Resolved F1000 Modem and AirPort Extreme Router

[tevion5]

I am trying to use my 5th Gen AE with an Eircom provided F1000 Router/Modem.

I have the F1000 set up in bridge mode and for about a week, everything was fine. Then, after opening a new port on the AE, everything suddenly stopped working. No matter what I do, the AirPort extreme will simply not work when I give it the correct PPPoE info.

I have factory reset both devices a few times to no avail. Oddly, when the F1000 is in bridge mode, I can still connect to it and use it to access the internet from any device! Also, despite having a static IP address, when in bridge mode, the F1000 invents it's own external and internal IP address out of nowhere! They are bizarre, something like "95.64.23.256". Not a normal "10.x", or 192.x" or the other common one. My external IP should always be a static 86.xxx.xx.xxx or whatever. Also the internal IP of the F1000 is a usual 192.168.1.254 when in routing, but becomes a very obscure number when in bridge. ALSO, when the F1000 is in bridge, I cannot access it's control panel via the usual IP dialling in a browser. This coincides with it's IP changing. When I try to dial the new address it gives itself, I still get nothing.

My ISP, Eircom, keep referring my to people who quite frankly haven't a notion in hell about NAT or PPPoE or VDSL2 or Bridging.

I need my AirPort Extreme to work with my many AirPort Expresses and I host 2 FTP servers, a Website and Game Server. The AirPort utility is just beautiful in how I can change port configs and DHCP settings from my iPhone. I'm not using some cheap ISP piece of crap instead.


So I plead to you, if anyone has had success with an AirPort Extreme and Eircom's lousy F1000 router, please tell me how you achieved that miracle. Thank you!

 

[Altemose]

I am trying to use my 5th Gen AE with an Eircom provided F1000 Router/Modem.

I have the F1000 set up in bridge mode and for about a week, everything was fine. Then, after opening a new port on the AE, everything suddenly stopped working. No matter what I do, the AirPort extreme will simply not work when I give it the correct PPPoE info.

I have factory reset both devices a few times to no avail. Oddly, when the F1000 is in bridge mode, I can still connect to it and use it to access the internet from any device! Also, despite having a static IP address, when in bridge mode, the F1000 invents it's own external and internal IP address out of nowhere! They are bizarre, something like "95.64.23.256". Not a normal "10.x", or 192.x" or the other common one. My external IP should always be a static 86.xxx.xx.xxx or whatever. Also the internal IP of the F1000 is a usual 192.168.1.254 when in routing, but becomes a very obscure number when in bridge. ALSO, when the F1000 is in bridge, I cannot access it's control panel via the usual IP dialling in a browser. This coincides with it's IP changing. When I try to dial the new address it gives itself, I still get nothing.

My ISP, Eircom, keep referring my to people who quite frankly haven't a notion in hell about NAT or PPPoE or VDSL2 or Bridging.

I need my AirPort Extreme to work with my many AirPort Expresses and I host 2 FTP servers, a Website and Game Server. The AirPort utility is just beautiful in how I can change port configs and DHCP settings from my iPhone. I'm not using some cheap ISP piece of crap instead.


So I plead to you, if anyone has had success with an AirPort Extreme and Eircom's lousy F1000 router, please tell me how you achieved that miracle. Thank you!

Since the Eircom modem is in bridge mode it is essentially a pass through of your public (global) IPv4 address directly to the LAN port. The 95.xxx.xxx.xxx is your public IP and unfortunately doesn't seem to be set to the right static IP you are paying for. It is is possible that in the process of looking over the settings and whatnot Eircom screwed up your public IP.

The modem is properly bridged but is not set up for your account correctly. When resetting the AirPort what settings does it automatically set itself to?

 

[tevion5]

Since the Eircom modem is in bridge mode it is essentially a pass through of your public (global) IPv4 address directly to the LAN port. The 95.xxx.xxx.xxx is your public IP and unfortunately doesn't seem to be set to the right static IP you are paying for. It is is possible that in the process of looking over the settings and whatnot Eircom screwed up your public IP.

The modem is properly bridged but is not set up for your account correctly. When resetting the AirPort what settings does it automatically set itself to?

Thank you for your suggestion.

This is going to sound dumb, but after weeks of hardship, everything is working again...

