WZR-HP-G300NH problem with DHCP(Comcast)!

[nardow12]

   

I bought the G300NH from Newegg a months ago. It worked fine but whenver the router gets powered off, the problem come.

It's very hard for it to detect the DHCP and establish an internet connection. It took me 10 tries last time. And the same problem happened again today. I tried to power it on and off for 2 hours and it does not help.

And it's not Comcast's problem. I plugged the ethernet cable directly into my computer and I was connected, I can also get connected when using a D-Link router that I previously used.

I tried auto and selecting the DHCP option, does not work.

 

The router is not usable now, Anyone have a solution for this problem? 

[PCPiranha]

while the router is hooked up try unplugging the modem and router and let them sit for 2 min.  Then plug in the modem, wait for a min and then plug in the router.  Let it boot fully and see if you can get DHCP

[escapement]

   

I'm sure you tried the whole power cycling thing...  I had exactly the same problem.  What eventually worked for me was the following:

 

1) set the slider switch from 'auto' to 'on'.

2) DO NOT use the totally hosed connection wizard.... this thing is a menace and was almost never able to see my comcast cable modem.  Instead, go to the Internet/Lan page in the (cough) user interface and select

   ' Acquire an IP Address Automatically from a DHCP Server'

radio button.

 3) save the setting.

 

After this, turn off the router then the modem.... Let sit for 5 minutes just to be safe.... Then turn on the modem then router.

 

You might have to monkey around with the 'release'/'renew' buttons on the diagnostic page if it doesn't work the first time..  but just play with it.  Once you get a connection the first time it should be resilliant after.

 

I had the same problem as you...  I was about to re-rout this thing into the garbage but using the above method I have a good connection.  It does go down from time to time (not enough to be debilitating) but a modem/router reboot fixes this....  Everyone seems to have this problem.

 

Let me know if this works... It would be nice to see it be reproducible.  Due to the silent treatment we get from the techs at B.T. user power seems to be the only answer.

[Dudstor]

   It works!!!! Thanks.

[PCPiranha]

Escapement,

 

I already assumed "aquire via DHCP" was already selected since he knew what DHCP was, none the less thank you for the extra tip.  I understand you're upset but it's not like I can give you a few linux commands and make the issue go away.  We are not giving you the silent treatment, we have told you everything that we know regarding the matter up until this point.  This was the reason for our silence.  I like to think that I try my hardest to answer everyones questions.

 

There is good news, however.  We recently received a new firmware for this unit from our engineers.  We need to do some testing but I assure you it's on its way.  Thank you for your patience.

 

 

EDIT: I thought you were speaking of the NAT table issue with this router, it sounds like you are having a relatively common networking problem escapement.  Seethe other thread for my answer to yours

Message Edited by PCPiranha on 09-09-2009 03:05 PM

[escapement]

   

PCPiranha,

 

The crux of the problem was the bad internet connection wizard... I think along with 'auto' mode...   I knew power cycling wasn't my issue because I could swap in my asus and d-link routers without cloing mac addresses.

 

I stumbled on to the 'auto' switch issue by carefully reading alot of threads.  The router seems to behave a lot better when this switch is set to 'on'.

 

According to spec, the wizard should be able to make a connection without setting 'acquire with DHCP'.  The router would default to using this wizard when it rebooted.... and running the wizard would drive the router haywire causing it to reboot itself.. ad infinituum.    you'd be sitting there waiting for it to find a connection and all of a sudden it would ask you for your username/password again ... and then again... and again..  It was driving me crazy.    (some other times it would just hang on the wizard page)

 

It would get stuck on the wizard page and I never even got to see the other pages... Only after careful and patient tinkering I found them..... after first doing a factory reset which got it out of the loop. 

 

This is why I was hard on the UI...  

 

There are at least 3 threads where this issue was brought up... including my post to ' WZR-HP-G300NH WAN DHCP Issues ' thread.  In none of these threads did I see any response from a buffalo rep.  I might not have been as clear about the symptoms back then because I didn't have a good time window to take my home network down long enough to do my tinkering.

 

I don't mean to be snide or snarky, but it's been a frustrating couple of months while I waited for answers or new firmware.  As I just put in an HTPC and stream a lot of video I had a need for an N router... due to frustration I eventually ran a wired subnet to handle this but still use wireless for internet access

 

Anyway, on a civil note, please advise people not to use the 'wizard' or 'auto' mode if you see others having similar problems.  Those 2 tips could have saved me a lot of time and vitriol  

 

I am an engineer and know how things can get.

