask here. If you didn't get what you needed, ask the question in a different way.

Just my 2 cents.
reply

anon @ 31st Mar 04:16PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Im gonna make this short dudes. first thing you want to do is click on my connections and then click on broadband connections coax. then you want to creat a dhcp server. starting ip address is 192.168.1.1 and the end ip address is 192.168.1.254 this will make it so you can run a dhcp server inside your lan devices. xbox 360 ps3 and so on just to name a few. in you shouldnt have to setup a bridge because once you apply the dhcp server inside your broadband connections coax a bridge for your network office ethernet will configure automaticaly. in the reason you make the starting ip address begain with 192.168.1.1and end with 192.168.1.254 is so you cover the stbs ip range wich are usually 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.254 if you dont use the starting ip 192.168.1.1 and the end ip address 192.168.1.254 your stbs will not work.
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kvan384 @ 31st Mar 05:14PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I apologize for making another post in this monster thread, I'm a new Fios customer and am quite disgruntled to the fact that I can't use my Linksys WRT54GL with DDWRT firmware with Fios without destroying the ability of my STB's to get programming/on demand.

I've read most of the posts here, and yet I'm still confused.

What I *believe* I can do here is connect my Linksys to the Ethernet port on my Fios Box (not the Actiontech) and then connect the Actiontech to the Linksys, either through a Crossover cable or by going through the Wan port to a port on the Linksys? Am I correct in assuming something along those lines?

I can figure it out from there, I just want to make sure. Verizon tech support is no help on this issue.

Edit: I guess what I'm asking is that if I configure the ActionTech to get an IP address from the Linksys router, it will indeed still provide Guide and Program/On Demand for the STBs?

Thanks in advance!
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More Fiber @ 31st Mar 10:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Huh? If all IP addresses from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254 are available for DHCP, you will not have any available to be assigned as static addresses.

The STB's get IP addresses just fine with the default range in the Actiontec of 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.150.
reply

More Fiber @ 31st Mar 10:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

You don't indicate if your connection to the ONT (what I assume you are referring to as the FIOS box) is via cat5 or coax (MOCA).

How you connect your router and the Actiontec is dependant upon how you are connected to the ONT and how much trouble you want to go to. There are several options:

1) Either cat5 or coax connection to the ONT. Leave the Actiontec in place. Place your router behind the Actiontec.

2) cat-5 connection to the ONT. Remove the Actiontec. Connect your router to the ONT and follow the instructions already posted for connecting the Actiontec behind your router.

3) cat-5 connection to the ONT. Remove the Actiontec. Connect your router to the ONT and use a NIM100 to feed the LAN signal from your router to the STBs.

4) Actiontec is connected to the ONT via coax. Run cat5 to the ONT, get VZ go change the ONT from MOCA to ethernet, proceed as in option 2 or 3.
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kvan384 @ 1st Apr 08:58AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks much. It's coax, I'll be calling them to switch it. That cleared it up. Thanks again.
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anon @ 1st Apr 03:03PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Im useing cat5 to the ONT but it should work the same on coax at least i thought it should in im sorry the start up ip begains with 192.168.1.2 and ends with 192.168.1.254. im a gamer in i need the ip range long for gaming. in im hosting great games with this setup in my stbs are working fine to. it took me three moths to figure this stuff out anyways if anybody nedds help i have no problem calling you in helping you i have free long distance ; }
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anon @ 2nd Apr 02:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks so much for the information. Ever since i had fios internet, it has been troublesome. The connection kept dropping, cannot connect to the internet eventhough the router said "connect". I had the ONT replaced twice and still the same problem. I told the tech support that it's probably the actiontec modem that's faulty and they would not believe me. I finally followed this guide and used my Apple Airport Extreme as a main router and actiontec as bridge. Wow!! my connection havnt drop and the speed really fast. Thanks
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anon @ 4th Apr 09:32PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

do I still need the AT to use MediaManger PC software with a Mediamanger STB?

its says i need the verizon router- but is it just talking about getting the content to the stb via coax- which could be achieved by bridging or nim100?
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casonbang @ 7th Apr 04:51PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

These instructions worked perfectly! Thanks!

I did have trouble switching from one Linksys to another because the IP address wouldn't renew even though I had released it. I was too lazy to call Verizon a second time so I just cloned the MAC on the new router and then it pulled an IP just fine.

Also, I noticed 2 odd private addresses in my DDWRT device list. I think it's related to the Actiontec LAN/Moca bridging that you mentioned.

said by M509272 :

***** THIS IS FOR CAT5 INTERNET SETUPS *****
First the Linksys (WRT54G with Hyperwrt firmware, others should be no issue)

1) Set IP to 192.168.1.3
2) Set to DHCP not PPPoE
3) Turn DHCP server on (my range starts at 150)
4) Turn wireless on
5) NO need to clone MAC from Actiontec

Actiontec (not sure if order matters)

1) Disable DHCP server
2) Disable Wireless
3) Set firewall to minimal
4) Go to Broadband Connection (Ethernet) and under DHCP Lease, select RELEASE, then immediately after select No IP Address under Internet protocol
5) Disable Broadband Connection (Ethernet)????
6) Turn off and unplug set top box (STB) or DVR
7) Turn off Actiontec (AT)

Plug Fios CAT5 into Linksys WAN port, might need to reboot. You should get connected. Confirm your connection via your computer. If you don't connect you probably didn't release the DHCP lease. You can try turning everything off for awhile to lose the lease -OR- you can call to see if it was released and get it released -OR- you can reset the AT and start all over again.

Once the Linksys is connected run a standard CAT5 from any Linksys LAN port to any AT LAN (not WAN) port. Turn on the AT and wait a bit. You should NOT see a connection in your Linksys connection page.

substance12 @ 8th Apr 01:34AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

if you put the AT on DMZ mode and hook up a secondary router to it... will that, in effect... do the same thing as the OP's instructions?
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anon @ 9th Apr 04:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I think I have the same question.

I tried for days to get the methods described in this thread to work. I could never get my home network to drop the IP address. Every time i tried, the router rebooted.

I followed the instructions here:
»www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Ve···y_router

This works but is this method going to create problems? make things slower?

Thanks. Routing is not one of my strengths.
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More Fiber @ 9th Apr 07:26PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by defree :

I followed the instructions here:
»www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Ve···y_router

This works but is this method going to create problems? make things slower?

I made a quick scan of the page in the link and I don't see anything that should cause a problem. If you have problems, post back and we'll try and work through it.

As has been recommended earlier in this thread, backup your working configurations before changing them.
reply

smomer @ 10th Apr 06:30AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

HI,I NEED HELP BADLY. I POSTED THIS IN " MAKE YOUR ACTIONTEC A BRIDGE WITH VOD WORKING WITH REV D " BUT APPARENTLY THAT THREAD IS DEAD- RIGHT NOW!

OK, Here I go. I hope the smart guys are still around, because I have a baffling problem that I hope you guys can help me with. I followed the OP and all the revisions along the way ( thanks to all that contributed ) and it worked great. I get VOD , guides ,and widgets. I have 2 actiontec MI424wr ver. A and 1 ver. C routers. All are bridged, almost plug n' play. If one goes bad all I have to do is release ip and replace bad router with another, and clone MAC to my linksys piggybacked router. I have a linksys wrt350n router and a wpc300n pcmcia wireless for my laptop. The problem is I can access my local network , wired PC, I can even print to a printer hooked to the wired PC. I can ping url's , but I CAN'T get to the internet! When I do an IPCONFIG /ALL on the laptop all looks good. Release IP, then renew IP, and ping url's all looks good! I borrowed a NIM 100 from a friend of mine to see if the problem is the laptop, the router , or for what ever reason, the bridging of the actiontec. As it turns out, I can get to the internet wirelessly with the actiontec reverted back to original for (VOD,guides ,etc. - sake )firmware ver.4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7 with wireless turned off, and nim 100 in place. But I don't know why the setup worked great, except for the wireless internet connection. The firmware version was @ 4.0.16.1.55.0.10.4.3 with auto updates blocked ( port 4567 ) when bridged.( As soon as I reset the actiontec, the router was updated with the latest update ver. 4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7 ) Can anybody help solve this?
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More Fiber @ 11th Apr 03:09AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by smomer :

HI,I NEED HELP BADLY. I POSTED THIS IN " MAKE YOUR Actiontec A BRIDGE WITH VOD WORKING WITH REV D " BUT APPARENTLY THAT THREAD IS DEAD- RIGHT NOW!

I saw your post there, but found your post very confusing, which is why I did not reply to it earlier.

p.s. Some hints on getting replies to your posts:
•Put some white-space between subjects. When a long post is all run together, it makes it hard to read.
•Try to avoid posting extraneous information.

said by smomer :

I have 2 Actiontec MI424wr ver. A and 1 ver. C routers. All are bridged, almost plug n' play. If one goes bad all I have to do is release ip and replace bad router with another, and clone MAC to my linksys piggybacked router.

I understanding having a backup in case the Actiontec fails. You say all 3 are bridged, which I take to mean that you have all 3 connected plus the Linksys. If they're spares and not connected, leave them out of the post. Don't confuse the issue. That's extraneous information. If they are connected, why? How?

Why are you cloning the MAC address to the piggybacked router? The router that MAY need to clone the MAC address of the failed router is the replacement connected to the ONT. Two routers with the same MAC address will confuse the ARP table in all devices on the LAN.

said by smomer :

I borrowed a NIM100 from a friend of mine to see if the problem is the laptop, the router , or for what ever reason, the bridging of the Actiontec .

The NIM100 is a media converter that allows the STBs on the coax to connect to a cat-5 router. I don't see how that makes any difference to the connectivity issues you describe. Please explain how you had the NIM100 connected and what difference that made. If it didn't make any difference, why mention it?

With 4 routers (presumably) connected at once, in all probability you have some type of routing issue.

Some questions:
1) Is your WAN connection from the ONT coax? (I am presuming that it is, with the Actiontec in FRONT of the Linksys).

2) How did you connect the NIM100 for that test?

3) What IP addressing scheme are you using for the multiple routers?

4) Which router is supplying DHCP addresses?

5) Is the wireless in the Actiontec(s?) turned off?

6) When you are able to connect to the internet successfully using the wireless, which router were you connected to?

7) Please give specific LAN IP addresses of the routers, laptop, STBs.

