No matter what I do, the Balance 20X WILL NOT CONNECT.
I’ve finally got a sim card to work in the B20X. TK has been able run a packet capture and it shows Comcast is most likely at fault. I don’t understand all of the correct lingo but I still have no connectivity via B20X w/cable internet.
TK provided some ideas of what to do next. I’ll attempt later tonight after work. I did spend almost two hours on the phone explaining the issue to “techs” at Comcast and never reached ANYone with ANY apptitude. Just, “Let’s restart your modem”. Ridiculous.
Hang in there. Network security is different for everyone as each environment varies greatly. There’s also a lot of different opinions on what “SECURITY being the main focus” means. Every network setup is different (from fairly simple to complex).
The router security page you reference makes good points, but unfortunately doesn’t get into the depth on some of the topics that are needed. For example, I don’t know that you need to setup two routers. Does your ISP provide you a router? If so, I’d consider that the “first” router. Then your Peplink would be the “second”. I always set up my own router on my side, behind the ISP router/equipment. Then all of my devices connect to my router. This allows me to maintain network access and also blocks the ISP from gaining information about my setup (let alone, if they goof a firewall rule or get hacked, the Peplink provides another layer of security).
Security is built in layers. The Peplink 20X (which I’m running also due to the increased throughput) should provide a good level of security out of the box. The next “layer” would/could include adding VLANs, along with access rules to those VLANs.
It depends on how complex your environment is and to what level you need to take your security to. No product is completely safe from being breached. You just have to make yourself more of a hassle to break into than the next guy down the line.
I’m sure there are many here willing to help or provides suggestions on first/next steps. The goal right now would be to get some basic security improvements in place, and then learn and implement some of the other great features the Peplink offers.
Your comment about perpetual “connecting” scares me. Are you referring to the Balance 20x connecting to a cable modem? If so, which modem and who is your ISP? I ask because this apparently is a known problem, just with the Balance 20x. It is not yet solved. There is an item on the Forum here about this.
For an initial out of the box, reasonably secure setup the instructions here for the Surf SOHO
apply to the Balance 20x too. The user interface for the two routers is mostly the same, I will review this page and update it so it can be used for the B20x too. I may also create a new “what I block” page with some basic stuff on firewall rules, DNS and content blocking.
Taking a step back, just by using a Peplink product, you are already far more secure than people using a router from their ISP. Also, much more secure than Synology which has a NAS mindset (sharing is good) rather than a router security mindset (sharing is bad).
Yes, about two months ago my first 20X was connected to an Arris SB8200. I’d had that modem for about 2 years. Service is the gigabit service via scamcast, I’m sorry, I meant to say Comca$t. For approximately 3.5 weeks I was receiving help from Peplink support. Following their lead and performing various steps as instructed. Including, speaking with Arris support, having Comcast out to put in a new drop from the telephone pole across the street and new line all the way to the service box. All to no avail. I put a switch in between the modem and the router, nothing. The wired connection showed a perpetual state of connecting, though it never did. Through all this I could set up the Synology or the Airpot Extreme and they would connect immediately after boot.
Peplink finally authorized a replacement 20x. Which as stated before sits in its box ready to go. I’ve since purchased a CM2000 modem from Microcenter and it’s working with the AirPort Extreme for now.
I was not aware of an ongoing connectivity issue with the 20x. Thank you for the link to the Soho setup and the encouraging words about my decision to use Peplink instead of other equipment. As a matter of fact the choice is honestly because of reading what another Mike says on his website. routersecurity.org.
I’ll post what takes place, but during the week I’m so busy with my job I won’t get to the process til this coming Saturday.
I connected the replacement 20X to one of my Mac’s, signed in to the router interface, changed the password, following a few of the configuration steps from routersecurity.org. Saved and applied as required, connnected to the new modem and wait for it…NOTHING!
On the dashboard the status of the 20X continues to show …Connecting. It doesn’t.
I’ve tried, well, everything I can think of.