 

I'm looking forward to tyring the new firmware.

 

esc

Message Edited by escapement on 09-09-2009 07:58 PM

Message Edited by escapement on 09-09-2009 08:06 PM

[PCPiranha]

"The crux of the problem was the bad internet connection wizard... Ithink along with 'auto' mode...   I knew power cycling wasn't my issuebecause I could swap in my asus and d-link routers without cloing macaddresses."

 

ok, but please understand that not everyone has this issue that owns this router.  With how many of these routers have been sold we would be receiving a much higher call volume then we have been.  I will do some extra testing for this issue.

 

"There are at least 3 threads where this issue was brought up...including my post to ' WZR-HP-G300NH WAN DHCP Issues ' thread.  In noneof these threads did I see any response from a buffalo rep.  I mightnot have been as clear about the symptoms back then because I didn'thave a good time window to take my home network down long enough to domy tinkering."

 

Not being clear about the problem can confuse things.  We do have a problem with DHCP with this router, but not the one you are describing.

 

"I don't mean to be snide or snarky, but it's been a frustrating couple of months while I waited for answers or new firmware."

 

It's no problem.  You never insulted and at times your comments were funny.  I particularly like the one about how you get a Buffalo rep to respond to you.  As a forum mod I have developed thick skin when it comes to this type of thing.

 

"Anyway, on a civil note, please advise people not to use the 'wizard'or 'auto' mode if you see others having similar problems.  Those 2 tipscould have saved me a lot of time and vitriol"

 

This is something that I will definately take into consideration, thank you for bringing it to our attention.  I will post about the firmware when I can.

[Kittrell]

   I've tried everything here, still no dice.  I can't get DHCP to assign an IP to the router. Release/Renew just queries indefinitely.

[Colt725]

   When you shutdown all of the tems in the connection train shut down your pc.  start adding power to compontents starting up the pc after the touter is powered.

[user404]

   

I have recently had this problem wtih 2 customers, both on comcast both with WZR-HP-G300NH. I did the power cycle and wait routine several times. eventually it said the internet side was connected and to restart the browser. when restarted that message kept coming back (i think i did manual settings not wizard to get that far). at that point on both computers i could sucessfully ping www.yahoo.com but could not get through with a browser. After trying power cycle again it went back to not 'seeing' dhcp server.

 

it looks like i will have to stop using this router, i like the other products but this one is getting too problematic. that connection wizard is awful and the interface for manual setup when  it can not get the ip automatically is not user friendly.

 

hope you come up with a fix, hope the other 30 of these ive installed don't start actinig like this

 

 

i

[Memoryman]

   

Have you tried updating the Firmware to 1.65. This FW addresses several issues.

[thescreensavers]

escapement for president!

 

I just spend 3 hours trying to get my Comcast modem to talk with my new Router. Power cycling manualy inputing settings..ect

 

Followed your directions which I had no idea there was a slider button, it  is all working!

[green]

I just wanted to add that I have the same problem -- difficulty acquiring a DHCP server after a power outage (we get many of them). Many tries at sequenced power-up, many tries at the wizard, and it finally works. I have noticed that running the wizard from a wired connection seems to work better than from a wireless connection, but this could be just coincidence. It is an annoying problem.

[Jotin]

make sure the unit is set to on and always manually set the unit to dhcp and power cycle your modem. This will always fix the issue.

[ratickle]

I would like to second what Jotin said above.  I also could not get my WZR-HP-G300NH (firmware v1.74) to reconnect to a Comcast cable modem after a power outage.

 

The confusion I had was that I was looking in the software settings for the "manually set the unit to ON".  I finally realized that you did that with the ON - OFF - AUTO switch on the top back of the router case.  Once I set the switch to ON, the stupid wizard didn't come up for the configuration.  Then I set the router to "Acquire an IP Address Automatically from a DHCP Server".  Also, leave the Default Gateway  blank  in the Advanced Settings.

 

I just did a software reboot and the router reconnected to Comcast automatically.  Then I pulled the power plug on the router, waited five seconds, and then powered it up again.  After about 90 seconds, the router reconnected to Comcast automatically again.

 

I've used this router on Verizon DSL and RoadRunner Cable Modem system, and never had to set the switch to "manually ON".  Comcast is apparently somehow different from the others.