When troubleshooting complex issues, try one thing at a time. Get that working before moving on to the next issue.

That sentence contradicts itself. With wireless turned off, how can you be getting to the internet wirelessly unless you're connecting to ANOTHER router, unless you mean the via the Linksys, but that is not clear.

BTW, Blocking port 4567 does not prevent the auto-updates. The router checks for firmware updates during boot-up.
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smomer @ 11th Apr 01:15PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

First, I'd like to say Sorry for the bad posting.

( REF THREAD : " MAKE YOUR ACTIONTEC A BRIDGE WITH VOD WORKING WITH REV D " )

I have a linksys wrt350n router ( bridged as per instructions referenced in above thread ) and a wpc300n pcmcia wireless adapter for my laptop. The problem is I can access my local network , wired PC, I can even print to a printer hooked to the wired PC. I can ping url's , but I CAN'T get to the internet! When I do an IPCONFIG /ALL on the laptop all looks good. Release IP, then renew IP, and ping url's all looks good!

NOTE: I even had security turned off, and firewall set at "MINMUM " on the linksys.

The BIG question : Is there something in the procedure that I either did or did not do, correctly that would prevent my laptop from connecting wirelessly to the internet?

I am going to try and answer your questions about my posting.

QUESTION?

Is your WAN connection from the ONT coax? (I am presuming that it is, with the Actiontec in FRONT of the Linksys).

ANSWER

1)My WAN connection from the ONT to the Actiontec is Coax. The Actiontec is in front of the Linksys.

QUESTION?

I understanding having a backup in case the Actiontec fails. You say all 3 are bridged, which I take to mean that you have all 3 connected plus the Linksys. If they're spares and not connected, leave them out of the post. Don't confuse the issue. That's extraneous information. If they are connected, why? How?

ANSWER

2)I have a total of 3 actiontec routers, 2 of which are spares. The wireless in the actiontec that is currently in use - is turned off.

QUESTION?

Why are you cloning the MAC address to the piggybacked router? The router that MAY need to clone the MAC address of the failed router is the replacement connected to the ONT. Two routers with the same MAC address will confuse the ARP table in all devices on the LAN.

ANSWER

3) I cloned the MAC address of the actiontec to the linksys router - if I understood the instructions correctly in the other thread ( MAKE YOUR ACTIONTEC A BRIDGE WITH VOD WORKING WITH REV D ) (ref. ITEMS 13, 14, and 15 below )

13) You will now need to go to back to “Advanced” at the top of your screen. Click on the MAC Cloning from the drop down list select "Broadband Connection (Coax)" and on a piece of paper or in Notepad write down the MAC address of the "Broadband Connection (Coax)" that’s currently being used. After you have that information replace the "Broadband Connection (Coax)" MAC with the MAC of the 3rd party router that you’re going to hook up to it or to the MAC of your PC’s NIC. Apply these settings.

14) Next, disconnect all computers from the MI424-WR, then connect Ethernet to & setup your 3rd party router. Change its WAN MAC to the one you wrote down above for the "Broadband Connection (Coax)". Make this router obtain an IP address automatically but for the LAN distribution change it to the 192.168.0.1 network (for simplicity sake). After everything has been setup, connect an Ethernet cable from the WAN port of your 3rd party router to port 1 (again, for simplicity sake) of the MI424-WR’s switch.

15) With any luck your 3rd party router should have pulled an IP form Verizon.

QUESTION?

The NIM100 is a media converter that allows the STBs on the coax to connect to a cat-5 router. I don't see how that makes any difference to the connectivity issues you describe. Please explain how you had the NIM100 connected and what difference that made. If it didn't make any difference, why mention it?
.

ANSWER

4)The nim 100 that I mentioned in my prior posting was simply used to bridge from coax to ethernet by using a splitter to split off at the back of the actiontec so that I would have an input source for testing the linksys wrt350n. To make sure that the linksys wasn't defective. Once I connected the nim 100 , I was able to get to the internet wirelessly from my laptop computer ( which I could NOT do before ), as well as from my other computer wired to the linksys ( which I could - as before. )

The Actiontec routers WAN IP was left at 192.168.1.1 and the Linksys WAN IP was changed to 192.168.0.1 during this testing.

(MY STATEMENT)

I can get to the internet wirelessly with the Actiontec reverted back to original for (VOD,guides ,etc. - sake )firmware ver.4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7 with wireless turned off, and NIM100 in place

(CLARIFICATION)

I placed the Actiontec back to original condition that Verizon delivered the router to me in, so my STB's will be able to get VOD, guides, etc., with the exception of the wireless - which I turned off. I can NOW get to the internet ( via the Linksys ).

(MY STATEMENT)

.....auto updates blocked ( port 4567 )

(YOUR STATEMENT)

BTW, Blocking port 4567 does not prevent the auto-updates. The router checks for firmware updates during boot-up

(CLARIFICATION)

Auto updates blocked using the information from the following post :
And going into the actiontec and closing off port 4567.

( --- START --- )

In either case the port already mentioned should be closed and IF you are ok on editing the config file then change the updates (IE: turn them off) as the web side does not do it:

(cwmp (enabled(1)) (acs_url(»https://cpe-ems1 ---trunicated---- (periodic_inform (enabled(1)) (interval(86400)) change to:

(cwmp (enabled(0)) (acs_url(»https://cpe-ems1 ---trunicated---- (periodic_inform (enabled(0)) (interval(86400))

( --- END --- )

I HOPE this clarifies things. If there is any other information that I can provide ( configuration Settings, Etc. ) that would be helpful, just let me know, and I will get them. Any Help Would Be Greatly Appreciated. Thanks Again

BTW, I don't know how to use the ' AUTO QUOTE ' option, I should learn - I guess. Hope you don't mind.
reply

More Fiber @ 12th Apr 04:27PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks for the clarifications. Now let's see if we can work through this.

Q. When you got to step 11 of the original post, did you verify that the Linksys had an IP address in the 72.x.x.x or 96.x.x.x range? And that the Actiontec had released it's IP address?

Step 11) Verify that the MI424WR no longer has a connection to the internet by looking at the status information in "Main". It should have a red light and say it's on PPPOE right now. The MI424-WR should still have a connection to the ONT. You can check this by going back into "My Network", then "Network Connections", then clicking on the "Full Status" button at the bottom of the list. "Broadband Connection (Coax)". Should say it's connected still.

said by smomer :

I cloned the MAC address of the Actiontec to the Linksys router - if I understood the instructions correctly in the other thread (ref. ITEMS 13, 14, and 15)

There have been some reports of the Actiontec MAC address is paired with the ONT, although it is not clear, under what circumstances. Most users bridging the Actiontec have been able to pull an IP address to the second router by simply releasing the IP address of the Actiontec, or calling the FSC to have it released.

Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) uses the MAC address to resolve logical (IP) to physical interfaces. If replacing a router, cloning the MAC address of the old router is not a problem. I¡¦m concerned that having both the Actiontec and the Linksys connected with the same MAC address could possibly cause problems. Having both routers connected, I would make every effort to release the IP address and NOT resort to cloning the MAC address.
Perhaps someone that knows ARP better that I do can clarify this. i.e. If the Actiontec is in bridge mode, are the ONT->Actiontec and the Actiontec->Linksys connections considered different segments?

It's important that on the Configure Broadband Connection (Coax)screen, in the Internet Protocol pull down to select NO IP ADDRESS and click APPLY. If you do not do this, the Actiontec will re-request a WAN IP address.

Also be aware that the Actiontec has six different MAC addresses. Go to MY NETWORK -> NETWORK CONNECTIONS -> FULL STATUS you will see all six MAC addresses. Make sure you are cloning the MAC address under the BROADBAND CONNECTION (COAX) column.

said by smomer :

The NIM100 that I mentioned in my prior posting was simply used to bridge from coax to Ethernet by using a splitter to split off at the back of the Actiontec so that I would have an input source for testing the Linksys wrt350n. To make sure that the Linksys wasn't defective. Once I connected the NIM100, I was able to get to the internet wirelessly from my laptop computer ( which I could NOT do before ), as well as from my other computer wired to the Linksys ( which I could - as before. )

Q. To confirm the test with the NIM100, the configuration looked like this?

said by smomer :

The Actiontec routers WAN IP was left at 192.168.1.1 and the Linksys WAN IP was changed to 192.168.0.1 during this testing.

I think you are confusing the LAN IP addresses with WAN IP addresses. A WAN IP address is assigned by VZ as a result of a DHCP request on the WAN interface. On a residentical account, you get only ONE dynamically assigned WAN IP address (72.x.x.x or 96.x.x.x). In the above diagram, the AT and Linksys can not both have WAN IP addresses. LAN IP addresses are in the range 192.168.x.x.

Q. In the above NIM100 test, did you confirm the Linksys had a valid WAN IP address (72.x.x.x or 96.x.x.x)?

said by smomer :

I can get to the internet wirelessly with the Actiontec reverted back to original for (VOD,guides ,etc. - sake )firmware ver.4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7 with wireless turned off, and NIM100 in place
I placed the Actiontec back to original condition that Verizon delivered the router to me in, so my STB's will be able to get VOD, guides, etc., with the exception of the wireless - which I turned off. I can NOW get to the internet (via the Linksys).

If you restored the original firmware, the router probably also restored the original configuration. The firmware does keep track of configuration versions, along with firmware versions. If the original Actiontec configuration was restored along with the firmware, it would no longer be in bridge mode, and would now be double NAT'ed. You need to confirm that the Action is still in bridge mode after restore firmware.

said by smomer :

Auto updates blocked using the information from the following post... And going into the Actiontec and closing off port 4567.

In the current (10.7) firmware, the router now has a permanent port forward rule for port 4567. See FIREWALL->PORT FORWARDING.

First entry: Verizon FiOS Service; TCP Any -> 4567

Editing the config file, will prevent the "AT phone home" updates on boot up.

Also, for the VOD and Guide data, try running a patch cable from the Linksys back to the WAN port of the Actiontec per Yubin's post here:
»Re: Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with REV D
reply

substance12 @ 12th Apr 11:08PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

ok. I just tried the OP's instructions for the first time. No luck. The directions are actually very simple... I'm not sure why it wasn't working.

1) my status window did not say PPPOE. The OP said that it should.