I was convinced the settings were correct everywhere, but still it didn't work. So I used the F1000 to access the internet on my iPhone and MacBook and left everything as it is. Instead of giving up again and putting the AE in DHCP as a client, I left it in the correct PPPoE setup out of frustration.

After maybe 3 hours I tell you, the F1000 suddenly stopped providing internet access. The AirPort Extreme began reporting that all systems were go and it had it's correct External IP and could access the internet! Green lights everywhere!

This is where things get odd.

• The moment it started working, I tried to load a web page via the AirPort network. It took ages. But it did work. It was slower than dial-up and I just upgraded to a fibre connection so I thought something was wrong. I took a speed test and discovered I had a download speed of 40kBps, upload of 7kBps and a ping of 900+. But AirPort utility was reporting that everything was fine.
  
  15 minutes later, and my download speed was 150kBps. Then in half an hour it was 400. Then, almost an hour later, it was it's full 833kBps with a Ping of 23.
  
  Apparently AirPort networks need to do warm up exercises or something. To me and my few years of networking experience, this is baffling.
  
  
• On a slightly less bizarre note, my external IP is it's correct static address as reported by a quick google as well as the AirPort Extreme in Airport utility. However, oddly, when I select the Globe icon in AirPort Utility, the "Router Address" given is one of the crazy made up numbers the the F1000 likes to invent.
  
  Strangely, this number appears to have no significance and all DHCP clients in the house are being routed by the AirPort Extreme and it's usual "10.x.x.x" scheme. My external IP is also correct in every respect and routing is totally disabled on the F1000. Not a practical issue, but curious as to why AirPort utility reports this no less.

All my servers are back in action and the AirPort Extreme is back in charge of this domain. The cure apparently, is patience.

 

[Altemose]

Thank you for your suggestion.

This is going to sound dumb, but after weeks of hardship, everything is working again...

I was convinced the settings were correct everywhere, but still it didn't work. So I used the F1000 to access the internet on my iPhone and MacBook and left everything as it is. Instead of giving up again and putting the AE in DHCP as a client, I left it in the correct PPPoE setup out of frustration.

After maybe 3 hours I tell you, the F1000 suddenly stopped providing internet access. The AirPort Extreme began reporting that all systems were go and it had it's correct External IP and could access the internet! Green lights everywhere!

This is where things get odd.

• The moment it started working, I tried to load a web page via the AirPort network. It took ages. But it did work. It was slower than dial-up and I just upgraded to a fibre connection so I thought something was wrong. I took a speed test and discovered I had a download speed of 40kBps, upload of 7kBps and a ping of 900+. But AirPort utility was reporting that everything was fine.
  
  15 minutes later, and my download speed was 150kBps. Then in half an hour it was 400. Then, almost an hour later, it was it's full 833kBps with a Ping of 23.
  
  Apparently AirPort networks need to do warm up exercises or something. To me and my few years of networking experience, this is baffling.
  
  
• On a slightly less bizarre note, my external IP is it's correct static address as reported by a quick google as well as the AirPort Extreme in Airport utility. However, oddly, when I select the Globe icon in AirPort Utility, the "Router Address" given is one of the crazy made up numbers the the F1000 likes to invent.
  
  Strangely, this number appears to have no significance and all DHCP clients in the house are being routed by the AirPort Extreme and it's usual "10.x.x.x" scheme. My external IP is also correct in every respect and routing is totally disabled on the F1000. Not a practical issue, but curious as to why AirPort utility reports this no less.

All my servers are back in action and the AirPort Extreme is back in charge of this domain. The cure apparently, is patience.

Sorry to say but that is ridiculous. I am thinking that the modem isn't working properly at all and is very sporadic. If it goes out again will you replace the modem?

 

[tevion5]

Sorry to say but that is ridiculous. I am thinking that the modem isn't working properly at all and is very sporadic. If it goes out again will you replace the modem?

My thoughts exactly. I cannot think of any reason for this behavior. Indeed, if that piece of rubbish gives me any more trouble I'll replace it.

Finding a good low cost VDSL2 compatible modem isn't very easy at the moment as far as I can see :/

 

[Altemose]

My thoughts exactly. I cannot think of any reason for this behavior. Indeed, if that piece of rubbish gives me any more trouble I'll replace it.

Finding a good low cost VDSL2 compatible modem isn't very easy at the moment as far as I can see :/

I am sure that Eircom could provide you with a replacement modem.