You can bridge the Fios Quantum Gateway Router

Long story short. I could not figure out how to disable SIP on the Fios Gateway Router and some my Intercom Video Door station in use by my Control4 uses SIP. The router was causing conflicts and Control4 advised that SIP needs to be disabled on the router.

Disabling SIP is a very common answer to people using IP based video conferencing or VOIP phones.

That left me with 2 choices. Get the Fios Quantum Gateway to bridge and install my own router where SIP can be disabled, or get rid of Fios and use an ISP that does not require a combo "modem"/router.

I didn't want to give up on Fios so easily. My installation was new and I am happy with the uptime and performance. I spent 2 days trying to get my Fios Quantum Gateway to Bridge.

I am writing this up so that someone else doesn't have to live the pain I've lived.

First up, after multple days of looking, their are limited instructions on getting the Fios Quantum Gateway router to bridge. The instructions you can find are for the Actiontec router. It's "almost" the same router but not 1:1. Most step by step guides say that the steps for the Actiontec will work for a FIos Quantum Gateway. That's not inaccurate, but isn't fully accurate either. Their are steps involved in the Acitontec instructions that do not apply to the Fios Quantum Gateway.

First - this link is the baseline instructions I found that mostly work:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r27666920-How-to-Make-Actiontec-MI424WR-Revision-I-Rev-I-a-Network

All credit to the authors that came before me. I didn't discover these steps. I hijacked them and tested them with some revisions for a Fios Quantum Gateway router. I take not credit or responsbility for any action you take based on my post.

It "works for me" and continues to work after 24 hours.

My please note that I am using Coax/MoCa from the ONT to the Router and that Ethernet was not an option.

I am going to repost the steps verbatim, but add some notes along the way where my experience was different in bold.

I highly recommend you read the entire thing one time before starting with the step-by-step. You can replace the word Actiontech with Quantum Gateway in the below.

Their are subtle differences in termonligy between the Acitontec and the Quantum. If you see a step in the guide and can not follow because your Quantum doesn't have the same display, you must find the nearest equivelement or ignore it entirelly.

First get your Router and Actiontec set up like so:

ONT -> Coax -> Actiontec Coax Port -> Actiontec LAN Port 1 -> My Selected Router WAN Port. Unplug the cable from the WAN Port, but keep it nearby.

I was actually in LAN Port 1 on the Quantum Gateway but I don't think it will actually matter.

Now we need to obtain the WAN MAC address of each Router device.

For the Actiontec go to: Top Menu – Advanced – MAC Cloning – Set Mac of Device – Broadband (Coax). Here you should see the MAC Address, write this down on a paper or something.

This is critical. You need to do this. Without the clone, I was unable to bridge. Note that I did not have to STAY cloned. I just had to clone until the lease expired even though I believe I had released the IP successfully.

For your own router: You need to look this up yourself. The ASUS RT-N56U (w/ custom firmware) has a spot that just displays my WAN MAC address for me.

I'm using an EdgeRouter from Unfi. Nobody can help you here except the forums for the router you are using because how you do this is different from router to router (generally speaking.)

Once you have both of these pieces of information, it is time to start.

1. Hardware Reset Actiontec Router

I wouldn't do this. I didn't. I would actually save a copy of the configuration you have on the router before going any further, in case you have to hardware reset and restore your router.

2. Log into Router using [ admin/password ].

3. Change admin login info and set a different password. There should be a link on the side.

4. Top Menu – My Network – Side Menu – Network Connections – Network (Home/Office) – Settings – IP Address – Set

to 192.168.x.1 where x is not used on your LAN – Apply

*NOTE*: Upon changing the default gateway IP of the Actiontec from 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.x.1, you will need to [ ipconfig /release ] and [ ipconfig /renew ] from Command Prompt, so your computer can quickly reconnect to the Actiontec.

I changed this to 192.168.0.5 because my DHCP starts at 50. The Fios default is 192.168.0.1 and not .1.1.

5. Log back in to Actiontec router with new IP and new password you previously set.

6. Top Menu – Wireless Settings – Side Menu – Basic Security Settings – Wireless Off – Apply

7. Top Menu – Firewall Settings – Side Menu – General – Minimum – Apply

8. Top Menu – My Network – Side Menu – Network Connections – Advanced

9. Top Menu – My Network – Side Menu – Network Connections – Broadband (Coax) – Settings – Release – Apply

*NOTE*: If your IP address is not released properly you will need to wait 2 hours for your lease to expire or you’ll need to call Verizon Tech and get them to restart your system.