2) my linksys ddwrt router was displaying 192.168.1.3 as the IP address it was pulling... which was assigned by the AT. is that correct? I did not see any instructions saying to turn off DCHP server... so I did not.

3) the DHCP renewal takes a really long time on the AT. is this normal?

I'm not sure what else I can say... the AT said that home/office connection was in bridge mode. It seemed as if it was working. I did "release" the IP. In fact that was the first thing I did.
reply

smomer @ 16th Apr 10:19PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Q 1 : When you got to step 11 of the original post, did you verify that the Linksys had an IP address in the 72.x.x.x or 96.x.x.x range? And that the Actiontec had released it's IP address?

A 1 :
My linksys had an IP address in the 72.X.X.X range with the actiontec’s IP address - released.

Remember, the original post I was following was in the other thread " Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with Rev D.". However, step # 11 you are referring to pretty much corresponds to step # 12 in the other thread - which I followed. And the answer is YES , the Broadband Connection ( Coax ) was still “connected “ as seen on the full status page for the
network connections. As I mentioned in my original post I have 1 Rev. C , and 2 Rev. A actiontec routers. I noticed that during setup ( Bridging ) for the 2 Rev. A routers at step # 11, the internet light on the front is not amber, but instead is out completely ( dark ). The Rev. C router does, however, light up amber with the” Network connections” in the full status page and shows up as “ still connected “ .I don’t know if this is any relevance to the problem.

I as understand it, I do not have a problem with pulling an IP address with the linksys router, because I can get IP address ( 72. X. X .X ) and get on the internet with my computer wired to the linksys. My problem is just NO Internet wirelessly with my laptop. Everything else works ( VOD , guides, etc. )

The Actiontec and the Linksys do not have the same MAC addresses. The OP that I followed, in
the other thread - steps 13 & 14 as follows :

13) You will now need to go to back to “Advanced” at the top of your screen. Click on the MAC Cloning from the drop down list select "Broadband Connection (Coax)" and on a piece of paper or in Notepad write down the MAC address of the "Broadband Connection (Coax)" that’s currently being used. After you have that information replace the "Broadband Connection (Coax)" MAC with the MAC of the 3rd party router that you’re going to hook up to it or to the MAC of your PC’s NIC. Apply these settings.

14) Next, disconnect all computers from the MI424-WR, then connect Ethernet to & setup your 3rd party router. Change its WAN MAC to the one you wrote down above for the "Broadband Connection (Coax)". Make this router obtain an IP address automatically but for the LAN distribution change it to the 192.168.0.1 network (for simplicity sake). After everything has been setup, connect an Ethernet cable from the WAN port of your 3rd party router to port 1 (again, for simplicity sake) of the MI424-WR’s switch

I think the logic of swapping MAC Addresses was so Vz sees the Actiontec’s MAC address on the Linksys router since the Linksys will be doing most of the work. At this point the Actiontec ( in bridge mode ) is nothing more than a modem. Or am I looking at this wrong?

The NO IP ADDRESS was set and APPLIED.

The MAC ADDRESS was cloned using the address from the BROADBAND CONNECTION
( COAX ) column.

Q 2 : Q. To confirm the test with the NIM100,the configuration looked like this?
ONT-> splitter +-coax-> Actiontec
+-coax-> nim100 +-> Linksys -> PC
-> wireless ->
Laptop
A 2 :
YES - your configuration diagram is the way the NIM 100 test was setup.

You are RIGHT, I was confused with the WAN IP address - LAN IP address designations. The
setup, however, was correct. It was the LAN IP address that I set to 192.168.1.1 ( Actiontec )
and the Linksys to 192.168.0.1 .

Q 3 : In the above NIM100 test, did you confirm the Linksys had a valid WAN IP address (72.x.x.x or 96.x.x.x)?

A 3 :
YES , during the NIM 100 test the Linksys router had a valid IP address of 72.X.X.X.

The original firmware was 4.0.16.1.55.0.10.4.3. I also saved the original configuration file. While on my quest to make the Actiontec work in bridge mode. Anytime I had to restore to original, I would restore firmware ( 4.0.16.1.55.0.10.4.3 ), and then the configuration file to original.

Editing the config. File WAS part of my preventing the Actiontec from “ phoning home “.

Lastly, ran a patch cable from the Linksys to the WAN port of the Actiontec per Yubin’s post.

Again all the help I can get to resolve this is appreciated.
reply

More Fiber @ 17th Apr 12:29AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by smomer :

I noticed that during setup (Bridging) for the 2 Rev. A routers at step # 11, the internet light on the front is not amber, but instead is out completely ( dark ). The Rev. C router does, however, light up amber with the "Network connections"; in the full status page and shows up as "still connected"; I don't know if this is any relevance to the problem.

I suspect the later hardware uses a tri-color LED to present an additional "bit" of state information.

said by smomer :

I do not have a problem with pulling an IP address with the linksys router, because I can get IP address ( 72. X. X .X ) and get on the internet with my computer wired to the linksys. My problem is just NO Internet wirelessly with my laptop. Everything else works ( VOD , guides, etc. )

That's good news that you're getting an good WAN IP address on the Linksys; can connect from wired PCs; and that VOD and guides are working. That indicates that the Actiontec is properly in bridge mode and that the Linksys is acting as your primary router.

That leaves only wireless connectivity.

I'm assuming the wireless section of the Actiontec is disabled at this point. The basics steps are turn off encryption in both the laptop and the Linksys temporarily. Double check the SSID and channel of your router.

Q. What OS on the laptop?
Q. Double check that wireless is turned on in the Linksys.
Q. Can the laptop see the SSID of the Linksys?

There are also a number of threads here on that subject. Try a search in this forum on "wireless". I'll check back. If you haven't made any progress, I'll pull some more ideas from the other threads.

said by smomer :

The Actiontec and the Linksys do not have the same MAC addresses. The OP that I followed, in
the other thread - steps 13 & 14.

I think the logic of swapping MAC Addresses was so Vz sees the Actiontec's MAC address on the Linksys router since the Linksys will be doing most of the work. At this point the Actiontec (in bridge mode) is nothing more than a modem. Or am I looking at this wrong?

I did follow your references to both posts, however, I missed that 13 and 14 swapped the MAC addresses between the two interfaces. That was quite clever. It eliminates the concern about whether the same MAC address is visible on two interfaces at the same time.
reply

anon @ 17th Apr 09:02AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

This thread has been a great source of information, and the instructions have worked for me, as recent as April 5th when my service was installed.

I tested the instructions by using my macbook connected to one of the LAN ports and had it DHCP an ip from verizon, and it did so without a hitch

I disabled the interface, unhooked everything and let it be until yesterday, when my cable service was deactivated.

At this point I wasnt sure if the macbook had specifically released its address from the ont or not, but nothing would work.. my router box wouldn't get an ip for nothing.. the actiontec wouldnt get an ip..

Call to verzion #1 - "Oh no you can't unplug it, that doesn't work.. you have to call us to release it".. ok the tech does.. and with default settings back, the actiontec gets its IP.. the lights are all green.. Good.

I start over following the OP instructions - release, no IP, add to the bridge, clicked stp, also disabled the dhcp server.

Connected the router box to the actiontec lan port, dhcp timed out.. didnt do nothing!

actiontec wouldnt reconnect
WTF?!

Call to verizon #2:

"Can you tell me the mac address thats bound to the ont?"...
...
... nothing

"Well can you release it?"
.."ok!"
I immediately tried a new dhcp request.. still timing out...

"release it again."

So i'm now where I began on installation day, factory settings factory router.

I loathe the idea of trying this again because that supposed 7 minute wait turned into 45 minutes and those voice prompts make me wish i had a branding iron to press into my face...

QUESTIONS:

By turning off the dhcp server on the home/office network - did that screw with things?

Does the STB try to dhcp even when turned off after you release the broadband coax and bridge it? Does the STB ONLY attempt to dhcp request with 192.168.1.1 or does it DHCP with manual address to 192.168.1.100? I want to rule out the possibility of that thing having grabbed a verizon IP and ruining my party if possible.

MY GOALS:

Connect my openbsd router to the actiontec

Use the bsd for nat, filtering, and as my internal dhcp server.

Thanks very much in advance - hopefully someone can clear up some of these questions because this seems very much out of the ordinary compared to my first experience...
reply

smomer @ 21st Apr 04:08PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I'm assuming the wireless section of the Actiontec is disabled at this point.

My response : YES - The wireless section is disabled.

Q # 1 : What OS on the laptop ?

A # 1 : Windows 2000 sp4.

Q # 2 : Double check that the wireless is turned on in the Linksys.

A # 2 : The wireless IS turned on.

Q # 3 : Can the laptop see the SSID of the Linksys?

A # 3 : I see the SSID and can access my local network. ( wired computer plugged into
the Linksys ).

As before, any and all help is appreciated.
reply

More Fiber @ 21st Apr 09:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by smomer :

Q # 3 : Can the laptop see the SSID of the Linksys?

A # 3 : I see the SSID and can access my local network. ( wired computer plugged into the Linksys ).

Okay. To confirm what is working at this point:
1) The Actiontec is properly in bridge mode.
2) The Linksys is pulling a good WAN IP address.
3) Your wired PC is connected to the Linksys and is able to access the internet.
4) Your laptop can connect wirelessly via the Linksys and access the wired PC.
5) The laptop is not able to access the internet.

If this accurately summarizes what is/is not working, then it seems to me everything is connected correctly and that you have a configuration issue in the Linksys that is preventing the laptop from accessing internet. You might try over in the Linksys forum, or the DD-WRT forum.
reply

ceyko @ 25th Apr 09:20AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thought it before, but after reading this 20 something page thread - Verizon really needs to figure out a way to allow use of their gear for QoS/VOD...etc and the user's gear for Internet connectivity - and in a manner that keeps everyone happy.
reply

Franco2 @ 25th Apr 12:34PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

My ActionTec MI424-WR router didn't want to fully cooperate with my other router "linksys N router WRTN600". I have several other wireless N devices in my house not connecting well with the actiontec router, not to mention that I had to downgrade all connection to G since actiontec routers don't support N technology yet. I had fios internet installed before the TV connection so I believe that's what makes the whole conversion so easy, I just called Verizon and the tech switched me back to ethernet instead of coax and it was ready in 30 minutes. The actiontec router is now connected to the coax cable only to keep the TV guides and on-demand video running, that's it !!, the ethernet cable goes to my linksys router handling all my home network. Two weeks now and it all woks perfect! :-) at full speed, I have the 15/15 fios plan.
reply

anon @ 27th Apr 02:21AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Can someone explain why having the Actiontec router handle the internet interface and DHCP/NAT is so undesirable? This is very easy to handle as all you really have to worry about is dropping the NAT in all the other routers that are in bridge mode (wireless and otherwise).

