I run a small business and signed up for Centurylink's Fiber+ service offered at my office building (since the fiber was already there). After over 2 months of waiting I finally got it last year.
The service provides:
1. 500 Megabit Internet connection via ethernet connection
2. One VOIP line
Charge is $496.00
I was told to expect about $15.00 a month in taxes and fees (like State 911 charge, etc). Also I was told that there were no Federal Universal Service Fund (USF) charges for the internet portion (or data use) except for the VOIP line (which uses practically no data).
Instead I am being charged $65.34 in "Other Fees." Most of it is under the "Federal Universal Service Fun" -- a whopping $53.58.
We only use the VOIP line about 3-5 hours a week as it disconnects often. After almost 2 weeks of no explanation from a variety of people -- they have become silent -- except for that they are going to consult legal and a FUSF "specialist' regarding the matter.
Anyone else in the same boat? Check your bills. From what I understand FUSF fees (at 17.9% right now) should only be on telephone services (including VOIP) -- not internet services.
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[CenturyTel] Centurylink Fiber+ Service -- FUSF fees on internet service?
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[CenturyTel] Question on Modem to router connection
Hey guys, I am no expert (obviously) and have a general question that I hope is pretty easy. I just built a house and there are multiple ethernet outlets in the house. They all are routed down in the basement and are not connected. CL came out and connected the outside line carrying the internet to the modem. They left the modem in the basement since all of the lines are bare and dont have caps, nor are they connected. My question is, if I have the builder/electrician come out and put caps on those wires that go to the ethernet outlets in the house, and I then connect them to the modem, supplying the outlets with internet, can I then connect a router to the outlet to send out the wifi? The router is currently in the basement and its just in a bad spot and I would like to move it to one of the outlet locations if that would be possible.
Thanks!
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Keep Tel number after termination?
Hi all, was wondering after I terminate my CL DSL/phone service, will I be able to keep/get that number with a VOIP plan? Thanks...
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[CenturyTel] Over the top terrible.
I don't normally post things in public forums like this but this level of terrible service needs to be made public.
A quick rundown of my service....
3 modems running at 1.5 Mbps at this location, three more modems running at my shop each at 10mbps through the same balancer/AP setup and another 1.5 modem and a voice line at my other house. All the ones at my house and shop are in bridge mode through a pep-link load balancer and out to a pep-wave access point. Seven total DSL lines and one voice line for a total of eight lines. Let me be clear, I have EIGHT TIMES the services of most customers.
No voice lines at this location.
There have been lots of problems over the years Ive had service at this location, WAN failure, multi day line disconnects, speeds that are far under the already impossibly slow service, hours and hours spent on the phone trying to get to the legacy side and then having to explain to the first level CS personnel that yes....it is in fact possible to have more than one modem at your residence. Ive been called a liar more than once.
This latest round began about five weeks ago with the sudden shutdown of all three modems while I was out of town working. I asked my son to do a little troubleshooting and he informed me that all three modems were unable to connect because the PPPOE username and password was changed without informing me that this had occurred and I could not contact anyone for over three weeks because the departments were either closed when I was able to get on the phone or I was in an area with no service. Not one person in the whole company thought it was odd that the modems were not connected for weeks I guess.
When I returned I started making calls, lots of them. Customer service, technical support, numerous disconnected calls, people talking over me as I try to explain with growing frustration whats going on until one night, at about 8pm I connected to a tech support guy that was able to find my account and had the ability to do something about the password. He looked it up and informed me that all 3 modems had been given the same user/pass combo and he told me what it was. MAGIC.....they all connected and things were fine for a grand total of 3 days. That's when all three phone lines were disconnected due to non payment. I had asked the tech support guy if the account was in good standing and he said yes which made sense because I thought the account was on auto pay.
So back to the phones I went. I struggled through all the same issues I had before until right before she went off shift a first level, non supervisor CS agent got the message that the call I was on with her supervisor was dropped so without being forced to she actually called me back. I was stunned. This had never happened before.... she followed that up by actually trying to fix the problem. I paid the deposit for re-connection which I didn't think was fair or right but it was the only way to further the process and she assured me that all was well with all three lines and modems and that they would be back up the next day.
One modem came back on that same night but not the other two, the next day came and went.... Nothing.
I waited one more day.....Nothing.
I started calling again and this time was informed that the order for the other two modems had encountered an error and was summarily cancelled without anyone taking a look at why.
I was again assured that all modems would be functional again in three business days and surprisingly they all came on this morning..... for an hour. Then two modems shut back down. I thought that odd so I called again just to make sure thing were still on track and sure enough the train had derailed yet again.
