Port Forwarding, Fios Home Router G3100 doesn't work

[Boredom]

I recently (last week) upgraded my old Actiontec router (MI424WR Rev 1) to the Quantum router, model Number G3100. Prior to the upgrade, I had port forwarding configured for RDP and several other applications. After the upgrade, and setting the same forwarding rules, I cannot RDP into any machines using my external IP address, but I can still access them using their internal addresses.

I've tried configuring multiple ports, directly connecting one of the machines to the Quantum router, disabling the firewall on the router entirely to allow all inbound connections, and nothing appears to work. There are no log entries in the router's firewall logs either, which I find somewhat suspect.

I have also tried disabling the machine's firewall (the one I want to RDP into) to rule it out as the cause. That had no effect, and the firewall logs (before I disabled it) do not show any DENY packets for inbound RDP connections, so I'm 99.99999% that it isn't the machine configuration. Plus, it works from internal connections.

I've also tried opening a different port, not RDP, and have the same results. I can access it (a simple TCP listener app) internally, but I cannot access it using my public IP address and mapped port (9999 in this case).

Here is a photo of the current configuration of the RDP mapping. This same configuration worked prior to the upgrade.

[dslr595148]

See if the port is open from the outside.

#1 This could mean using a port checker.

An example of a web based port checker, is

https://www.yougetsignal.com/tools/open-ports/

If you use a web based port checker, be sure that:

the server is in the listening state and you are forwarding the ports that you want to check.

If you use an inbound client side port checker like http://www.pcwintech.com/simple-port-tester or from https://portforward.com/help/portcheck.htm then be sure that:

you are forwarding the ports that you want to check and the server that you are trying to forward is NOT in the listening state.

Stated reason that the server that you make sure the server trying to forward is NOT in the listening state when using an inbound client side port checker, when using this kind of port checker - it will try to listen on that port and you can not have two servers listening on the same port at the same time.

#2 Or you can have someone try to connect from the outside. When they do this, it does not have to be for RDP if desired - it just has to be server of sorts.

[JoeBo1]

This is a nice generic answer that totally ignores the issue, similar to asking if my router is turned on.

I do appreciate the other answers that confirm that this is a deficiency in a new firmware release, prior to us getting this new router, and there is a bizarre workaround by putting the IP of itself into the DNS?? Thus undermining the operation of the DDNS partially. Will try that in a bit.

Sorry, but generic answers that totally ignore the problem drive me crazy..

[alecjacobryan · Accepted solution]

After entering your dynamic dns, go to DNS Server.  Enter your dynamic dns (blah.duckdns.org) and your internal IP address for the device you want to reach.  This does not solve the port forwarding issue, but actually works without having to forward any ports.

[JoeBo1]

Clever! But in my case, there several PC's as destinations. Since the webcams reside on one, it would work for that. However, the owner yanked the G3100 and put her G1100 in, so everything is back to running just fine. (Years ago, I played with a free utility that would forward ports on a pc, so I could look that up and have it on that PC and do forwarding from it.) But saving the rental money and having things work right made more sense.

I did walk around the edge of the property gauging signal strength and found the G3100 up to 10db stronger in some places, but plenty of signal from the G1100. So, she saves the $15/mon rental for the G3100 and avoids the quirk.

[Grim1]

I have the same issue on the same device. It worked fine a few weeks ago and broke during the interim. You can hit the forwarding port on the G3100 and it responds but no traffic makes it to the destination device. My theory is something in a firmware update broke whatever IP forwarding they were doing. Their staff did not know when the current firmware update was applied nor how to roll back. 

[bkahn1]

I am having the same issue trying to set up DuckDNS.org to Home Assistant, which should get me an SSL connection to my internal server if port forwarding worked properly. This all worked on the previous router. 

[TomGMiner]

Has anyone gotten a resolution to this problem ? I am employed in the Network/VOIP field and I set up port forwarding all the time on various equipment and something is definitely broken with this g3100 firmware. Just to add - setting my server static ip as dmz host, security to "low" adding port forwarding, port triggering, etc... and i still can not access it from the outside - I also confirmed that my "A" record for my domain is working, dns resolves ip so whether I use my public ip address or domain it just doesn't work

[Sideshowbob2331]

You need to go into the DNS Server screen and add an entry for the public DNS name mapped to the IP you're forwarding to. Don't ask me why but found on another forum and it worked.  Bug in their software somewhere.  

[JoeBo1]

Hmm, if I understood, I enter blah.duckdns.org 173.xx.yy.zz, my external IP, into the DNS server and I can then access my stuff from inside the house. It didn't work for me. I have http https ftp a couple rdp's and a multi webcam server. I tried a couple after adding the entry. FYI,  G3100 firmware is version 1.3.6.27.

