Issues with G3100 Losing Connection

[toomanydrops]

Hi all, have a G3100 and experience intermittent lag/drops from the router itself losing connection to the internet.  This has been ongoing for a couple months.  Today I replaced it with my old Quantum 1100 and have had solid connection all day.  Do I have a bad G3100?  I tried it both native wireless and with an eero system bridged, all with the same experience.

[dslr595148]

#1 While we get that you have FIOS Internet, do you also have FIOS TV?

#2 How are the computers connected to the router? If there are computers by wire and others by wireless, say by saying mixed.

[toomanydrops]

For my network:

#1  Yes I do have FIOS TV One with all 3 boxes connected via coaxial

#2 Yes my network has mixed connections

When I lose internet the network stays up and devices are connected, the admin page shows "Disconnected" on Connection Status

[dslr595148]

#1 Do you have your own separate NAT Router?

#2 Note this could be a hardware router or turning a spare computer into acting as a NAT router (use google or otherwise and lookup: DIY router).

#3 If you still have your old FIOS router (Quantum 1100) around, why not:

a) Use the Quantum 1100 to handle the connection to the net.

b) and if you want to use the newer router, why not use it only for the wireless connection?

I ask part b, since I see that the Quantum 1100 is only Wireless AC and your newer router is Wireless 6 (AX).

As how to do part b, it goes like this but not including how to switch from the G3100 to the 1100 as your primary NAT router.

#1 In the primary NAT router (1100):

a) Find the DHCP Range

b) Adjust the Range as need be so that it does not occupy the whole subnet.

For example with the primary IP Address 192.168.1.1 with the subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, the first DHCP Address that it handles out is 192.168.1.2 and the last DHCP Address that it handles out is 192.168.1.254 - then you could change the the first DHCP Address that it handles out so that it is 192.168.1.00.

#2 For the secondary NAT router (G3100) have it disconnected at this step (both from the net and from the primary NAT router) and then:

a) Set it's LAN IP Address with the same Subnet as the primary but outside of the DHCP Range of the Primary router's DHCP Range.

For example with the primary IP Address 192.168.1.1 with the subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, the first DHCP Address that it handles out is 192.168.1.100 and the last DHCP Address that it handles out is 192.168.1.254 - then the other router's LAN IP Address could be 192.168.1.6

c) Disable the DHCP Server in the second RJ-45 WAN port NAT router.

#3 Once you make those changes, now you can connect both of those routers together but this time LAN to LAN.

#4 Profit 🙂

[harley8004]

I seem to miss something with this fix. If the G3100 is having issues and the solution you're suggesting is to do all this work around, then why keep the G3100? Obviously, there's a problem that Verizon needs to address immediately with this router.  Just saying

[Corsair1]

I am on my second G3100 router, both brand new, and am continuing to have the same problems:

- After working great for a day or two (sometimes less), WiFi connections drop on both our phones and laptop computers (2 of each). Sometimes they come back on their own, other times I have to reset the router. When it is working, speed and range are excellent.

- When the WiFi is down, ethernet connections at the router still work.

- Sometimes my Pixel 3XL phone will repeatedly toggle between full WiFi connectivity (icon no less than 3/4 full) and disconnected. It will do this about once a minute.

- We also have issues where our computer or phone Sonos apps periodically cannot connect to our Sonos system. Usually they eventually connect on their own, but then they might unexpectedly drop again. Most times Sonos works fine, but those are not the times you remember!

- We have Fios TV (no issues).  

Summary: I upgraded my service, including this router, in Dec. 2019. I have seen its potential, but am dismayed by the router's unreliable service. I work from home (sounds familiar?) and got disconnected in the middle of a teleconference today. Not good, and not what I am paying for! Any recommendations would be appreciated. I am only moderately knowledgeable about issues like this.

[smith6612]

Try turning off the SON feature. Some devices don't like Access Point Steering and Band Steering.

[gbsand81]

How do I turn off the SON feature?

[Martino2]

I did this (turned off SON) and it worked for about 3 weeks perfectly, then again disconnected and/or was connected without internet. Very frustrating.

[Mo_Rada]

The problem is likely correlated to the DHCP table bug. If the device hostname connecting to the router has a space in it, you will either not get a DHCP IP at all, or it will eventually drop your lease. (exa. John's Iphone vs John Doe's iPhone)

Adjust your device name for spaces, substitute with "_" and see if that helps.

[Pwattas]

i have had the exact same experience. So frustrating since we also cut the cable cord and the TVs are impacted too

[SANMAN2145]

I replaced Comcast with Verizon FIOS several weeks ago and have been having simlar problems every day since.

The symptoms I experience, daily, are: my one wired connection always remains connected (until I reboot my router, of course) while every single one of my other connected devices (all wireless, of course) experience daily (or even more frequent) problems.  When Internet connectivity is available, my connection speeds/performance are acceptable (depending on device capability, they range from 200 to 650 Mbps download and 200-400 Mbps upload).