After not seeing how to bridge the Acrtiontec, I let it DHCP/NAT and then use a gigabit ethernet router with wireless draft-n which gives very good performance with concurrent data transfers in the 10 MByte/sec ranges across the remaining network.

I plan to get the ONT CAT5 RJ45 Verizon interface (presumably there is some service cost involved as you can not wire into the telephone company side) to simplify the entire network management problem and perhaps have one less delay and bottleneck. Is that the reason for all this interest?
reply

birdfeedr @ 27th Apr 08:11AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Alan B :

Can someone explain why having the Actiontec router handle the internet interface and DHCP/NAT is so undesirable?

A small NAT table makes BitTorrent applications and some game applications lock up or fail because not enough connection space.

Others don't like the Actiontec wireless coverage.

Still others have a decided preference for hardware of their choice, not VZ's.

Verizon, for their part, simply cannot support every possible option, and running ethernet and coax is extra time and resource, so their standard provision is via coax.

Unless the customer is somewhat tech-savvy or ends up here or other places. Then the option space opens up. Especially if they get here before install.
reply

anon @ 27th Apr 04:19PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Ok ive been reading up on this stuff for 2 days now. with the position of my ONT and me not owning my house, My landlord does not want me running an ethernet wire upstairs and drilling more holes. So im stuck with the coax (moca connection)According the OP his instructions work with this setup ONT>COAX>ACTIONTEK(in bridged mode)>DGL-4500 ?

Is this correct it seems my dlink is pulling an IP down as I can release and renew it no problem but I have no connection to the internet cant ping any sites etc.. DiD I miss something ? Is it just not possible to use another router if your setup with coax ?

Also am I connecting the routers wrong ?
AT(wan port cat6e)>Dlink router ( internet port).
Or am I supposed to go lan to lan ?

Any information would be very helpful thank you.
reply

More Fiber @ 27th Apr 07:44PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by turboz22l :

It seems my D-Link is pulling an IP down as I can release and renew it no problem but I have no connection to the internet cant ping any sites etc..

Also am I connecting the routers wrong ?
AT(wan port cat6e)>Dlink router ( internet port).
Or am I supposed to go LAN to LAN ?

What IP address are you getting? You should be getting an external IP address of 72.x.x.x (or 71.x.x.x or 96.x.x.x) on the D-Link. If you are getting an internal IP address of 192.168.1.x then the Actiontec is not correctly in bridge mode.

You should NOT be connecting to the WAN port on the Actiontec. The WAN port on the Actiontec should be empty. The coax is your WAN connection. Connect your patch cable from a LAN port on the Actiontec to the WAN (internet) port of the D-Link.

said by turboz22l :

Is it just not possible to use another router if your setup with coax ?

Since cat5 from the ONT is not an option for you, you're stuck with the Actiontec for the present time. At least one member of the MOCA Alliance has announced a MOCA router, but nothing is available today.
»www.netgear.com/About/PressRelea···06a.aspx
reply

anon @ 28th Apr 05:09PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Is there a problem getting Verizon to activate the ONT interface after they have done the installation already? I assume it is on-line reconfigurable so they do not have to come out to do that. However although the RJ-45 connector should be accessible on the customer side of the interface to allow the customer to make this connection (and test it), as I recall it is inside the box on the Verizon (telco) side of the interface box. Can anyone verify this or explain why it is so hard to get this resolved with Verizon? The person I talked to at Verizon did not seem to grasp any of this and could bit help me. I have had nothing but problems with the Verizon supplied equipment (for DSL) in the past so it would be great to get rid of this extra point of likely failure. I have also had ridiculous problems dealing with Verizon returning the defective equipment also.
reply

birdfeedr @ 28th Apr 07:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Alan Briggs :

Is there a problem getting Verizon to activate the ONT interface after they have done the installation already? I assume it is on-line reconfigurable so they do not have to come out to do that.

You can call tech support, or post in the Verizon Direct forum to get the switch made with no charge. Some things need to be done in sequence to minimize your outage during changeover.

said by Alan Briggs :

However although the RJ-45 connector should be accessible on the customer side of the interface to allow the customer to make this connection (and test it), as I recall it is inside the box on the Verizon (telco) side of the interface box. Can anyone verify this

All premises connections are available without opening the technician side of the ONT (at least on mine, a 611). The customer can make these changes. Other equipment may vary.

said by Alan Briggs :

or explain why it is so hard to get this resolved with Verizon? The person I talked to at Verizon did not seem to grasp any of this and could bit help me.

Billing won't grasp it at all. Even tech won't get it right away if a couple of key words are missing. Try "I want the data connection for my router to be changed from MoCA or coax to ethernet. This is a configuration that can be done by the FSC that does not require a tech visit, because I have the wiring already completed. Can you make that changeover, or connect me to a technician who can?"

said by Alan Briggs :

I have had nothing but problems with the Verizon supplied equipment (for DSL) in the past so it would be great to get rid of this extra point of likely failure. I have also had ridiculous problems dealing with Verizon returning the defective equipment also.

In my experience, a while ago, Verizon's DSL equipment was trouble-free. The lines needed assistance, and they increased my loop length which limited my service speed. I changed to fiber for a very good reason. The copper wouldn't support what I wanted.

If you are not currently installed with FiOS, do your homework. Be prepared for a non-standard install by running your own cat5e, so you can ask the install tech to provision data via ethernet.

Or, run your own cat5e, change connections and call FSC to switch you over.

Or, pay for a technician to wire you and make the change.

Once you're on ethernet, you can run your own router.

Or, follow the instructions in this topic to bridge your Actiontec to your own chosen router.
reply

StevenG @ 28th Apr 09:48PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

So if you are using the Actiontech as a MOCA bridge to your own router, before you make this call, should you reset the actiontec and get it back online normally? Or does it not matter, as you will just unplug the coax, and start using the ethernet interface of the ONT direct to your router of choice.
reply

More Fiber @ 28th Apr 10:27PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Good question. My suggestion would be to restore the Actiontec to the original settings. That way, you know everything is working the way it should before you switch to the cat5. After switching to cat5, again verify that everything is working before proceeding to replace the Actiontec with your router.

If you have FIOS-TV (is that even an option in NH with Fairpoint?), then you would not want to disconnect the coax, since it is feeding the STB's.
reply

StevenG @ 28th Apr 10:37PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

No TV yet and I'm not holding my breath.

Thanks for responding. Easy enough to do it this way I guess. I would bet we have to go through the 800 number though and not the direct support forum on here. :(
reply

ceyko @ 29th Apr 08:50AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by More Fiber :

Good question. My suggestion would be to restore the Actiontec to the original settings. That way, you know everything is working the way it should before you switch to the cat5. After switching to cat5, again verify that everything is working before proceeding to replace the Actiontec with your router.

If you have FIOS-TV (is that even an option in NH with Fairpoint?), then you would not want to disconnect the coax, since it is feeding the STB's.

Whoa, this is something I had not picked up on before. Both coax and ethernet can be active at the same time? So would the AT be in place just for the TV portion and then my personal device would connect via ethernet?

Did they start allowing multiple DHCP'ed addresses or am I completely off base?
reply

birdfeedr @ 29th Apr 09:30AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by ceyko :

Whoa, this is something I had not picked up on before. Both coax and ethernet can be active at the same time? So would the AT be in place just for the TV portion and then my personal device would connect via ethernet?

Did they start allowing multiple DHCP'ed addresses or am I completely off base?

No. Plain and simple.

The ONT supplies data via either ethernet or coax. It supplies video via coax. It supplies VOD via internet.

Data peacefully coexists on coax with video. They are on separate RF channels. Or, data comes in on ethernet and gets to the STB via coax.

The Actiontec accepts both connections, but there is only one data path in to it.
reply

anon @ 30th Apr 01:07PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I ran into this problem. I found the mi424wr source on the Actiontec webpage.

In the package/busybox folder is the busybox.h folder. The the 1k buffer size is defined there....

#define BUF_SIZE 8192
#define EXPAND_ALLOC 1024

Modify accordingly to your requirements, and then run the make config and the make as outlined in the readme.

Viola....

Haven't had any issues since I modified it. Interested to see if this works for others.
reply

anon @ 4th May 11:09AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

mike s, does the make config happen on the router within busybox, or does the compile happen outside (in a linux box) and then get tftp up to the actiontec?
reply

sashwa @ 5th May 11:40PM:
(topic move) How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Moderator Action
The post that was here (and all 5 followups to it), has been moved to a new topic .. »Problems with Steam - fiberfury
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lamsao @ 6th May 01:07PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by mike s :

I ran into this problem. I found the mi424wr source on the Actiontec webpage.

In the package/busybox folder is the busybox.h folder. The the 1k buffer size is defined there....

#define BUF_SIZE 8192
#define EXPAND_ALLOC 1024

Modify accordingly to your requirements, and then run the make config and the make as outlined in the readme.

Viola....

Haven't had any issues since I modified it. Interested to see if this works for others.

mike s,

I think the source codes you mentioned is located here »opensource.actiontec.com/

How did you upload the new image to the router, via the Firmware Upgrade GUI? Does the image has the same GUI as the stock one?

Thanks,
lamsao
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Bamster @ 6th May 02:09PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hello,

I am going to bypass the Actiontec router since I lose my connection everytime I try to play an online game through Steam, apparently due to the NAT tables becoming overfilled.

I have a few questions if anyone can answer them.

1. Just plugging my Ethernet cable from my Actiontec into my previous Netgear router allowed Internet access when I duplicated the Actiontec's Mac address. Are there any downsides to doing this?

2. When I did use my Netgear WGT624, the same disconnect issues occurred every time a server list was being obtained. Does this router have a small NAT table too? If so, any recommendations?

3. I am unsure as to why I'd need the Actiontec bridged for the COAX hookup, is this for watching channels or VOD on my PC through Verizon software?

Thanks all! :)
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More Fiber @ 6th May 08:16PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

There have been numerous posts about issues with Steam.