Because she is paying Verizon for this G3100 and it is demented and the G1100 that she owns does work properly, unless there is a real coverage boost with the G3100 as Verizon claims, and I've only seen a couple more db, it's going back to Verizon. 

Thanks for the reply and confirmation of the problem!

[Spirit757]

We have the G1100 quantum gateway, and I have never been able to get it to port forward from within the interior LAN.  This has been frustrating as it works just fine outside from the cellular data network.   But to be fair, I'm not actually using port forwards in the traditional sense.  All I have is the DMZ redirecting everything to a secondary interior router.  When my smartphone is connected to either the G1100 or the interior router, I cannot use the G1100 public IP to reach the DMZ server and access its port forwards.  I wish it did work..   Maybe it does with the old Actiontec router (MI424WR Rev 1) the OP was referring to.

[JoeBo1]

Friend just moved and the new place has a new Verizon G3100 router. So, I set up the forwarding ports to be the same as the old G1100 router. After troubleshooting, I gave up and talked with Verizon techs and found that the G3100 blocks connections going out and coming back in so you cannot test ports that you set up! That sucks but is manageable.

However, far worse, it means anything that you set up on your laptop or phone to get to "your place" will fail if you are actually at your place. Example: I have an app set up to view 8 cameras on site. I use DDNS to get there, which used to work no matter where I was, at home, on the road, etc. No longer, As soon as I'm in wifi reach of the G3100, it blocks my access!! So, I'm supposed to have 2 different apps set up to view cameras depending upon if I am near the G3100? Let's say you are Honeywell and have a G3100 in your office. You want to look at your wifi thermostat? You need a server in the cloud to access it because the G3100 (unlike any other router I know, the G1100, D-Link, etc) will block you from using a DDNS address (or your official Honeywell address) inside its realm.

Did I miss something? I suspect the G3100 wasn't all that tested or thought out - because in guessing that I might need to reboot to get port forwarding to work, the G3100 blocked all outgoing connections except from the router's diagnostic ping, after reboot! The tech had to reset the router to factory to get it to allow outgoing connections..??

OK, what did I miss? Time to rip out the G3100 and put the old G1100 in its place to get a proper working router?

[KingCanova]

This is the exact problem I am having, thank you for clearing this up I thought I was losing my mind!

[gaby67]

I have the exact problem. I open one HTTP/TCP port and I am unable to access it from my smartphone with http://MyDdnsHost:12345 - I get connection refused. Firewall log is enabled but none is showing any incoming requests.

Is anyone fixing this issue?

[JoeBo1]

Since you are using your smartphone,  turn off wifi and try again. It should work. This is the problem with the G3100, it won't allow you to connect the same way from inside as outside.

I have received a suggestion from elsewhere that didn't work. So far no fixes.

[gaby67]

If wifi is on, the smartphone browser is showing:
Hmmm... can't reach this page
<web site address> is not allowing us to get to the site
ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED

I turn wifi OFF (I'm with T-mobile), browser is showing:
Hmmm... can't reach this page
<web site address> tool too long to respond
ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT

Interestingly different error message!

[dbissonnette61]

As of today they still have not fixed it.  On my second G3100 and no port forwarding.  Also parental control is grayed out.  I spoke with advanced router support and they said that HW version 1102 works.  But no one in support or sales knows how to go backwards on HW versions.  So we wait.

[JoeBo1]

I suspect your problem with wifi off is separate from the G3100 problem. DDNS not pointing to correct IP, you put in wrong IP directly or port forwarding was not set up or incorrectly set up. 

[gaby67]

I move my server to the DMZ Host.

With Wifi off on smartphone, I am able to access the web site http://WebName:12345 but with Wifi on, I get ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT. My DDNS is working fine.

[gaby67]

Because of this port forwarding bug, should I return G3100 router? The port forwarding on my previous router (Fios Quantum Gateway) is still working.

Regardless the port forwarding, which router is better?

Here is the picture of Fios Quantum Gateway:
https://www.verizon.com/support/residential/internet/equipment/routers

[JoeBo1]

Verizon claims that the G3100 is wonderful with great coverage and throughput. I didn't check the G1100 but the previous owned router checking signal strength walking around the house/yard and found the G3100 giving 10 to 20 db more signal. Like -50 vs -70, etc. I plugged in the G1100, but didn't get a chance to compare it and left that to the owner. 

My assumption is that it won't be fixed any more than bugs in my Verizon phones or tablets have been fixed. Unless there are enough people dumping the G3100, and I'm guessing that is a small number, assuming most remote access is to devices via the cloud and not directly to your home, thus no problem.

In my friend's case, I expect it to go back because the signal is fine with the G1100, and her other 2 old routers (used as passthrough wifi points) and she owns it but is renting the G3100.