10. Broadband (Coax) – Settings – IP Distribution – Disable – Apply

11. Broadband (Coax) – Settings – DNS Server – No DNS Server – Apply

12. Broadband (Coax) – Settings – IP Address – No IP Address – Apply

13. Top Menu – My Network – Side Menu – Network Connections – Network (Home/Office) – Settings – IP Distribution – Disable – Apply

14. Network (Home/Office) – Settings – DNS Server – No DNS Server – Apply

15. Network (Home/Office) – Settings – UNcheck Box to Left of Wireless – Apply

*NOTE*: The old guide will tell you to uncheck the box to the left of “Coax” here. Unfortunately, in the Rev. I, Ethernet and Coax are stuck together as “Ethernet/Coax” and you can’t split the two. If you uncheck the box to the left of “Ethernet/Coax”, you will lose connection with the Actiontec Router and you will be forced to hard reset and start all over again.

16. Network (Home/Office) – Settings – Check Box to Left of Broadband (Coax) – Apply

17. Network (Home/Office) – Settings – Check STP Box to Right of Broadband(Coax) – Apply

The Quantum Gateway didn't have an STP box to uncheck. I ignored this step with no adverse effects.

18. Network (Home/Office) – Settings – Network – Broadband Connection – Apply

19. Top Menu – Advanced – MAC Cloning – Set Mac of Device – Broadband (Coax)

Using the information you gathered at the beginning:

a. Set the WAN MAC of your selected Router to the MAC address listed here.

b. Set the Address here to the WAN MAC of your selected router that will be connected to the Actiontec to avoid conflicts.

20. Plug the cable from Actiontec LAN Port 1 to your Routers WAN Port. Your router should be getting a WAN IP from Verizon. Test to make sure your WAN is established and that you can connect onto the internet, browse pages. Run a speed test to make sure everything is peachy.

*NOTE*: If your router did not get a WAN IP, you have a problem. I would recommend trying to re-trace your steps to see if you missed anything or just start all over and hard reset.

21. If everything worked out fine, connect a cable from your Router’s LAN Port 4 to the Actiontec LAN port 4.

Again, I was using Port 1. But it shouldn't matter. I haven't tried other ports.

22. Power cycle your STB if you wish. You should see your STB show up in your DHCP list and it should be getting VOD/Widgets.

This wasn't neccessary for me as I don't use Verizion TV service. Your millage may very.

-V

Accepted answers

CRobGauth

Some people prefer to have their Internet come in via Etherent (especially if they don't have TV service and don't have coax run from their ONT to where their router is located).

Or I believe at higher speeds, you have to do Internet via Ethernet.

All comments

normisd3ad

I've still been trying to get this thing to work thanks for the help DavidV! I'm using an Asus RT-n66u and want to use it's DDNS feature.

Random question. Is step 21 even necessary?

Will try again this weekend. After I wasn't connecting to the internet I reset the FIOS router and just set my Asus router in AP mode for now. After I did that it took about an hour for the FIOS router to reconnect to the internet. Maybe I need to wait longer after step 20 to allow my router to connect?

DavidV2

First. I'm sorry I've been slow to respond to your post. I received no notification that someone replied. I thought I had added it as a subscripition, but guess I didn't.

Second. I may not understand the question correctly, but here it goes...

You obviously need to have a cable from the now bridged router to your real router.

That may not need to be port 4. It wasn't in my case. It was port 1 for the Quantum Gateway. For your router, it's whatever your WAN port is.

I've tried to edited the steps to be more clear about that, as it looks like a bad copy/paste job from the original on my part, but for whatever reason, persumably because of age, it's no longer editable.

So, no, I don't think it's neccessary at all, as the step before it covers the same thing.

I had the same problem you had the first couple of times where it seemed like the Fios Quantum gateway was bridged, but the router "under it" would not get an IP from Verizion.

The trick for me was to be sure that I properly did 2 very important steps correctly:

1. I properly released the IP from the Verizion Quantum Gateway .... and.

2. I cloned the NIC address of the Verizion Quantum Gateway Wan port to the Router WAN port.

In my case, I flipped the Nic addresses. The router WAN port NIC was now using the NIC of WAN port of the Quantum Gateway and vice-versus.