This thread gives links to several other threads and solutions:
»Actiontec Router and Gaming / Steam connection problems?

1) Are you saying you swapped out the Actiontec router with the Netgear? Or connected the netgear behind the Actiontec?

If you swapped out the Actiontec for the Netgear, you will lose guide data and VOD on your set top boxes (STBs) unless you connect the Actiontec behind your router as shown here under option #3:
»Re: Smoothwall
Skip the part about switching from coax to cat5, if you already have a cat5 connection to the ONT.

2) Another user reported the same problem with a NetGear WGR614 (very similar to WGT624, w/o the Super G wireless).
»Problems with Steam - fiberfury
The D-Link DGL-4500 and DIR-655 have gotten numerous positive comments on this forum and have the throughput to handle the faster FIOS speed tiers and a large number of simultaneous connections.

3) Your STBs need a LAN (MOCA) to WAN connection to get guide data and VOD. This has nothing to do with your PC.
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Bamster @ 7th May 10:32AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks More Fiber.

I did read through various posts, but my general lack of understanding the whole process left my head spinning a bit. I didn't realize that the Actiontec router served a purpose for STB guide data and VOD - I am assuming they are connected via wireless then.

2) Not quite what I am experiencing, my connection drops only for a couple of minutes and it happens only when Steam tries to retrieve a large initial server list - though the same thing occurred under the Actiontec. Kind of disappointing to actually have a spare router and to experience the same issue!

I guess I will look into those routers then, just wanted to avoid experiencing the same issue with one of them also.

I really appreciate the help and knowledge, there is a ton of information on these forums but hard to grasp all of it at once.
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afro561 @ 7th May 12:59PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have followed the OP's directions and this worked like a charm. Using a D-Link DGL-4100 router. VOD/Guide worked once I unplugged all the units and plugged them back in. Thanks for your help.
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More Fiber @ 7th May 06:42PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Bamster :

I didn't realize that the Actiontec router served a purpose for STB guide data and VOD - I am assuming they are connected via wireless then.

No, they are not connected via wireless. The connection from the STBs to the Actiontec is ethernet over coax, also called MOCA.

There are three diagrams here
»Re: [northeast] New Install coming up - Router access
that show:
1) VZ standard install over coax
2) cat-5 internet only install
3) coax or cat-5 install with TV.

In the first diagram, the single coax connection to the Actiontec provides both your WAN connection from the ONT and your LAN connection to the STBs.

In the third diagram, cat5 provides the WAN connection to the ONT and coax is only used for the LAN connection to the STBs.
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anon @ 9th May 09:45AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

If for some reason you have problem making a bridge, make sure you have the old firmware on the Verizon ActionTec router, that router by default has the old one, go to firmware management interface and chose to restore the old one.

Anyway after doing all the bridging and setup, running test on the bridged ActionTec and my Pix firewall showed many drooped packets and the upload was horrible.

I end up calling Verizon and switching to a Ethernet. When I call them I was very surprised that the tech know what I was talking about and he opened a ticked, they switched me in 20 minutes. Since a switched my network performance just rock and that horrible ActionTec MI424-WR router is finally out of my setup.
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Exothermicus @ 10th May 08:12PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I followed the bridging instructions to connect my Fios to a Linux Router setup. Everything is working, but the ActionTek seems to still get clogged and needs to be reset. When this first occurs I can no longer ping the upstream router's IP address. If I leave it be the Linux Router will fail to renew it's DHCP from upstream. This continues until I power cycle the actiontek.

I'm not double NATed as I'm getting a Verizon IP on my Linux router's WAN interface.

Any Suggestion? At this point, I'm ready to switch my WAN connection to Ethernet so I can bypass that part of the Actiontek.

FYI: My actiontek is one of the older brick rev A with the .160 firmware that fixed VoIP about a year ago. I have the automatic firmware update disabled.

Exo
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Bamster @ 12th May 04:57PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Before I took the plunge and replaced my Actiontec for a good chunk of cash, I came across this tip that has solved my Steam disconnection issues!

Changed:

To:

This line is in the configuration file under Advanced >
Configuration File. Just remember to backup your original config file just in case! Just edit the saved config file with Notepad, search for "udpflood" and edit it as shown above. Load it back up and let the router adjust itself, then test it out!

It apparently works, haven't noticed any negative effects yet.

Just thought I'd share!

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anon @ 13th May 01:24AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by mike s :
I ran into this problem. I found the mi424wr source on the Actiontec webpage.

In the package/busybox folder is the busybox.h folder. The the 1k buffer size is defined there....

#define BUF_SIZE 8192
#define EXPAND_ALLOC 1024

Modify accordingly to your requirements, and then run the make config and the make as outlined in the readme.

Viola....

Haven't had any issues since I modified it. Interested to see if this works for others.

Has anybody else tried this? I have FIOS and TV over coax and I cannot live without my on demand so switching to cat5 is not an option for me. This seems like the only way to fix the sluggish internet issues I face anytime I'm running a p2p program like uTorrent, mIRC, or DC++.

If this is plausible, what should I change the values too? I have no clue if doubling or trippling the existing values would help with my p2p problem or if raising the values to high would cause similar symptoms, if not outright crash my connection. Any feedback would be most appreciated.
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More Fiber @ 13th May 01:53AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I strongly suspect this was posted by a troll.

While the Actionterc code used under the GPL is available for download on the Actiontec site:
»opensource.actiontec.com/
It certainly does not include the Verizon proprietary code used in the Actiontec. So I have to wonder how he could possibly have built a firmware download module.
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anon @ 13th May 09:10AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Suppose I were to cancel TV from Verizon, only subscribing to their FIOS internet service, and go through another carrier for my TV. Is the only way I can use another router, getting rid of the small NAT table in the Actiontech, to switch over to switch over to Cat5?
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anon @ 13th May 09:26AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Please ignore my last post. It is early and I wasn't thinking properly. I know I can use the actiontech as a bridge.

My question is this: Will setting up TV through another carrier that uses coax cause any problems for my Verizon FIOS service? I assume comcast gets ondemand from the internet the same way that FIOS TV does. But since they are different services maybe they won't conflict?
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anon @ 13th May 11:05AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

What is a NIM? I have FIOS/TV and would like to keep both if at all possible, while still being able to use my own router. Will purchasing a NIM allow me to keep both?
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Exothermicus @ 13th May 04:00PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Switching data to ethernet does not preclude still having Fios TV. I plan to leave the actiontec in place to bridge My LAN with the coax LAN. I just want the lousy thing out of the WAN path.

I agree with the re-build source troll comments, I have looked at the source download, and without knowing what cross compiler tools need to be installed on a Linux box, I doubt seriously he was able to build something that could be loaded by normal means.

On the SynFlood settings, I have played with those in the past and managed to get them tuned so that things would not crap out everyday, but I was still having to reset the actiontec at least once a week, even with almost zero traffic going through it.

Thanks,
Exo
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More Fiber @ 13th May 06:20PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

A NIM is a MOCA (coax) to ethernet bridge for the STBs. The Actiontec router functions as a NIM.

As far as using your own router, you have two basic options:

1) Leave the Actiontec on coax and convert the Actiontec to a bridge, placing your router behind the Actiontec.

2) Convert your WAN connection to cat5; install your own router and place the Actiontec behind your router for the STBs. A variation on this is to use a NIM in place of the Actiontec for the MOCA feed to the STBs, but there is no advantage in doing so.

The following post shows
a) Standard coax install with TV
b) cat5 internet only install
c) cat5 internet with TV
»Re: [northeast] New Install coming up - Router access
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anon @ 13th May 10:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by More Fiber :
2) Convert your WAN connection to cat5; install your own router and place the Actiontec behind your router for the STBs. A variation on this is to use a NIM in place of the Actiontec for the MOCA feed to the STBs, but there is no advantage in doing so.

At this point I don't think ethernet is an option. I checked the box outside and the ethernet plug is indeed within the box. The coax cable is run through my attic right now. Changing the MOCA over to cat5 isn't something I can do myself. I would have to pay for a tech to come out and do this.

The text bolded in the quote above, does that variation allow me to keep my internet and TV without switching over to cat5?
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More Fiber @ 14th May 09:45AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Frumpamine :

A variation on this is to use a NIM in place of the Actiontec for the MOCA feed to the STBs, but there is no advantage in doing so.
The text bolded in the quote above, does that variation allow me to keep my internet and TV without switching over to cat5?

I'm not sure I understand your question. Why would you lose internet and TV, if you don't switch over to cat5?

#2 above refers only to a cat5 WAN connection to the ONT. With a cat5 WAN connection, you need a LAN to MOCA bridge for the STBs. You can use your existing Actiontec for this, or a NIM-100, but why buy a NIM-100 when you already have that functionality in the Actiontec?

There are several uses for a NIM-100.

1) The NIM-100 provides a bridge between cat5 ethernet and ethernet over coax (MOCA) for the STBs when the connection to the ONT is cat5 only. Your Actiontec is already providing both the WAN coax to router interface and the router to LAN coax interface, so you have no need for a NIM-100.

2) With a cat5 connection to the ONT using your own router, you need a bridge for the STBs to get to your cat5 router from the LAN coax (MOCA). As as I explained above, you can do this by placing the Actiontec behind your cat5 router and using only the LAN to coax bridge function of the Actiontec.

3) The NIM-100 can also be used to provide "a remote ethernet" connection, where the only available connection is coax. Several users have done this to provide a cat5 connection for their Tivos or game consoles (Wii, Xbox) which need a cat5 connection, but had only coax available for the Tivo.

What you can NOT do with a NIM-100 is provide a bridge from the coax WAN (ONT) to a cat5 only router.
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anon @ 14th May 10:29AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I went ahead and called today to ask if I could change from MOCA to Ethernet and they told me no. The only way to do that would be to have a second box setup and to upgrade to a business account. I live in Wylie Texas and I see several posters here are from Garland and Plano. Seems like I might end up going back to comcast. This sucks =(
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anon @ 14th May 11:04AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

What about purchasing a second ActionTech and a splitter and setting it up like the diagram below. Would this work?

More Fiber @ 14th May 10:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Frumpamine :

I went ahead and called today to ask if I could change from MOCA to Ethernet and they told me no.