This time I was informed that I needed to pay a deposit for the other two phone lines which I declined to do and I requested escalation which I got. This supervisor informed me that the actual problem was that there were no available ports to activate at the head end and that hopefully I could get service back at some point in the next 30 days.
WHAT??!?!? 30 Days! But that time-frame could not even be guaranteed.... it might get put off for multiple 30 day cycles until the techs were good and ready to add more ports. Oddly, This was a question that I had asked each time I actually spoke to a tech support person and had been assured each time that there were multiple ports available so that would not be a problem. Until it became a problem. Who is lying to me?
Tech support multiple times?
The supervisor that informed of the situation today?
The technicians working on the system?
What is going on here?
Why is it my job to track down the truth or ask exactly the right question? Why is my job to make sure my service is working right? Cant somebody get an alert when things go south with an account or connection?
Does anybody on here know of a way to get in touch with a person that has both knowledge and authority to act?
This is by far the absolute worst experience Ive ever had in dealing with a company of any sort..... when it becomes this obvious that they don't care one way or another about their job or what effect non performance has on the very people that pay their wages it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.
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C2100T Bridge Mode
I turned the WiFi radios off and went to the advanced settings- wan setting and selected transparent bridging and untagged. I reboot the modem and the dsl light keeps flashing and it will not connect to my ddwrt router. How do I get it to connect?
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Telephone Master Hub Wiring
Is my telephone master hub wired correctly for dsl and pots? I only have 1 line but I am reading that they terminated line 1 for pots and 2 for dsl possibly? I have read that you should only be able to plug your modem into 1 jack, and all these are terminated the same which leads me to believe I can plug it into every jack. The second telephone from the left is the one my modem is currently plugged into, which also carries telephone as with all the other jacks.
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New member: What can you tell me from my results?
Hello,
Like many of you, I am getting slow internet speeds from Centurylink. I am supposed to get 10mbs download but it ranges from 0.10 to 8mbs throughout the day and all different times. Any help will be much appreciated since this is not my field. They are supposed to be coming Monday to put in bonded copper wire?
I have attached a screen shot of what I see when I look at my modem status.
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Old firmware for C2000T
So my idiot self did the update to .100 on my C2000T and now I can no longer do transparent bridging
I have an Apple Time Capsule I've used just fine for 2yrs in bridge mode, and now it no longer connects after update, I also cannot make a manual PPoE connection in Windows or MacOS either
I have it in "Transparent Bridging Untagged" since I'm in an ExQwest area
I've also noticed since the update I cannot just swap the modem back to PPoE in the settings. I've got to hard reset it to obtain a PPoE connection on the C2000T itself
So if anyone still has an old version of the firmware where the bridging still worked that would be appreciated.
Thanks!
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[CenturyTel] DSL woes with CenturyLink
After many years with Qwest/CenturyLink service (13 years land line and almost 5 most recent years DSL) , I am finally calling it quits.
I have an on going saga with CSR for the past 3 weeks and each day is a ~ 90 minutes calls related to internet service issue.
My symptom is:
1. between 3:30 PM - 9:30 PM (sometimes 11PM), my modem shows that it is connected, but there is a gradual degradation in speed beginning at 3.30PM (approx) and eventually dead around 4:30 PM (approx).
2. I've checked the modem (Zyxel Q100) and it shows as connected
My calls with the CSR (literally every day for the past 3 weeks) have been painful to say the least. Each call starts with
1. can you power your modem off/on and do the test.
2. how many computer do you have in the house ?
3. In the of the calls, CSR said modem Zyxel Q100 is not supported by CenturyLink -- you should buy a new one.
4. I humored them and plugged in a crappy ActionTech M1000 . It still didn't work even though there's a DSL connection. They CSR said -- oh your M1000 is way too old and you how how MTBF works . Old modem just dies after prolonged use ( -- my reply was: M1000 sits in the closet as a spare. it has less than 40 hours of usage.) Then the next reply was "oh well, MTBF also applies when it sits and not used).. I am speechless
5. They send a tech out to the DSLAM and switch my port . That wasted 2 days waiting and didn't solve the problem
6. Next call ended in : Oh we are optimizing your line so give us an extra 3 days. We will ensure that this will be resolved
7. Next 3 days gone and symptoms didn't not go away. SO i am back to step 1 above (rinse and repeat).
I emailed talktous@centurylink.com and the reply after 48 hours was
----------------- Excerpt from email -----
Sorry that you've been having a little trouble with the internet service. Tech support would the best department to help with the internet service. I can see if we lower your bill down for the inconvenience.
Brian
----------------- Excerpt from email -----
That is too bad bc I went
- to BestBuy and picked up a cable modem,
- drove a block down to Xfinity store to register my modem ,
- went home and plugged in the modem
- call a 1800 to enable the service
and within 2 hours, I was able to get Cable internet up and running. As much as i hate cable companies but they make it easier to work with when there's a problem. I can walk into a store and talk to someone.