Once I was able to get 1 and 2 done properly, it came up right away. I was actually shocked, becuase I had spent 2 days working on it. It's been 100% stable with no issues since I wrote the original post.

Intrestingly enough, I didn't need to KEEP it that way. Just long enough to get an IP from Verizion on the router the first time.

-V

lybrand

Hello,

1. This is not double NAT setup, right? It's actual bridge there custom router actually gets IP from Verizon directly (public IP).

2. Does Video on Demand work in this setup?

3. Do you have a diagram which depicts everything you have setup?

4. Any other gotchas you think about?

Greg

My biggest gripe with Quantum router is that their DNS server gives back internal records to client at ridiculous 10s TTL, basically any name resolution within home network have to go and fetch IP address all the time.

DavidV2

1. No. It's not a double NAT. The Gateway is a full bridge. The Edge Router has the public IP.

2. Sorry. I don't use Verizon TV service, so I wouldn't know.

3. No. But I made a crude one for you below. Nothing all that sophisticated about it.

4. Be patient. It wasn't actually hard in the end.

The Actiontec router instructions provided worked for me, and all I did diffrently was ignore any sub-step where the GUI between the Fios Quantum and the Actiontec are different.
The trickies/strangest bit was the Mac cloning. As I state above, I didn't need to KEEP that clone. Only through the normal lease expiration time.

<Fios ONT> <Fios Quantum Gatway> <Edge Router>

COAX <-> COAX

Ethernet <-> WAN PORT

LAN PORT <-> | internal network |

This is still working with no known service interuption since I wrote the OP. By known, I mean that everytime I've used it, it works, but I didn't go dig through my Edge Router OS logs for any short-term Fios-based service interuptions that might of occured when I wasn't home or otherwise uisng the service.

-V

lybrand

I spent several hours to try to make it work to no avail. I tried with cloning and with not cloning, called Verizon to release DHCP lease and still my router WAN port would not pick up IP from Quantum. Would you mind taking screenshot what your http://192.168.1.1/#/monitoring/fullstatus look like.

As soon as I replaced my Quantum router with old Westel I have I was able to do bridging properly. Something on Quantum router was not done right and I not sure what I might have missed.

DavidV2

Mac address that are identical across columns have be color coded, but otherwise obscured. I hope this is helpful to you.

I also did the steps twice and must of missed something. I regret not taking better notes, I honestly didn't expect it to work and then it suddenly did.

As you will see, it's still working...

rosse27

Hi, I have an Airport Extreme system already set up with the Fios Actiontec MI424-WR router. Having agreed to a 2 year contract extension to FIOS triple play, they sent me a Quantum, but require that I pay $80 for help to bridge it to my Airport Extreme. Is there really a benefit to installing the Quantum, will there be an improvement? If yes, are the steps to bridge different since the Aiport is already set up? I am leaning toward paying the $80 to save the hassle unless there is an easy solution...

CRobGauth

If you bridged the airport to your current router, then it should be pretty much the same with the Quantum gateway.

At least it was for me when I upgraded.

Moonreef

So, has anyone successfully bridged the Actiontec MI424-WR Revision I? If so could you provide a copy of the configuration backup file to make this less complicated? I hate this whole MOCA bridge thing as it compounds problems of using your own router. I wish their was an option to use only Verizon's modem and I supply my own router.

CRobGauth

Do you want to use it in bridge mode because you can only run coax from ONT?

Do you have TV service with Verizon STB?

If so, you are usually better off using Verizon router.

BTW, Verizon does not use modems.

DavidV2

Hello,

It's not great and not possible for everyone, but it's supported as a bridge with zero issues when it's ETHERNET to the ONT and not COAX.

I fought and fought and fought this thing and even had it working as a bridge with COAX.

My problems went away and I am now months of trouble free operation with ETHERNET and not COAX.

I also don't have the TV service and just FIOS Internet.

I don't use the Verizion/Actiontec at all. It's straight into my router of choice.

I know this doesn't exactly answer your question, but I am encouraging everyone to cave in and run Ethernet and save yourself hours of headaches.

-V

BigbirdPhila

I don't use the Verizion/Actiontec at all. It's straight into my router of choice.