Try calling the FSC again. Unfortunately, you don't always get someone that understands the request. Numerous posters have been successful it getting it switched over with a phone call, although it has taken more than one call for some.

said by Frumpamine :

What about purchasing a second Actiontec and a splitter and setting it up like the diagram below. Would this work?

I don't understand why you would want to do this. The first Actiontec is capable of being both a coax WAN bridge to your router AND a MOCA/LAN bridge for the STBs.

This is best explained in this thread:
»Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with REV D
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Exothermicus @ 15th May 01:59AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I would have thought using the Actiontec as a double bridge would have been good enough, but after having mine configured to do this for three weeks now, I can say without a doubt that something in the actiontec is still clogging up to the point that no traffic is getting through after about 56 hours. I can try releasing and renewing my Linux router to no avail, nothing will come back until I power cycle the ActionTec and simply renew the interface on my Linux router.

I find it unacceptable that the actiontec still needs to be reset when bridged. I finally got my CAT5 ran to the ONT, and will attempt getting the ONT data connection switched from coax to ethernet when I have a few hours to deal with calling VZ in the next few days.

I will not accept that it could be a problem with my Actiontec, since this is the second one with the same exact behaviour.

Exo
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More Fiber @ 15th May 08:37AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Exothermicus :

I will not accept that it could be a problem with my Actiontec, since this is the second one with the same exact behaviour.

What is so hard to accept about the firmware being a POS?

I think you will be much happier with the cat5 connection to the ONT.
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anon @ 15th May 09:14AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by More Fiber :
I don't understand why you would want to do this. The first Actiontec is capable of being both a coax WAN bridge to your router AND a MOCA/LAN bridge for the STBs.

I don't understand how it is possible for the ActionTech to be both a bridge and to allow for me to keep my On Demand (unless I switch over to Cat5 of course). With a MOCA only install it is my understanding that I have to make a choice; either use my own router by putting the actiontech into bridge mode OR get verizon to switch my setup to Cat5 and put the Actiontech behind my router so On Demand functions.
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More Fiber @ 15th May 07:12PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Frumpamine :

I don't understand how it is possible for the Actiontec to be both a bridge and to allow for me to keep my On Demand (unless I switch over to Cat5 of course).

The Actiontec has 4 physical interfaces.
•WAN coax
•WAN ethernet
•LAN coax
•LAN ethernet
To avoid any confusion the WAN coax and the LAN coax share the same coax connector, but are on different frequencies on the coax and have separate MAC addresses

Most consumer routers have only the 2 ethernet interfaces. The reason the Actiontec can function as 2 bridges at the same time is because it is possible to create bridges between any of the 4 interfaces.

Therefore, with a coax WAN connection your bridges look like this:

With a cat5 WAN connection:

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Exothermicus @ 15th May 07:20PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

If you follow the instructions, the ActionTec is placed into double bridge mode. The Coax-WAN is bridged to one of the switch ports, This is connected to the WAN port on your preferred router. The ActionTec's Ethernet-WAN is then bridged to the Coax-LAN, and the Ethernet-WAN connection is connected to a port on the LAN side of your preferred router.

With this configuration your set top boxes will be able to get Widget, program guide, and VOD.

My problem is that I'm still having to reset the actiontec every couple of days, because it still is doing something stupid in it's firmware that clogs my WAN connection to the point I loose connectivity. This is unacceptable when you rely on receiving calls through VoIP. I know I should have the important calls going to a real land line, but VoIP allows me to get receive calls from an outside area-code much cheaper than what forwarding through long distance would cost.

By switching my ONT to use the Ethernet port for data going to the WAN connection on my preferred router. I can still place the Actiontec behind my router to Bridge my LAN to the Coax LAN and keep the STB's happy. This is almost identical to how VZ originally installed some areas using Ethernet to a D-LINK router and a NIM to bridge the LAN to coax LAN for the STB's.

Exo
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sashwa @ 18th May 09:49AM:
(topic move) Wireless/ Action Tech/Drops connection

Moderator Action
The post that was here, has been moved to a new topic .. »Wireless/ Action Tech/Drops connection
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anon @ 18th May 02:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

As I posted elsewhere (»Re: Just moved, got my FIOS (on ethernet), have questions ...), this is what I did and it works.

1) I released the IP from the ActionTec MI424WR.
2) Unplugged the router and reset it to factory defaults.
3) Plugged it in and it obtained IP from the ONT.
4) Changed the default password.
5) Unplugged the set-top boxes (cord from the back, not from the wall) and replugged after 60 seconds.
6) ActionTec had DHCP server and it got the boxes.
7) Turned off wireless

8) I ran cable from LAN port on ActionTec to WAN port on my D-Link. My D-Link LAN address is 192.168.0.1 while the ActionTec is the default of 192.168.1.1
9) In the WAN settings page on the D-Link, changed it to Static IP address and it obtained 192.168.1.5 from the ActionTec.
10) In the WAN settings page on the D-Link, entered ISP Gateway Address and Primary DNS Address both to 192.168.1.1.
11) D-Link DHCP server assigns IPs to things on my network as before.

My network is online via the D-Link and the set top boxes get their info through the ActionTec. Verizon can do what it wants to the set top boxes via the ActionTec but they won't get into my home network.

I can access me D-link router via 192.168.0.1 in my browser and the ActionTec via 192.168.1.1

Speed before I did this:

Speed after I did this:

logmonkey @ 18th May 07:44PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hi I was wondering if anyone has tried to set up a coax to Ethernet bridge near your entertainment center to work with the Actiontec.

I have my theater in a place where I can't use wireless or powerline adapters to get a good enough signal to stream HD. Since I have an Actiontec I was looking into the possibility of connecting a coax to Ethernet bridge in my theater to use to connect my NMT and soon to be purchased Tivo.

Has anyone seen this done? Is it possible?

Thanks!
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More Fiber @ 18th May 10:27PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by logmonkey :

Hi I was wondering if anyone has tried to set up a coax to Ethernet bridge near your entertainment center to work with the Actiontec.

This is straight-forward. This post
»Re: Using 2 Actiontec routers on the same network
describes using a second Actiontec at a remote location where only coax is available. Although the post discusses using a second Actiontec, the same thing is possible using a NIM-100 MOCA bridge.

You can usually find used Actiontec and/or NIM-100s on ebay.
»search.ebay.com/search/search.dl···tegory0=
»search.ebay.com/search/search.dl···tegory0=
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logmonkey @ 18th May 11:59PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Cool, Thanks MoreFiber.

I've been doing some research and found some HPNA & HCNA products. Are these the same standards or compatible?

My biggest problem is deciding whether I should invest the additional money or just stick with my poor powerline with the logic that some connectivity is better than none.
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More Fiber @ 19th May 12:35AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

HCNA is not the same as MOCA. HCNA uses the frequency spectrum below 30Mhz and is capable of 16 or 32 Mbps under best conditions. IMHO, HCNA is dead in the water.

MOCA runs above 950Mhz and supports data rates up to 270Mbps.

Used Actiontecs are selling on Ebay for $30, while the less capable, but no longer manufactured, NIM-100s are going for about $50.

The NIM-100 provides a simple MOCA to cat5 bridge. That function is built into the Actiontec. My suggestion is to spend $30 for a used Actiontec and use that as a MOCA to cat5 bridge for your Tivo.
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sxotty @ 25th May 11:20AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I just wanted to say I followed the directions and they worked perfectly, but then the power went out and I had a very strange problem.

I could no longer log into my dlink router, instead it went to the login page of the Actiontec. I then logged in succesfully to the actiontec, but did not remember what to do to get it working as a bridge and could not access the internet.

Swapped the ethernet cable to actiontec (leaving dlink out) and then got on the internet to get instructions again. I have yet to swap it back over, but it just seemed like a weird issue and I wondered if anyone had an idea why this would occur.
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logmonkey @ 26th May 05:01AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I've been reading that most, if not all, installations are ONT to COAX to Actiontec. I, however, have both COAX and CAT5 going to the ONT.

That being the case are there any changes to the instructions I've seen posted?

Also this seems to be the only forums (according to Google) on FIOS, MoCa, and the actiontec router. Any other good forums or sites for info?
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More Fiber @ 26th May 03:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by logmonkey :

I, however, have both COAX and CAT5 going to the ONT.

That being the case are there any changes to the instructions I've seen posted?

Also this seems to be the only forums (according to Google) on FIOS, MOCA, and the Actiontec router. Any other good forums or sites for info?

The ONT breaks out 3 different "services".
1) Telephone is on POTS.
2) Video (except VOD) is always on coax.
3a) Internet over coax (standard), OR
3b) Internet over cat5 (but not both).

So if you have FIOS-TV and internet, then you have #2 plus 3a or 3b. Only 3b involves both a cat5 and coax connection to the ONT. You can verify that the cat5 connection is the active connection by logging into the Actiontec. The main status page should show "coax status: connected" for (3a) or "ethernet status: connected" (3b).

If the status page shows "ethernet connected", then you don't have to worry about any of the bridging instructions.
If the status page shows "coax connected", then your WAN connection is over the coax, and you need to either switch the WAN connection to cat5, or follow one of set sets of instructions for bridging.

The following post has instructions for connecting your own own router once you have a cat5 connection:
»Re: Smoothwall
Follow the instructions starting with:
At this point, you should you have the Actiontec & STB's working on a cat5 connection. If not, stop and resolve the issue before proceeding.
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logmonkey @ 10th Jun 05:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by M509272 :

.... I probably disabled the AT WAN port with my tinkering.

Thanks for the previous instructions M. So does this mean the switch on the Actiontec is autosensing uplink?

I moved my AT "behind" my Dlink, but still had NAT problems because of all my STB's. I did not know that I could have bypass the WAN port and saved hours of research. I ended up TELNETTing to the router and disabling the firewall and NAT from the command line.
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anon @ 17th Jun 06:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Sxotty, when u lost power both the Actiontec and the Dlink went back to their default WAN IP addresses of 192.168.1.1 and the packets would no longer traverse from the Actiontec to the Dlink. The fix is to change the WAN IP on the Dlink per the instructions by leaving it by itself and powered up and connecting your PC to a lan port and changing the default WAN IP in the Dlink per the instructions.
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anon @ 21st Jun 10:30PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hi - I got Fios installed about 6 months ago. I have been reading this thread and was wondering if it was still applicable? I only have coax into the ActionTec - I currently run ethernet from the Actiontec to my PC for one computer and use wireless on my laptop. I want to be able to use my own router (Cisco 3640) and am considering trying what is explained in this thread. If I hose it up -can I set the Actiontec back to original configuration by doing these steps in reverse? Also, what is the WAN link on the Actiontec for? I thought WAN links were serial - this looks like an RZ45 connector to me.
Thanks
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More Fiber @ 21st Jun 11:15PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by drggfish :

I have been reading this thread and was wondering if it was still applicable? I only have coax into the Actiontec.