With this incident and experience with CenturyLink, it means they not only loose me as a DSL customer but my home phone line as well since I don't have DSL anymore and no reason to keep the phone .
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Considering switching to CL HSI with Prism TV - worth it?
I know there are a ton of complaints here about CL's legacy DSL internet service and even the higher speed traditional DSL offerings. However, our home can get Prism TV and internet speeds up to 100 Mbps. I'm assuming this means we are wired for a fiber connection and will get our internet and TV over a fiber connection and not the old DLS lines. That correct?
Anyone have CL fiber internet and/or Prism TV and have any complaints about it?
The sales rep I chatted with online said that with Prism TV, there are no data caps at all. He also told me that I can use my own router. All I would have to do is turn off the router functionality of the CL provided modem, and hook up my own router.
Can anyone confirm if what the CL rep said about no caps and use of own router is true? Also, is the IP address they assign a static one?
Thanks.
J
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Fiber Laid but Not Connected
On Dairy Creek Rd in North Plains, OR CL laid fiber last fall. We then received notes in the mail about new speed being available in September. Needless to say it still isn't here.
Whats everyone else's experience when having fiber installed? Does it take this long? Also is there any local contacts in Oregon I can get a hold of to find an answer? I've asked but no one with CL seems to want to help.
Cheers!
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How does CL perform in Tempe, AZ
Hello guys. I'm thinking about getting either Cox or CL for my new apartment in Tempe, AZ. I have heard that despite their cheaper prices compared to Cox, that CL sometimes has bandwidth exhaustion and can't perform near levels you pay for.
How is the performance in Tempe, AZ? Tempe is in the greater Phoenix area. Any information on this would be very helpful, thanks.
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Replacement for ActionTec C1000?
Hey all.
I had at one time, the 40/20 service. That is until Centurylink decided to raise the price to an unacceptable level.
In order to get that speed, I had to upgrade to the C1000 modem. At first, it was a decent modem, but recently, the wireless range has decreased, internet speed has started to slow down when more than 2 people are connected via wireless (on the wireless side). I own the modem, so I don't want to call Centurylink to replace it.
I'd like to replace it. Something that can handle the 40/20 or better speeds, but can also handle slower speeds (currently 20/5). I've been out of the networking game for quite awhile. So I am hoping to get some recommendations. I'd like:
1. A DSL modem/router w/a decent firewall.
2. Built in switch would be nice, but I do currently have switches,but not a huge deal as long as it has an ethernet port. gigabit preferred.
3. Dual band is a must. Whatever the currently wireless technology is, (AC yes?). We just have to many wireless devices to not have it.
4. Guest access would be nice.
5. On a budget ... 100.00 and under if possible.
Ideas? Thanks in advance.
--
Where's th' DAFFY DUCK EXHIBIT??
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[CenturyTel] Will I regret buying a ZyXEL C1100Z from CenturyLink?
I have a primitive CenturyLink 7Mbps T1.413 ADSL connection that CL has no plans to upgrade! Since I don't have much bandwidth to work-with, my goal is to max-out my connection speed! I'm far enough away from the CO that I'm not going to hit 7168Kbps, but I'll take what I can get! For the past 6 months, I used a CenturyLink-branded Actiontec C1000A that has been gradually slowing down. For two months, this modem ran at 7072Kbps downstream, but now the best that it can do is 6592Kbps. Two years ago, I purchased a ZyXEL PK5001Z from CL, but it actually runs slower than the C1000A! When I have bad results with a product, I usually do my best to steer clear of the manufacturer in the future, which rules-out Actiontec and ZyXEL.
I found a handy chart in my CL account that lists the modems that CL supports! One of the supported modem manufacturers that I haven't tried is Technicolor. I tried to find a Technicolor C2100T online, but it appears that this modem isn't manufactured anymore! Aw, shucks! :(
This morning I went to a CL store to see what modems they are offering. The only choice is the ZyXEL C1100Z. I pointed-out to the the sales woman that I had bad luck with my PK50001Z, but she replied that I can return the new modem within 30 days, no questions asked! So I broke my rule and dropped $99.99 for a C1100Z!
After I got home, I checked the reviews for this modem and they are favorable. So I went ahead and connected and configured the modem, which is a snap to do! This modem is a 9" tall mini-tower that runs much cooler than my Actiontec C1000A does! During prime time, the modem connected at 6880/896Kbps, which my C1000A can't do! I might be able to get this modem to sync at a faster speed early in the morning. I'm not an intensive wifi user, but my Dell laptop connects at 72Mbps, which is the fastest speed that it supports.