For a short time (initially, right after switching from Comcast to Verizon FIOS), I did have intermittent performance and basic wireless router connectivity problems but not since I set my router Wi-Fi modes for 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz both to "Compatibility" modes.  However, every day, at least once a day and often more, all of my devices (FireTV, laptops, desktops, iPADs, PlayStation, TVs, Blu-Ray players, Android phones - i.e., every device) enter a state reporting NO INTERNET CONNECTIVITY even though they can all (often) still "see" and remain connected to the router.

Rebooting the router resolves the issue until it enters the same state, once again.  Usually, if it's a "once a day" problem for that day, the problem happens sometime overnight because that's when it seems that I always have to reboot the router to restore Internet connectivity.  Also, fairly often, I can't even see the router anymore (from any device).

Everything has been completely replaced (i.e., router, ONT, Ethernet cable between router and ONT, etc.) at least once - the router twice.

I even disconnected all of my Ethernet over power devices and a couple of Netgear switches because the Verizon technicians suggested they were causing problems.  Some of those technicians, however, did not even know their equipment, telling me that it was a problem that the Ethernet port LEDs on the G3100 stopped working, for example (this is a normal behavior for the G3100 after a short period of time - I guess to preserve power?  Anyway, it is not a problem or an indication of a problem).

The symptoms definitely do not correlate to any local interference in my home - and my neighbors are too far away to be causing me much of a problem - and I have looked at the overlap and signal strengths of those during the problem periods and nothing jumps out at me saying it is a problem.  Also, the physical location of all of the most frequently used (and most problematic) devices never change - including two of my laptops.  I get 650 Mbps download and 380 Mbps upload from my Wi-Fi 6 capable devices consistently when Internet connectivity exists (based on a variety of speed testing tools - including Verizon, Comcast, Fast.com, OOKLA (speedtest.com), etc.).

I am about to revert back to Comcast for the sheer stability that I always experienced when using my own Netgear AC1900 model C7000 cable modem router.  I thought it would be "nice" to have Gigabit connectivity but NOT at the price of such ridiculous instability.  I never cared that many of my devices (especially those connected via Ethernet over power to/through 100 Mbps switches) could not achieve any better than about 85-90 Mbps.  But I usually experienced very good availability.  The only time I had problems was when physical issues arose (blown power booster, GFI-circuits in my home causing problems with the booster, somebody messing with the cable junction boxes down the street, etc.).

Of course, it could be something with the Verizon network - e.g., not allowing/maintaining connection with my router for some reason unrelated to basic capability and, instead, related to permissions or policy or configuration or something like this.  In my opinion, whatever the case, Verizon engineers should be focused on my issue and those with similar problems - to resolve the availability problems that so many of us are, apparently, experiencing.  Instead, folks with the same level of technical knowledge (and abilities) keep appearing when I call and they leave without diagnosing and resolving the root cause of the problem.  I have to keep calling and calling and am tired of investing my time in solving their problem.  They should RESOLVE the problem or prove to me that it is NOT THEIR EQUIPMENT / NETWORK / ETC.

Personally, I think it is the G3100, in my case, but that's a wild-**bleep** guess, since I am not an electronics engineer.

VERIZON: Please send devote some time and effort to gather "deep diagnostics" on my situation so that the root cause can be explained and so that an engineering solution (perhaps, as simple as a firmware change!!!) can be developed to make FIOS at least as stable and available as Comcast has been for years, now!!!

[tpcaz]

I just wanted to reply after reading your post and wanted to let you know you are not alone. I received my GE 3100 on May 12th thinking it would be a great upgrade from the 1100. I have had nothing but problems ever since. My desktop works one day and then the next it doesn't. The same thing with other devices in the house. I've centrally located my 3100 router and it's in the exact same place the 1100 was. there is an obvious problem with a router that is supposed to outperform the previous versions and yet continues to create problems. I have spent all day today trying everything that is been recommended, and I guarantee you tomorrow I'll be starting all over again.

[Zoar]

Does the issue go away if you reboot the router? 

Do you have any other switches/routers on your network? 

I think this 3100 is very sensitive to any conflicts on the network.  Probably has something to do with the on-the-fly switching it does for it's wireless connections.  Or some underlying tech that supports that.  If you have an IP conflict that shuts this router right down.  Rebooting fixed it for me when it was happening to me, and of course, because on reboot, the devices that were conflicting just took another IP address.  That is until the offending device reboot also.

Ever since I took that other router off my network, the issue has gone away.  Something else that may have helped/resolve my issue is they switched me from Coaxial connection to LAN connection from the POTs box to my router.  How are you connected?

[Warbler1]

Your post resonated with me. I’m having the same problem and I am not only tired of calling to reset the ONT, I am also tired of being told that “your internet has been on we can’t see a problem”. I insist over and over again the router is losing connection randomly and it seems like a router issue. After 2 hours on hold to connect with a technician I was told by the (very nice) technician who wanted to help to Disable the Self-Organizing Network and to assign my work computer to the 2.4Ghz signal an maintain my TV, cell phone, and personal laptop on the 5Ghz signal. He believed this would help and said that the router was basically hopping between each signal according to best strength available, so in disabling it I would prevent the router from auto switching. This apparently did not resolve the issue and I have now been disconnected via the router for 1 hour (usually it’s between a minute to 30). I am BEYOND frustrated. I am losing productivity at work. It is not an appropriate solution or helpful to be told I simply need to hard wire into the ONT. First of all that’s not possible due to the layout of my house and the hardwire into the house from Verizon’s exterior line, secondly I’m not going to continue to rent a faulty piece of equipment.

im increasingly discouraged to learn that even a newer device (assuming I got a lemon) is likely to be an issue as well. Unacceptable, Verizon. Do better. If all of us are having this much trouble then there’s something going on here...