If I hose it up -can I set the Actiontec back to original configuration by doing these steps in reverse?

If you have FIOS-TV, and want to bridge the Actiontec, you will want to follow this thread:
»Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with REV D

There are some downsides to configuring the Actiontec as a bridge. For one, it will lose the configured bridge on a power failure.

If you hose up the Actiontec in trying to bridge it, just do a hard reset on the Actiontec by pressing the reset button for 15 seconds.

said by drggfish :

I want to be able to use my own router (Cisco 3640) and am considering trying what is explained in this thread. Also, what is the WAN link on the Actiontec for?

The Actiontec supports two type of connections to your ONT.
1) Coax, which is what you have, and is VZ's standard install
2) cat5 ethernet.

If you want to run your own router, you would be better off switching to a cat5 ethernet WAN connection to the ONT. Instructions can be found here:
»Verizon Online FiOS FAQ »How do I replace my MoCA-connected Actiontec router and still get VOD
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anon @ 22nd Jun 08:39PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hi = I have been reading this post and was wondering why you can't just connect an additional router to one of the ActionTec ethernet ports using a crossover cable- will this not work?
Also - what is the "WAN" port for on the Actiontec?
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birdfeedr @ 22nd Jun 08:59PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by drggfish :

Also - what is the "WAN" port for on the Actiontec?

In reality, there are two paths that data can take to get into the Actiontec from the Wide Area Network (WAN) geting to the devices on the Local Area Network (LAN).

The Actiontec has a WAN port on the coax, and it has a WAN port on the ethernet. Only one can be used at a time. You indicate your router is only hooked up with coax, so your WAN port is currently on the coax line. Therefore, the other WAN port on your Actiontec is not used.

That said, there is a coax LAN as well, and these signals ride on the same coax wire as the coax WAN signals. The difference is the signals are carried on different RF frequencies so both signals can exist without interference.
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birdfeedr @ 22nd Jun 09:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by drggfish :

I want to be able to use my own router (Cisco 3640) and am considering trying what is explained in this thread.

Easiest method for you is to bridge and see if that solves your connectivity needs. With bridging, it is only a matter of configuring both routers. With changing your WAN port to ethernet, you also have to run new wire between the ONT and the router.

It sounds like you do not have TV, is that true? If you do have TV, then choose one of the links in More Fiber's post. Otherwise, continue with instructions in this thread.

You *can* connect your Cisco to the Actiontec, either WAN-to-LAN or LAN-to-LAN. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. But unless you bridge, you're still stuck with the limitations of the Actiontec.

I'm curious. Besides using your 3640, what is your objective? Are you having problems with the Actiontec?

I've changed to a non-standard installation because I want to, not because I need to. Hey, it's my network, let me learn something new. At least that's my feeling.
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drggfish1 @ 22nd Jun 09:31PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Birdfeedr - I do have tv and obviously don't want to hose that up (my wife and 6 year old would kill me).
Objective - I am trying to learn some router security fundamentals on my own and want a clean connection to the "Network" without any firewall, etc from a router other than one I configure. I want to have my Cisco as my gateway and be able to work with the Cisco IOS and IPS functionality.
Does this make sense?
Thanks
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More Fiber @ 23rd Jun 12:59AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by drggfish :

Hi = I was wondering why you can't just connect an additional router to one of the Actiontec ethernet ports using a crossover cable- will this not work?

The easiest way to connect another router is to simply install it behind the Actiontec, creating a second subnet. The down-side of this is that you are still going through the Actiontec, and subject to issues in Actiontec, such as the small NAT table. This also creates a situation where devices behind your router are "double NAT-ed" and any port forwarding needs to be down in both routers.

The "cleanest" installation for what you want to do with the Cisco is with a direct ethernet connection from the Optional Network Terminal (ONT) to your router as both birdfeedr and I have already explained.

By the way, you probably don't need a crossover cable. Most recent switches and routers support MDI-X, also called auto-sensing.

Follow the steps in the FAQ I posted above. Verify that everything works where indicated, and you shouldn't have any trouble.
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anon @ 23rd Jun 09:42PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I followed the instructions to the letter... .only problem is, my router still pulls a private IP address from the Actiontec.... ie 192.168.1.x

Any suggestions?
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More Fiber @ 23rd Jun 10:24PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

You might have better luck following this thread.
»Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with REV D

This thread disables DHCP server in the Actiontec, while DaDragon's post at the start of this thread does not.

Take it one step at a time. Check your work as you go. Do not skip any steps.
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jca2050 @ 23rd Jun 11:28PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Using the steps from the OP, would it be possible to obtain my internet IP on my computer through the Actiontec? So MY ip will be 72.* that goes straight to the internet?
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jca2050 @ 24th Jun 12:22AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I just setup up my Actiontec as a bridge and tried obtaining an IP from Verizon directly to my computer but it didn't work. I plugged in my wired D-Link router to the Actiontec and set it up and the D-Link router can obtain an IP from Verizon. Why can my D-Link router obtain one but I can't?
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sperk @ 3rd Jul 02:54PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

where is the RJ45 jack on the ONT? I have a big box called a telephone network adaptor then a smaller white box below that with no name which I guess is the ONT (it has a large black battery in it and has a very thin cord running out of it and into the house where it connects with another nameless box that apparently connects wirelessly to the Actiontec). Anyway, if this is the ONT it has no visible RJ45 jack, in fact that thin wire connects somewhere behind the unit but it's flush to the wall and I can't see the connection.

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JohnA @ 3rd Jul 05:52PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Open .. the .. door (cover) on it.
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More Fiber @ 3rd Jul 08:21PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by sperk :

where is the RJ45 jack on the ONT? I have a big box called a telephone network adaptor then a smaller white box below that with no name which I guess is the ONT (it has a large black battery in it and has a very thin cord running out of it and into the house where it connects with another nameless box that apparently connects wirelessly to the Actiontec).

The box with the battery is your Battery Backup Unit (BBU). :o

The ONT is usually mounted outside, but can also be mounted inside:
[att=2]
The BBU is on top, the ONT on the bottom. You also have a Power Supply (PS) unit that plugs into your AC.

As JohnA points out, the customer connections to the ONT are inside the outer door (removed in above picture):
[att=1]
VZ uses several different models of ONT, that vary in features and appearance, but they all have the same basic connections:
•POTS
•RJ45 for cat5 WAN (not used with MOCA installs)
•F connector for RG6 coax (TV and MOCA WAN)

In the above picture, the RJ45 jack is on the left, the RJ11 POTS jacks are in the center and the coax connector is on the right.

Tellabs 611 ONT
Inside BBU and ONT

sashwa @ 20th Jul 12:58PM:
(topic move) [Split] How can I use ASA firewall - c0ldshadow

Moderator Action
The post that was here (and all 5 followups to it), has been moved to a new topic .. »[Split] How can I use ASA firewall - c0ldshadow
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MxChris3 @ 23rd Jul 05:25PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Will bridging the Actiontec break any TV features like the menu, onscreen display, VOD etc.?

I've been trying to get this Actiontec router working with my XBOX/Microsoft Wireless adapter for the longest time to no avail, this seems like the best solution if I don't lose those TV functions.
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More Fiber @ 26th Jul 01:07AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by MxChris3 :

Will bridging the Actiontec break any TV features like the menu, onscreen display, VOD etc.?

If you follow this bridging Guide, your VOD and guide data should not be affected:
»/faq/verizonfi···ng#15871
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anon @ 31st Jul 10:13AM:
msg deleted

deleted by a moderator
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syona @ 31st Aug 01:25AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

To all of you having trouble setting this up, trust me, this will work. I have called Verizon about 3 times, DO NOT let them tell you this config is not supported, because it is. Bridging the coax broadband connection and ethernet connection is the key to getting your third party router an external IP address. THE KEY is either unplugging the actiontec router and waiting for the DHCP lease to expire, or calling them to manually break the lease. You also have to be sure the router is no longer trying to grab an IP. I suggest setting this config up while the coax is disconnected, and then plug everything in after you are completely done.

Again, to reiterate, do not let them tell you something cannot be done, this tutorial definitely works if you only have FiOS internet connected to the ONT via coax. For those with TV, I am not sure.
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More Fiber @ 31st Aug 09:38AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by syona :

DO NOT let them tell you this config is not supported.

To imply that VZ supports this configuration is misleading.

VZ will release the DHCP lease when you ask. As you discovered, sometimes you have to be persistent.

However, they will NOT provide technical support with this configuration.
•They will not answer questions about or troubleshoot this configuration.
•If you have any problems with the Actiontec, they will have you do a HARD reset of the Actiontec, restoring it to factory defaults before they will troubleshoot any issues.

Users with FIOS-TV that want to bridge the Actiontec and keep VOD and guide data should follow the instructions here:
»Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with REV D
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daved1948 @ 1st Sep 10:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Why bridge? One answer is...so you can set up a site-to-site IPSEC VPN using a pair of routers!

An IPSEC VPN endpoint requires a public IP. (Some routers can provide VPN over NAT, but there's a fair amount of compatibility issues.) So if you're trying to tie the business owner's office to their residence, you'll need to place the WAN port of the VPN router into the public IP space.

But one disappointment to bridging the MI424-WR's WAN connection using PPPoE is that at first this breaks the remaining functionality of the COAX LAN. i.e., the Set Top Boxes (STBs) cannot obtain an IP address since the DHCP service has been turned off, and (in theory) there is no working route which would allow them to communicate with Verizon's Guide and Info server.

Well whatever you do, don't look at the MI424-WR and simply give up...'cause you'll be short changing it and your installation.

There's no doubt about it, this modem / router / wireless combination is the real-deal and it can easily handle it's designed routing tasks while allowing a bridged connection to draw a public IP - and to still serve DHCP clients normally, all at the same time.

Then you provide a simple route to allow the Ethernet WAN port to "get to" the Internet, and voila...you can have your cake and eat it too.

