Windows 7 RC turns off the Fios MI424WR (Rev E) Coax WAN port (and can't turn it back on)

[RATickle]

Windows 7 RC (and probably Visa) displays the Fios router as an Icon when you open the Network Icon.  If you right-click the Fios router you get a menu which contains "disable".  If you select "disable", the Fios router does exactly that and your Internet Connection will be down.

So, the obvious thing to do is "enable" from the same menu, right?  Well, in my experience, when you select the "enable", the Fios router turns on the Ethernet WAN port.  Which is fine if your router is connected to your ONT via ethernet.  Unfortunately, the most common way Verizon connects their router to the ONT is via Coax! 

You can easily fix this by logging onto the Fios router and re-enable the Coax WAN port  via Main / Network Connections / Broadband Connection (Coax).  However, I have not found a way to re-enable the Coax Wan port from within Windows 7.

I don't know if the bug is in the Fios router or in Windows 7 RC, but I bet I'm not the only one that has experienced this problem.  The first time it happened, the Verizon tech told me to press the reset button on the router.  This fixed the problem, but wipped out all my custom settings.

Has anyone else seen this behavior?

Message Edited by RATickle on 07-06-2009 10:57 AM

[dslr595148]

You can fix that by: Log-in to the router manually, and turn off UPnP in it.

Now your router will no show up in the network icon that you speak of, and can no longer disable it.

If you want to disable Internet Access, do it another way: Such as...

Turning the thing off (by unplugging it)?

Using parental controls in the router to block all IP Address on your network from accessing the net at a certain time (or times) ?

^^^

Message Edited by dslr595148 on 07-06-2009 03:03 PM

[RATickle]

I think you missed my point.  The behavior is not correct.  If I disable something, I should be able to enable it the same way I disabled it.

Getting rid of the symptom by turning off uPnP is a solution.

Oh, the part I left out is that if you "double click" the router icon, the default operation is to "disable" the WAN COAX port.

Either the Actiontec needs to make a router firmware correction or Microsoft needs to make a Windows 7 correction.

[BrianMcD]

Since a Pre Relase Version of a Microsoft Operating System turned off the ActionTec I think that the issue might be better addressed in some type of Microsoft Forum.

[dslr595148]

I am not sure, but I have an even worse feeling about it: It happens on all OSes and versions, that support UPnP

For example: Windows XP and Windows ME, just to name two other OSes that also support UPnP.

^^

[dslr595148]

Upon reflection: If they don't support UPnP correctly, maybe they shouldn't support it at all. 😉

^^

[BrianMcD]

I fired up a Vista System to give it a try and sure enought it shut down my Coax Connection and enabled the Ethernet Connection.  I would up having to do a Hard Reset after techncial Support could not get it back online either.

I opened a case with Actiontec and the first response that I received back was that it could not be done from Vista.

I have not sent them a reply back yet...

[RATickle]

I posted this problem on the Microsoft Windows 7 RC Feedback Forum yesterday.  Haven't heard anything from them yet.

Instead of the hard reset you can re-enable the WAN Coax connection in the Actiontec router via  Main / Network Connections / Broadband Connection (Coax).

I also found out the hard way that it's a good idea to save the Actiontec router configuration to a file.  Then when Fios support blindly tells you to do a hard reset, you can re-load all your custom settings from the configuration file and save a bunch of time.

I haven't tried it, but just loading the saved configuration file will probably re-enable the WAN Coax connection as well. 

[cjacobs001]

when the default settings on a router are changed, its always a good idea to save the config file to a computer so that you don't have to type in all the new settings again if the router resets.

[dslr595148]

*Putting on more pressure*

What this thread is about is, the least of your problems...

#1 If UPnP in on in the router, with an UPnP aware client users can open ports in the router without ever being asked for the user name and password of the router.

And keep in mind: YOU are responsible for the traffic that flows over that router. This is no matter to take lightly. For example if someone is on your network downloading/uploading songs (uTorrent one of many UPnP aware apps). The RIAA goes after your ISP, because it came from their network. Then ISP comes after you, because it came from your network.

Depending on how good this/these people are, good luck finding that person (or people)....

#2 There is a rule of how to forward ports in your router to allow users to connect to you. "Once you've forwarded a Port to ONE IP address, you CAN NOT use it with any other IP address."

But with most routers about UPnP, all you know about UPnP it is either On or Off (You have no idea of what ports are being forwarded to an IP Address).

So, I have to wonder how you will avoid over lapping ports.

#3 At http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid14_gci863906,00.html

They talk about Improving performance and security by disabling unneeded services, and they point http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm

Then at http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm they say that UPnP is an unneeded service.