New GT784WNV Router Keeps Losing Connection in Severn, Maryland Area
DSL-user-in-MD

I got a new GT784WNV router from Verizon.  I used to have a Westell 6100G setting up as a PPPoE to my Belkin 300N router, and they worked very well.   However, about a month ago, Verizon forced me upgraded it and charged me $5/mo  more for 3Mbps and a Verizon Actiontec GT784WNV DSL Modem-Router and said it is the minimum requirements for home DSL Internet in Severn, Baltimore, Maryland area.

Since then, I keeps on having internet connectivity problem: disconnected or dupple IP addressed or Power/DSL/Internet lights were on but no Internet connection.  I rebooted  or  I reset the modem and it would work for a while  but eventually i would lose all internet connectivity including Wi-Fi quickly like 20 to an hour or so. I have talked to customer support several times and they suggested resetting the router, rebooting, etc. Either way, they dont seem to be able to permanently fix the issue.

I unsuccessfullly set the DSL Router 784 to use as PPPoE for my Belkin router.  I Google search about the GT784 and found that I cannot set PPPoE to my own  router but the built-in one!   Please help me to resolve this problem because Verizon tech support couldn't help me any further!

Thank you in advance for your help.

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Re: New GT784WNV Router Keeps Losing Connection in Severn, Maryland Area
ccg3
Enthusiast - Level 2

Did Verizon send you another Actiontec?  It seems to me that the modem/router is defective if it keeps losing network connectivity.  However, to isolate the problem to the Actiontec, disconnect your Belkin from the network and just use the Actiontec as the router to see if the problem persists.  If it does, the Actiontec may be defective.  Also, ask Verizon to check your DSL connection and line to make sure it is working properly.

I do not have an Actiontec yet, but one is being shipped to me as I speak.  I currently have a Westell 327w that I am using in bridge mode and have my Apple Airport Extreme handle the PPOE.  Putting the Westell in bridge mode is fairly simple.  When I get the Actiontec, I will see if it can be put into bridge mode and what the steps would be.

I will post again when I get the Actiontec and test it out on my network.

Re: New GT784WNV Router Keeps Losing Connection in Severn, Maryland Area
DSL-user-in-MD

Thank you for your response.  I talked to Verizon, but the problems are randomly, and Verizon indicated that this DSL modem is the best one they would have for me.   I cannot setup successfully the ActionTec PPPoE together with my Belkin.  So at this time, no Belkin in my network and the problems are still randomly happened, once since awhile it seems to be severe, but then it could stay OKfor more than an hour!  It could be that it is the nature of Verizon ISP quality.  I am stuck with Verizon because my area does not have cable tv Comcast and any other ISP services.

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Re: New GT784WNV Router Keeps Losing Connection in Severn, Maryland Area
ccg3
Enthusiast - Level 2

Since you indicate that the Belkin is not connected to the network the problem is either with the ActionTec modem/router, the quality of the line or DSL service from Verizon or, possibly, your in house wiring.  If Verizon has checked the line to your house and the DSL signal and found them to be ok, we could rule that out. (You did not say if those were checked by Verizon).  Has Verizon offered to replace your router to see if that is the problem?  If not, I would ask them to do that just to make sure that it is not a faulty Actiontec.

I would check other people in your neighborhood that have Verizon DSL and see if they are having similar problems and what kind of DSL speed they are getting (the speed would depend on the package you ordered).  If no one else is having the problems you are having, I would have either an electrician or a telephone repair person check your house lines to make sure that they are not creating the problem.

If none of the above helps, when I receive my ActionTek modem and determine it is working properly for me, I would be willing to send you my Vderizon Westell 327W that has worked flawlessly for me for many years.  Maybe the Westell would work better for you.

By the way, I am a network technician (now semi-retired) and have set up many wireless networks for friends and customers, so I have had to deal with all kinds of problems getting them to work properly.  Hopefully, a solution can be found for your problem.

