Hi everyone,
I have an incredibly bizarre problem with my FiOS Actiontec router. When I log onto the router administration page at http://192.168.1.1, it sometimes picks up a router from nowhere.
I noticed the difference when my username and password would stop working at various times. After some investigation, I realized that the router serial number was actually changing under "System Monitoring" -> "Router Status."
Here's what I get under "Router Status" when things are working correctly. The MAC Address is the same one that is written on the side of the router:
Firmware Version: 4.0.16.1.56.0.10.11.6
Model Name: MI424-WR
Hardware Version: D
Serial Number: CSJD8223813632
Physical Connection Type: Ethernet
Broadband Connection Type: DHCP
Broadband Connection Status: Connected
Broadband IP Address: 173.73.37.210
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Broadband MAC Address: 00:1F:90:21:59:8F
Default Gateway: 173.73.37.1
DNS Server: 71.252.0.12; 71.242.0.12
Active Status (Router Has Been Active For): 92 hours, 58 minutes
Here's what I get when things are not working correctly. Note that the serial number and MAC address are actually different from the previous ones:
Firmware Version: 4.0.16.1.56.0.10.11.6
Model Name: MI424-WR
Hardware Version: D
Serial Number: CSJD8056301256
Physical Connection Type: Ethernet
Broadband Connection Type: DHCP
Broadband Connection Status: Connected
Broadband IP Address: 173.73.37.161
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
Broadband MAC Address: 00:18:01:BE:26:A2
Default Gateway: 173.73.37.1
DNS Server: 71.252.0.12; 71.242.0.12
Active Status (Router Has Been Active For): 92 hours, 46 minutes
As far as I can tell, it is completely random as to when this happens. I have reset my router multiple times to no avail. Does anyone know what might be happening? Am I actually picking up someone else's router? How is that even possible?
Thank you!
If you are over wireless you may be connecting to your neighbors router. Set your wireless network on your device to use your SSID that is programed in your router. Make sure it is your router and not your neighbors. You may want to change the SSID from default by going into your wireless configuration, and also make sure the security is enabled. (Encryption) Plug into your router with an Ethernet cable to make the changes. That way you know it is your router and when the wireless change is made you will not lose your hardwired connection to the router. I am not sure but there is a connectection wizard in the post at the very beginning of this forum and it may help with configuration. But you will need to configure your router and not your neighbors.
Based on the MAC addresses and other information you have posted in your information, they are two different routers.
Thanks for the advice, but I'm pretty sure I'm not accidentally connecting to a different router. I am definitely connected to the SSID of my own router, according to my wireless software. The SSID of the mystery router does not show up as part of the list of available wireless networks. In any case, this occurs even when I'm wired into the router directly.
Thanks again!
Wow! Now that's a new one. I don't see how this is possible. I would look at perhaps a replacement router. It just doesn't seem logical to have all that information change. Contact support, and if you can, talk them into sending you a new router. Someone else may have better ideas?
@usul0184 wrote:Thanks for the advice, but I'm pretty sure I'm not accidentally connecting to a different router. I am definitely connected to the SSID of my own router, according to my wireless software. The SSID of the mystery router does not show up as part of the list of available wireless networks. In any case, this occurs even when I'm wired into the router directly.
Thanks again!
I would suggest changing the lan ip address of your router form 192.168.1.1 to something else and make sure that what you change it to continues to be the default gateway of your connections.
At the same time, continue to try to bring up 192.168.1.1 to see when it pulls up a page with that so you can tell which connection is pulling an ip from this other router.
usul0184 wrote:Thanks for the advice, but I'm pretty sure I'm not accidentally connecting to a different router. I am definitely connected to the SSID of my own router, according to my wireless software. The SSID of the mystery router does not show up as part of the list of available wireless networks. In any case, this occurs even when I'm wired into the router directly.
Thanks again!
Even when you are connected to the router directly, this does not mean that your wireless connection is disabled. As many have pointed out in the thread, the most logical explanation to this is that you are connecting to your own network (wired or wireless) and connecting wirelessly to a neighbors network.
One misconception that you pointed out here is that the SSID has to be broadcasting in order for you to connect to it. This is not the case. SSIDs do not have to be broadcasted in order fr you to connect to the network. It may be that both you and your neighbor have the same SSID, which may confuse your wireless card when connecting.
In order to solve this situation there are a couple things you could do (most of which have been pointed out already). Here are some of my suggestions:
1.) Change the default gateway of the Router to something other than the deafult (192.168.1.1), this will give you a clearer perpective as to what is actually happening.
2.) Disable your wireless connection when wired. This will prevent you from connecting to someone elses network mistakenly
3.) Change the SSID of your router. When connecting to a wireless network, make sure it is your router you are connecting to.
[not necessary, but recommended]
4.) Change the routers password and encryption to something other than WEP. WPA2 works well if all of the devices on your network support it.
Hope everything works out for you.
The default gateway on the WAN side of your router is set by Verizon when your router gets an IP address from Verizon.
The default gateway on the LAN side of your router is your routers address. To change that address follow the instructions here.
http://forums.verizon.com/vrzn/board/message?board.id=FiOS_Internet&message.id=3301#M3301
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