The STBs will get the Guide, Info and the On Demand will work normally!

:)

You will need a VPN router (i.e., a Linksys RV042 or software router in the OS such as Windows Routing and Remote Access Service) which can draw a public IP on it's WAN port using PPPoE protocol.

The LAN side of the Linksys will be your local LAN.

Your local LAN must have a DHCP server enabled, supplying IPs from any local subnet OTHER than 192.168.1.x.

Step 1 - Set up the MI424-WR according DaDrgon's instructions - except there is NO reason whatsoever to turn the DHCP server off - and in fact it must be ON to service the STBs over the COAX LAN.

Leaving the DHCP server ON allows all internally bridged LAN devices (those connected to the Wireless Access Point, Ethernet LAN and COAX LAN) to draw IPs from the 192.168.1.x subnet, thereby allowing them to communicate with the MI424-WR's router.

Note: You will not be connecting your LAN devices to the MI424-WR's LAN ports.

You may also leave the Wireless Access Point ON, as you will be able to use it normally.

As stated above, turn the Ethernet WAN port ON, and set it to obtain an address via DHCP.

Step 2 - Tie the Linksys' WAN port to one of the MI424-WR's four LAN ports. Your router should draw a public IP address from Verizon, along with the appropriate DNS server IPs.

Step 3 - And here's the part that makes this all work...tie the MI424-WR's Ethernet WAN port back to your local LAN.

This allows the MI424-WR to begin routing traffic from the STBs to the Internet through the Linksys - which just happens to get its WAN IP through the MI424-WR in the first place.

Why does this work? Well all the fooling around with the cabling, Linksys and bridging the LAN ports in the FiOS router is just normal stuff.

The trick is when the MI424-WR's Internet connection is configured for PPPoE, that traffic is "encapsulated", passing only between the ADSL modem and the Linksys.

Finally - there are one or two other ways to configure the MI424-WR to provide this functionality, but this one works and is fairly easy to set up using the guidelines provided by DaDrgon.

Note you can also fix the MI424-WR's Ethernet WAN port's IP if necessary. You can also use fixed DHCP assignments for the STBs and you could in theory, have the router relay DHCP requests to your LAN's server. Wow! This could get really complicated.

But don't be afraid of this box, and don't be afraid to try other interesting configurations.

If I can do it, you can too.
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calskinsfan @ 16th Sep 04:26PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

When I go to "Main" I See Router Status STOP! but I dont see that its on PPPOE. It does show that the "Broadband Connection (Coax)" is connected still though.
Any idea what I'm missing?

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anon @ 20th Sep 04:26AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have not had time to go thru all the pages of this thread, so forgive me if these Q's are redundant...

Is an Ethernet connection (cat6) faster than a Coax connection?

If by some means one was able to get their E'net connection working w/o the Fios router, would they be better off? (read: faster)
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birdfeedr @ 20th Sep 06:21AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Faster, yes, but only marginally. Not enough for you to see the real difference. Cat6 on your LAN if you plan for gigabit ethernet, although cat5e will suffice for that as well. Cat5 or 5e if you want for ONT to router WAN.

You're asking about something different than bridging. Check out the FAQ and post a new topic if you want to explore changing to ethernet. »Verizon Online FiOS FAQ
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More Fiber @ 20th Sep 01:12PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Latency on an ethernet connection to the ONT is slightly lower (on the order of about 1ms) with an ethernet connection. MOCA has a theoretically higher transfer rate, but that makes no difference because you are limited by your speed tier, not your connection to the ONT.

If you want transfer speeds higher than the 100Mbps ports on the Actiontec between PCs, get a Gig-E switch and place it behind the Actiontec.

You should also read this FAQ regarding the trade-offs between various coax and ethernet router configurations.
»Verizon Online FiOS FAQ »What are the tradeoffs between the various router configurations
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anon @ 23rd Sep 06:18PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

aside from all this talk
i just wanted to thank DaDragon for this wonderful tutorial

i followed it exactly and now my Verizon ActionTec MI424-WR is just a modem and i got hooked up with my Dlink DIR-655 perfectly.

dynamicdns service from my router works as well..
all port forwarding rules are controlled by the router

everything is peachy..great tut

though i will add that i did disable the DHCP server on the actiontec..
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anon @ 30th Sep 04:04PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

I have had the same exact problems and Verizon tech support has been denying that there are any issues and they refuse to help with Bridge mode configurations. Given the fact that FIOS VOD also goes through the router, what would happen then, once I configure the actiontec for a bridge mode. Will VOD and regular video programming continue to work?

I really appreciate your feedback.

Regards
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More Fiber @ 30th Sep 07:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

The instructions in this thread are not appropriate if you have FIOS-TV and want to keep guide data and VOD.

Review the trade-offs of the different possible configurations here:
»Verizon Online FiOS FAQ »What are the tradeoffs between the various router configurations
Links to instructions of each of the configurations are in that FAQ. To keep VOD, you will want option 1,2,4,5,6 or 7.
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globalthought @ 20th Oct 02:17PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

You saved me huge amounts of time and hair-pulling!

I'd just determined that there was no obvious way to turn this stinker into a bridge, did a google search, and up popped your post! You are a true gentleman and guru to have posted these clear and concise instructions which worked the very first time.

Thanks again.
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anon @ 31st Oct 01:10AM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thank you very much for the info.
I went through this without resetting the actiontec modem to default settings and it didn't work. Then, I tried resetting the actiontec modem to default setting, and my netgear router got internet without me having to do anything else.

-Ben
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anon @ 31st Oct 02:59PM:
msg deleted

deleted by a moderator
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anon @ 3rd Nov 06:15PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

How do i exactly find out if Im using coax or cat 5 for WAN? My router has both connected (cat 5 and coax to WAN) and only WAN Ethernet light is on in the front of the router. Does that mean Im using Broadband (ethernet)?
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More Fiber @ 3rd Nov 09:36PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by gigahertz205 :

How do i exactly find out if I'm using coax or cat 5 for WAN?

If the ethernet light is on, you should be on cat5. You can double check by logging in to the router.
On the main status page, it should show "Ethernet status: Connected".

[att=1]

sashwa @ 30th Nov 01:00AM:
(topic move) Linksys WRT54G and Actiontec

Moderator Action
The post that was here (and all 2 followups to it), has been moved to a new topic .. »Linksys WRT54G and Actiontec
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anon @ 30th Nov 02:32PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Would it be possible to use the following technique instead of turning the Actiontec into a bridge:

»kbserver.netgear.com/inquira/def···ighlight

Thanks,
Hans
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JTHOMAS28 @ 30th Nov 02:40PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Thanks OP. Been using this for over a year now and has worked well, although all the configuration is gone after a power outage. I save the config after I do all the custom config, then restore it after a power outage, but it still doesnt work. I have to repeat all the steps from scratch for it work again. Any suggestions? Just a pain.

Also, does Verizon give out better cable modems now without the router portion? I like using my then DD-WRT/now TOMATO router.

Thanks
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birdfeedr @ 30th Nov 03:26PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by Hans :

Would it be possible to use the following technique instead of turning the Actiontec into a bridge:

»kbserver.netgear.com/inquira/def···ighlight

Thanks,
Hans

Yes, you are looking at instructions for LAN-to-LAN hookup. I'd suggest you take a look at the FAQ (Part 4). »Verizon Online FiOS FAQ »Replacing the Actiontec (part 4): LAN-to-LAN keeps MediaShare DVR Follow Netgear's instructions in principle, but pay attention to the Actiontec's settings especially if you have FiOS TV.

If you have problems with that setup, post, but start a new topic, as it isn't Bridging (the topic of this thread).
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More Fiber @ 30th Nov 03:36PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

said by JTHOMAS28 :

does Verizon give out better cable modems now without the router portion? I like using my then DD-WRT/now TOMATO router.

The Actiontec is not a cable modem. It is a router that supports that support ethernet over either cat5 or coax. If you want to run your router without the Actiontec, then have your ONT switched to provide ethernet over cat5 per the instructions here:
»Verizon Online FiOS FAQ »Replacing the Actiontec (part 1): Coax to Ethernet

said by JTHOMAS28 :

All the configuration is gone after a power outage. I save the config after I do all the custom config, then restore it after a power outage, but it still doesn't work. I have to repeat all the steps from scratch for it work again. Any suggestions?

Put the Actiontec on an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).
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anon @ 1st Dec 03:27PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Hello all

I have old Cobalt DSL and changing now to Fios with 61 static IPs

can I call ( will pay Paypal or so for help)

alex at raqport.com Virginia
Please VA
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Smith6612 @ 1st Dec 05:06PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

61 Static IPs? That's a heck of a lot of IPs there.
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More Fiber @ 1st Dec 09:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

DaDragon hasn't been on DSLR for nearly a year. Post your questions, we'll try our best to help.
Unless your question is specifically related to this thread, please post in a new thread.

The following FAQ is a good starting point regarding the trade-offs of different router configurations:
»Verizon Online FiOS FAQ »What are the tradeoffs between the various router configurations

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anon @ 2nd Dec 02:05PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

DaDrgon

I tried steps 1-12 (12/1/08). It worked beautifully, but now my guide (channel line up, future programming, etc) does not work on my tv.

I spoke with Verizon and they don't support this bridge "option" from tech support perspective

From what I understand the ActionTec MI424-WR provides a connection to the STB (Set Top Box) via Moca.

So it appears that this connection is severed when the actiontec Mi424-WR is put into bridge mode.

Is there anyway around this? Any suggestions?
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More Fiber @ 2nd Dec 10:10PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

This is not the correct set of bridging instructions if you have FiOS-TV. The bridging instructions in this thread are for internet only (provisioned over coax).

The following is correct set of bridging instructions if you have FiOS-TV with internet provisioned over coax and you want VOD, guide data and widgets to work:
»Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with REV D

This is spelled out clearly in the following FAQ:
»Verizon Online FiOS FAQ »What are the tradeoffs between the various router configurations
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sashwa @ 2nd Dec 10:29PM:
Re: How-to: make ActionTec MI424-WR a network bridge

Seeing that this thread is getting somewhat outdated, I'm locking this thread as the newer thread covers both internet and FIOS-TV with VOD and guide data.

»Make your actiontec a bridge with VOD working with REV D
--
TH ~ NE ~ EPN ~ NC ~ TD
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