I’m having some issues getting my XBox online. Here’s my current setup:
I turned Verizon’s ActionTec router into a bridge; my LAN router now gets its IP from the FIOS box and acts as DHCP host/gateway for the machines on the LAN. When I connect the XBox to the ActionTec, however, it’s issued a 192.168.1 IP address, which looks like it’s coming from the ActionTec. It doesn’t get anything from the downstream router and the ActionTec isn’t fully provisioning it with a valid DNS and so forth, probably because it doesn’t have it.
What am I doing wrong? Why is the ActionTec issuing IPs? Isn’t it supposed to pass that through to the LAN router? The ActionTec passes the FIOS DHCP data through to my router, which is also connected via Powerline to the LAN Ethernet port on the ActionTec. Why is it trying to manage the XBox, but not my router?
I’m sure this is simple, but I’m just missing the answer.
Why do you have your XBOX on the outside of the router? It should function perfectly inside, and you should even be able to assign it a static NAT translation so that it has it’s own outside address.
Are you sure the ActionTec is in bridge mode? Usually that disables DHCP, but it sure sounds like it’s not.
This sounds like you need to call Verizon and get a (hopefully) technical network person on the line to walk you through checking the ActionTec device. In most of these types of devices it’s a really simplistic selection between routing and bridging, and picking the latter disables most of the other services (NAT, DHCP, DNS, etc.)
I’m sure there’s a good reason, but why are you attaching the Xbox to the bridge instead of the router? Wouldn’t it make more sense to have it on the (and inside the NAT from your router)?
I would assume that the Actiontec is a lousy bridge, which is why it’s still trying to hand you an IP address (and failing). I’d also think that it’s likely to give you trouble in this configuration, anyway, unless you have multiple IP addresses from Verizon. If you do have multiple IP addresses from Verizon, just assign one statically to the 360 (along with DNS info) and see if you can rock and roll from there. Similarly, try connecting directly to the router, and see if the 360 is happy that way.
Errr… Or do what Skipper suggested, which wasn’t there when I pulled up the original thread. :)
The XBox is on the outside of the router due to physical layout; the ActionTec and XBox are both in the basement, the LAN & router are upstairs. It seemed to make more sense to connect the XBox to the bridge than to run the signal upstairs then back downstairs.
I’ll doublecheck the bridge settings on the ActionTec. Is there an easy way to force the XBox to a static IP?
I haven’t had any issues with the ActionTec as bridge to date, it seems pretty tame as it is. No Verizon IP issues, though I have only one.
I think this could be related to your issue, either one device gets the IP or the other. When you unplug the Xbox does everything work fine?
Again though, I would call Verizon and try to talk your way past the first phone person. Mention: “I set the ActionTec in bridge mode but it’s still assigning me an IP via DHCP, what’s the correct setting for this device to disable routing mode?” Keep at it until you get a tech.
The XBox gets an IP in the 192.168.1 range, which is the ActionTec’s default subnet. Everything else gets a 192.168.0 range IP, which issued by the home router upstairs. This home router gets its DHCP info from the Verizon box; its external IP confirms this.
Somehow the ActionTec is making up an IP and issuing it to the XBox rather than passing the request on to the home router. I must’ve missed a setting when I turned it into a bridge.
Wouldn’t the easiest solution simply be to reset the ActionTec back to it’s default mode with DHCP, then disable the DHCP and NAT firewall on the 2nd router in order to use it as a simple network switch?
Mike, most home brand routers won’t issue DHCP out the WAN port. So even if the ActionTec stops giving an address, you still might not get anything on the Xbox. You will probably need to set the IP manually like Alek mentioned. It’s fairly straight forward. it might also bypass the whole problem if it turns out that the DHCP service on the ActionTec is the only thing working.
Will the devices connected to the router be able to connect to the Internet if they’re not given an IP address? Or are you saying they’d get them from the ActionTec?
Mike, is using a wireless router and an adapter with your 360 an option?
We need to know more specifics, like which port is each device plugged in to. What model is each device. Can you upgrade official firmware, or install something more capable like DD-WRT on any of them?
Actually, after thinking about it my guess is that the Actiontec actually needs to be set up as a router if it isn’t. Verizon is only going to issue one IP at a time through your modem (or whatever) and with the Actiontec in bridge mode that is getting passed to the LAN router. When you connect the Xbox it tries to get an IP from Verizon but that server balks and so the actiontec puts it on the local subnet, but you’ve essentially segregated it from your internet connection. Normally you’d have a bridge where your LAN router is now. You want to route the internet connection directly from the FIOS box and bridge the connection between the router and the room with the PCs via the powerline connection. If the actiontec alone won’t cut it you can actually just let the LAN router remain in routing mode. It will look at the actiontech as if it were a cable modem, or something. Usually you’d avoid this since PCs connected to the different routers wouldn’t be able to see each other to share files. Since the only other device at the Actiontec level would be the Xbox that’s less of a concern, unless you wanted to stream movies and stuff from you PCs.
So that’s my suggestion. Take the actiontec out of bridge mode 'cause that’s a weird place for it in your network’s topology.
Another alternative to Brad’s suggestion would be to put the home router over with the Actiontec, then connect the router over powerline to a switch where your router is now.
Attach the Xbox to the router, attach the computers to the switch, and you’re good to go.
That avoids using the Actiontec as a router, which is apparently a bad idea based on your comments above.
Doing a little research I don’t think it’s possible to eliminate the Actiontec as I think it’s more like a combo modem/router. I don’t know enough about FIOS technology, but it’s a coax connection from the FIOS box to the Actiontech, not a simple cat 5 like most cable modems have.
Brad’s right. This is getting hairer and hairer…one of the printers upstairs is connected to the home router via USB; it doesn’t do Ethernet natively. So I either:
Buy a switch and a new printer, move the current router down to be physically proximate with the ActionTec. Connect the XBox to the home router and use the AC network to connect the hub upstairs with the router in the basement.
Buy a switch and move the current router downstairs. Move the printer down with it and mock my wife every time she goes downstairs to get a printout. Somehow I think this is a bad idea.
Move the XBox upstairs for the update, put it back in the basement when it’s done, and buy a wireless adapter for it (at outrageous prices) for future use.
No other option comes to mind until I can replace the ActionTec with some other MOCA router.
Then the computer has to be on for the printer to work (I know I know, who doesn’t leave their computers on 24x7).
You don’t have to buy the 360 wireless adapter you know - the reason it’s $100 is because it does 802.11a/b/g. If your wireless doesn’t support 11a (and I would imagine it doesn’t as hardly anybody supports 11a anymore, hence why components for it are so expensive), it’s vastly cheaper to just go buy any old wireless bridge and use that instead. For example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833180035
Well, the printer also has to be on for the printer to work. :-)
Speaking only for myself, if I had the patience to wait a minute for my computer to boot after coming home from work, I’d also have the patience to wait a minute for my computer to boot so that I can print.