[Edrockvz]

I just made a long post about this. Glad to see I'm not the only one. The post about a particular laptop causing issues was particularly intriguing. If I have time this week I'll see if mine is a specific device and do some packet captures to see if the issue can be narrowed. 

See my long post for details, but in my case the router starts to drop packets when bandwidth exceeds 300+mbs total. From the way the router is behaving and dropping packets under load, it almost seems as though it's creating some sort of internal route loop. 

If everyone who has the g3100 could post there exact setups, it could be helpful. For example mine:

G3100 on Ethernet WAN connection with FiOS gigabit service

All 4 Ethernet LAN ports populated, 3 @ 1gig and 1 at 100mbs

2 e3200 mesh nodes using coax backhaul, no devices attached to their Ethernet ports

1 Verizon moca 2.5 Ethernet bridge with 3 1gb Ethernet devices attached

One wifi 6 smartphone attached, everything else is 802.11g/n/ac

Both 2.4 and 5ghz networks are on compatibility mode, son, qmm and powersave enabled, dfs disabled. 

[Zoar]

Edrockvz, I just saw your post after replying to the guy before you. 

I don't know what they are exactly, but those: 2 e3200 mesh nodes using coax backhaul and 1 Verizon moca 2.5 Ethernet bridge, may be the culprits.   I put all my money on one of these devices. 

My issue was my linksys router I was using as a bridge was trying to give out IPs to the devices connected via cat5 to them, and Linksys uses the same IP scheme as the 3100, so Boom, the first device, sometimes my work laptop, got a duplicate IP as something else assigned it by the 3100, and the 3100 didn't know what to do so it hung.

When I was rebooting my 3100, the linksys didn't reboot, and the device that had the conflict IP from the 3100 got a new IP with the reboot, and viola, no more issues for the day. 

For you I would start with taking those devices off the network, and see what happens. 

[Edrockvz]

Appreciate the tips. I'm confident I have no other routers or DHCP enabled devices on my lan. In this case, it's not an IP conflict, its litterally the g3100 dropping packets (and killing sessions) then rebounding. The e3200 is Verizon's official mesh extender nodes for the g3100. The moca adapter bridge is Verizon's official moca 2.5 coax to Ethernet bridge. All these devices rely on the g3100 for IP addressing. 

I did a few packet traces and interestingly enough just prior to my router starting to drop packets the traces show a large number of out of order packet errors. This seems to go along with my theory of a route loop. I suspect it has something to do with how the g3100 does igmp proxying but I'm not certain. I only know enough about that level of networking to be dangerous vs helpful. 😁 But I'll keep looking around. 

I've already run a scan against my internal network to ensure I don't have any devices I "forgot" about as well as did a physical survey of all cabled endpoints. 

[Zoar]

One thing I didn't mention, was my early troubleshooting.  This may help you.  reboot the router, but before you do, disconnect all devices from the wireless.  Your goal is to reboot the router and have just one device on the network.  Work for a while,  ok?  add another device.  In your case I'd wait the 30 minutes. 

By doing this, you may find the offender.  Remember to include any other routers or switches you have on your network, like I had.  (and which was my offender) 

You can monitor this by going into the myfiosgateway.com router maintenance menu, and view your network connections.  When I did this, I just had my desktop connected via cat5, and fios TV cablebox, which you can't really 'turn off'.  Then I added my work laptop, etc.

Maybe this will help you find the offender.  Something is causing the issue, and for me it didn't matter if it was wireless or wired, so don't waste your time with any wireless troubleshooting, unless you are ONLY having wireless issues.

[Mae27]

Wow.  I'm not the only one!!!   Problems since I got the G3100 and then a second... on the phone or chat with verizon all the time.  Upgraded to their premium technical service (24/7) but still on hold forever.   Some very nice people but I have had so many issues not resolved.    Was thinking of switching everything.  Even went to neighbors garage to do work yesterday to borrow their connection and remain socially distant 

[SpiderOnTheWeb]

The 3100 and 3200 are just trash. I'm hating life that I spent $500 on them. I should have gone with the Ubiquity like my conscience told me. 

I have lost countless hours of productivity, and in troubleshooting the problems for Verizon. This has been going on for months.

We've replaced the CAT-6, and ONT, removed my other networks (backup wifi AP, and a Dummy Switch for running my HCI). I've got roughly ~20 connected Wi-Fi devices, and SON. I have 1 TV hooked via Cat-6 into the 3200 Eth1 (3200 is using MoCA). I have 1 Wireless Smart Bridge Connected (Lutron) to the 3100. I've done my 4th or 5th Reset (when I get sick of reboots). 

Firmware Version:Hardware Version: 1.3.6.27 / 1103