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Forum Discussion

Wynn16's avatar
Wynn16
Aspirant
Jan 31, 2016

Connecting R7000 with Xfinity gateway in bridge mode - use WAN or LAN?

This seems to be a common problem but I still can't get the answer.  I have an Xfinity XB3 wireless gateway (Cisco model #DPC3941T) and a Netgear R7000 Nighthawk wireless router.  I've set the Xfinit...
Troubleshooting
TheEther's avatar
TheEther
Guru
Feb 01, 2016
  1. The WAN and LAN networks are separate.  When functioning as a router, the R7000 is also a firewall that protects your LAN network from intruders.  

    You should make sure that the LAN and WAN networks are in different subnets.  The Xfinity is probably using 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0, so change your LAN to something different.  10.0.0.0/255.255.255.0 or 192.168.2.0/255.255.255.0 should work.  Once you change the subnet, your devices will have to renew their DHCP leases in order to pick up IP addresses in the new subnet.  Then, retest Internet connectivity.

  2. Mainly, it is a choice between using the routing/firewall functions in your R7000 versus your Xfinity gateway.  They probably have different capabilities and performance, so you will have to decide what's important to you.  

    But there are secondary considerations.  If you have IPTV settop boxes, then you may or may not have difficulty running them behind the R7000.  IPTV depends on IP Multicast, which Netgear occasionally has difficulty handling.  You will need to enable IGMP Proxy.  

    Also, Comcast almost certainly has admin access to their gateway, so operating your R7000 as a router gives you the peace of mind that your LAN is entirely isolated.