Rebooted devices in the appropriate oder. I’ve changed cables. I changed switches, I’ve put a switch in between the modem and the 20X. I changed computers, different Macs. The Airport Extreme and the Synology RT2600ac connect flawlessly. I’ve even tried the different cables with the non Peplink devices. They still connect. I’ve tried my Surf Soho Mk3, it connects. But the 20X does not.
As stated before, Comcast put in a new drop from the pole on the street, new wiring all the way to the wall plate. Comcast, in the wiring at the box uses Siemens inline surge protectors, they’ve been replaced. Also, bypassed in case of an issue with signal strength. Further, I realize this has nothing to do with this issue but just so it’s stated. Everything, all electronics sit behind large Sine Wave APC’s for clean power. And the entire house is protected by a 240,000 amp surge processor from Siemens, my own.
Lastly, I reset the 20X to factory settings for the third time today and connected with no changes to the settings other than the password. Still no connection.
Suggestion: Open a ticket. The nice support folks are working on a similar issue for us, also with a 20X and the evil Comcast. I’d also recommend posting the ticket number here.
Not looking to hijack anyone’s thread but @Michael234 has the Balance 20x cable modem connecting issue been resolved? I was just getting ready to order 3 of them and all go behind cable modems.
No. No it hasn’t. Peplink engineers have done a packet capture after I was able to get the failover LTE up and running. I’ve also sent screenshots of the modem event logs. TK has mentioned the engineers, if I understood properly are writing a firmware bypass. Or something like that. TK needed me to access a laptop that has never connected to my network. Borrowed one with an ethernet port today. Waiting for next step guidance from TK.
I was also finally able to get ahold of Comcast Executive Customer Relations. The young lady helping forwarded the packet capture to the Comcast engineers who came back advising , 1) long cycle the modem by disconnecting for a lengthy time. I did that, leaving my CM2000 modem disconnected for 8 hours. 2) Change the MAC address. So, on both accounts I tried those recommendations and neither worked. Rick-DC had suggested both of these ideas DAYS before I was even able to get hold of CECR. The lady from CECR called back to say Comcast’s responsibility is to ensure the modem is working. I did get her to leave the escalated issue open til this Wednesday in case Peplink can come up with something.
I have complete faith in Peplink to come through but needless to say I am discouraged.
@tws – Will you PM me the contact info you used for Comcast? I’ve been stone-walled by Comcast in my attempts. If you have a case number perhaps I can have that also for reference.
While that is certainly Comcast’s position – that their responsibility ends when the modem is on-line – the issue is “bigger” than that and the problem is caused by Comcast.
Just an FYI. In this Forum posting, Greg S describes using a Protectli FW4B that could not keep a connection to a cable modem. Replacing the hardware did not fix the problem. Tech support gave up. His solution was to put an Asus router between the two devices.
@tws thanks very much for the followup! Two of the units I was ordering were going on Comcast, one of them is for me in my home lab and the other for a customer. The third was going on Spectrum. AS I am writing this I just realized I deployed a unit last week for a small customer that is behind a dpc3939 modem on a 150 Comcast circuit and I had no issues at all. Running a few computers and 5 VoIP phones
I just stumbled on this thread and can offer some help here. I havent read all the replies but i will shortly…
I am the one who discovered this bug awhile back. I’m surprised no one found my thread detailing the issue. It took me a long time (many hours) of troubleshooting to figure out the issue…
I ran into this bug many months ago. I have the same cable modem as you.
Read my thread linked above.
This is not comcast’s fault.
In a nutshell, the cable modem provisions to the first mac address it sees on its WAN port. The problem here is that the balance20x is broadcasting a mac address of a host on its LAN side of the firewall. When this happens, the balance20x never connects to the cable modem because the WAN mac on the balance20x is different bviously and thus the cable modem wont provision to it.
Peplink did some remote access on my unit and found the bug after i made the forum post and submitted a support ticket. They told me they would be fixing this issue in a future firmware update.
@wcnetworks, the bug you mentioned was fixed on 8.1.1 and we couldn’t find the previous problem with the cases in hand. I still work with the affected cases from the ticket.