I know this doesn't exactly answer your question, but I am encouraging everyone to cave in and run Ethernet and save yourself hours of headaches.

-V

I'm scheduled for a non-TV FIOS install. How do I arrange to have Ethernet run to where I want to keep the router? Please be specific -- I'll print out your reply and show it to the installer. Plus, call ahead to Customer Service if you recommend that.

CRobGauth

What speed are you buying?

If you are getting 100M or higher, they have to use ethernet.

If you already have coax run, they will probably try to reuse it for lower speeds.

Only way to ensure Ethernet for lower speeds is to doit yourself or have someone do it.

GHirsch11714

I've been trying to successfully bridge my FiOS-G1100 router with my pfSense router. I'm still having issues and a bit unclear about the proceedure in accomplishing this. The two steps I'm particualrly still having an issue with are:

18. Network (Home/Office) – Settings – Network – Broadband Connection – Apply

19. Top Menu – Advanced – MAC Cloning – Set Mac of Device – Broadband (Coax)

For step 18. the box is grayed out and does not allow me to change it from Network (Home/Office) to Broadband connection.

This may have something to do with the options I have checked to Bridge. Below is what I currently have set as I am only using my G1100 at the moment. If someone could confirm definitively wheat needs to be checked when I attempt to bridge I would greatly appreciate it.

In regards to step 19. I would like to confirm the following:

FiOS-G1100 WAN MAC: Assigned the pfSense WAN MAC

pfSense Router: Assigned the WAN MAC of the FiOS-G1100

For whatever reason I cannot get a Verizon IP on my pfSense WAN port. Any help again would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

psherman1

Forget step 21. Just run ethernet to your STB to get VOD.

Actiontec MI424WR/Ubiquity ERL

anjo2731

I was able to get this working with all the settings documented, except for mac cloning. I had to leave the FiOS network offline overnight to timeout the DHCP reservation / mac entry on Verizon side, then remove all mac cloning on my firewall (pfsense cloning quantum gw mac) and quantum gw (cloning pfsense interface mac). I tried mac cloning multiple times after having properly released IP from quantum gw prior to any config change, but was never able to reacquire an IP on pfsense behind quantum gw with any combination of cloning settings.

raidensix

I tried this and it works (sort of). My router (Ubuiquiti USG) is able to get the public IP address and internet works. The problem is as soon as I plug in the cable from the router lan port to the Quantum Gateway lan port, internet stops working and the set top boxes still have no guide access.

ExtremeSkiBum

Were you able to get this this to work? I have the similar setup, UniFi USG with Quantum Gateway. Here is how my equipment is setup:

ONT cat 6 to USG WAN port

USG ethernet port to NetGear switch

NetGear switch to Quantum Gateway's WAN port.

My STB was able to receive the channel guide but I can't the VOD to work yet. I just set this up last night, I'll be working on this again later tonight afterwork.

Mister914

Did you ever get VOD to play because I am stuck at this as well and can not get to play back on my STBs..

ernestr

I was able to get VOD to work without MAC Cloning. Here is what I did from a stock setup with Ethernet (CAT 5e) from the ONT providing 150 Mbps speed to the Quantum Gateway, and COAX connected to the Quantum Gateway for the STBs.

I used the quantum gateway's web interface to release the WAN DHCP lease and immediately disconnected the ethernet cable. I then connected the ethernet to a port on my home firewall that is configured to recieve a public IP via DHCP. I waited a few minutes and then checked to see if the ONT gave me an IP. It did. You should be able to replicate this with any Wireless AP.

I then connected a switch to the LAN port of my firewall, enabled the firewall's internal (LAN) DHCP server, and connected the Quantum Gateway's WAN port to the switch.

After this, I connected my laptop to one of the Quantum Gateway's LAN ports and was able to browse to the internet. I then navigated to the Administrative Web Interface, and confirmed that it could still communicte with the STBs. FInally, I disabled the Quantum Gateway's wireless. VOD plays on the STB's fine.

Pingdom17

Worked like a charm, thanks so much for posting this!

Cmotaval

Thanks everyone..I fillowed the guides here and have the g1100 bridged. Remote dvr was a nice surprise to see working. WHen I logged back into the q1100 I can see most of my netgears lan devices. Are they supposed to show up there?

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