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Re: New GT784WNV Router Keeps Losing Connection in Severn, Maryland Area
DSL-user-in-MD

I am so happy to know you are a network engineer and thank you for your help.  Thank you for your valuable recommendations, too. After numerous experiments, discussions with Verizon, observations, tests, thinking, reasoning, etc.; here is my conclusion: it is the quality of Verizon DSL service! Verizon has a big scalability problem.  This weekend was a very quiet weekend: no national, international scandals, no big news, and no big sport events, the ActionTec was doing fine, only down one or two times. It was the same about 3 weeks ago.  However, when those big events occurred, the DSL line was down in just like every 20 minutes. Verizon should design the DSL service for scalability because it would cost Verizon big if they try to “repair” or keep on “replace” the DSL modems, but the problem still remain the same everywhere.

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Re: New GT784WNV Router Keeps Losing Connection in Severn, Maryland Area
DSL-user-in-MD

OK, here is a list of problems with the Actiontec, and I hope Verizon would take some "actions" about its "Actiontec" too:

1. The DSL looks very  cools, but it is often getting overheated and becomes very unstable.

 

2. When the traffic is very busy or the internet speed drops really slow, the DSL drops the Internet connection without retrying the connection like other DSL modems.  This is a very bad design. You must either reboot (using Actiontec Utility) or turn off the DSL modem, then turn it on again to reset.  Many nights, the connection dropped for ever overnight until I came back and reset it!

 

3. It has a bug: alert IP address duplication but every thing in my network had been setting up as "Obtain an IP address automatically".

 

4. In my area,   Verizon network is not scalable.  As I indicated in the previous post, on a busy day, the modem drops very very often.

 

 

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Re: New GT784WNV Router Keeps Losing Connection in Severn, Maryland Area
ccg3
Enthusiast - Level 2

Sorry for not replying earlier - I was out of town.

From my experiences with Verizon DSL, my Westell 327W never dropped the DSL connection due to heavy traffic.  Additionally, I have rarely had my speed decrease no matter the time of day or amount of traffic.  The Westell has been rock solid only needing a rare power cylce due to slow speeds. I don't know what bandwidth Verizon has in Maryland or even here in southern Massachusetts, but your DSL speed should not slow down that much.  DSL is not like cable that slows down when more people are accessing it.  Your DSL is a dedicated connection.  What speed package do you have from Verizon? Their basic package is pretty slow.  Also, your distance from the switching station will affect the speed that you will get.

I just received an Actiontec modem and will set it up this weekend to test it.  I have read reports from other users that have had problems with the Actiontec needing to be reset, etc. etc.  After I run it for a while, I will report my experiences.  Please note that I will be using the Actiontec as a modem only.  My Apple Airport Extreme handles the PPOE and DCHP.  So, if it is a purely modem problem, it should show up.

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Re: New GT784WNV Router Keeps Losing Connection in Severn, Maryland Area
DSL-user-in-MD

Thank you very much for keeping me informed.   Please let me know if you were successfully or not in setting the Actiontec as a PPPoE and your Apple as a router.  Based on my observations, I concluded that the whole network system configuration for the Severn Maryland area is having a serious scalability problem, not my DSL line is sharing with other users or is not a dedicated line.  All DSL "modems" dropped the line once in a while  due to numerous different reasons but in my area it is due to scalability.

 

The  problem with this Actiontect is that it does not have the capability to retry the connection process when the line is dropped.  Other people and I have to reset it by rebooting, by turn the Actionet off, by unpluging, etc.  All Verizon needed to do is to release another Actiontec version that would include in the firmware a loop on reconnection the line until reconnected.

 

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Re: New GT784WNV Router Keeps Losing Connection in Severn, Maryland Area
DSL-user-in-MD

How are you doing wth your new DSL GT784? Please let me know if you were successfully or not in setting the Actiontec as a PPPoE and your Apple as a router.

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