So far, this looks like a good decision! :)
What do you think?
DeepDiver
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Recent Router Troubleshooting for Static IP Hosting
Hopefully, this can be of assistance to others.
I learned that CenturyLink did some kind of DSL maintenance at the DSLAM in my neighborhood this morning. The Internet connection went out at about the same time and did not come back on by the time I left for work. Upon returning and rebooting my DSL router and all internal routers and servers, I found my out that my mail server and web server hosted internally and port-forwarded from my DSL router were still not accepting connections from the outside. Tech support was of little help except telling me that there was some maintenance in my neighborhood this morning.
From the router status page, it seems to have had a fairly recent firmware version (time-stamped in 2016) uploaded on it. (That wasn't my doing, so I assume CenturyLink did that.) I suspected that I needed to load the factory defaults on the router to fix any lingering firmware upgrade issues. After doing so and re-adding my port-forwarding settings back into the router, my internal mail server and web server began receiving connections from the Internet again and functioned as before.
It only took me most of the evening to troubleshoot and fix it. Thanks CenturyLink!
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Slow wireless DL speeds - UL Speed Ok
I've recently upgraded my CenturyLink internet to their 40DL/5UL service. Using a ZyXEL C1100Z modem. I have no problems with hardwired DL speeds and when I log into this modem it reports a connection status of 50.111/5.120 Mbps. Wireless, however, is, at best about 1/3 of what it should be. Wireless Upload speed is fine on all devices. I've updated all software, firmware, bios etc...I'm using an old Dell Inspiron 1440 Laptop running Vista (cringe) which is only able to achieve dl speeds of approx 8-12 mbps. I have a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge cell which is testing at around 10-13 Mbps and I have a 2 year old Apple IPad Air with wireless dl speeds about the same..10-13 Mbps. Is this typical? I feel like there may be a simple solution to these poor speeds but am not knowledgeable enough to know it. I've rebooted, reset, unplugged reconfigured and still, no change.
Would love some suggestions from you folks as I am obviously out of my league here.
Thanks,
Scott
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[CenturyTel] I have 2 questions about Internet speed tests!
A few days ago, I purchased a ZyXEL C1100Z ADSL/VDSL modem, that I'm very happy with, from a CenturyLink store. Although this modem connects at about 96% of the maximum speed of my T1.413 ADSL connection, my connection feels considerably faster when I'm surfing the web than with the other modems that I've owned! Not only that, but the Internet speed tests that I've performed support this observation! Now, for my questions:
1) With all of my previous modems, the cnet.com speed test has the slowest results, typically about 4.4Mbps download, which is over 1Mbps slower than the other speed tests. However, with my C1100Z, it's the runaway winner and I've seen nearly 8Mbps download speeds with this test! Why do my new modem and CNET work better together than the other modems that I've owned?
2) The CNET speed test download results are faster than the Downstream Rate, which is currently 6848Kbps, shown on my modem's Connection Status web screen. How is this possible?
Can anybody explain these anomalies?
Thanks!
DeepDiver
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[CenturyTel] Recently upgraded, speeds just fell back again
To make a long story short, I was recently upgraded to 6Mbps DSL after years of dealing with painfully slow 1.5Mbps service that rarely got more than 600-700Kbps download. After the upgrade, I was very pleased, I was getting a solid 6Mbps down, speedtests were 5.9-6.3 every time without fail, and I saw no slow downs during peak hours, etc. I assume that may change in the future as more and more customers are upgraded in the local area, but at any rate I was very happy.
This morning I notice the connection seemed a bit slow again, and when I tried to stream an HD video, I knew something was up. I started doing speed tests again and saw a very solid and consistent 1.5Mbps download and 256Kbps upload, exactly what I had before the recent upgrade. I reset my modem a few times without change, and pulled out my old spare modem and set it up just to rule that out, same thing.
So I went to Centurylink's support chat and got the usual scripted answers, how many devices are using the connection, do you use a different router, etc. I played along and tried to explain that I believe my account was mistakenly reverted back to my old 1.5/256 speeds or something, and asked them to check. They refused, and insisted I needed to purchase a new DSL modem from Centurylink. I explained that I tested two modems with the same results, and they replied telling me that my modems are not compatible and I need to purchase a new one. When asked if they could explain how my modem worked fine since the upgrade until now, and is now suddenly not compatible, the rep asked to transfer me to sales so I could get the new modem. I asked to speak to someone else in tech support, or his supervisor, and he ended the chat.
So I opened a new chat session and started over, this time telling them I used one of their Zyxel modems on the list of compatible modems just so we could get through that hurdle, and they ran a couple of line tests and said everything looked good, and they would need to send a tech out which they scheduled for Tuesday.
Talking to the first rep took nearly 2 hours in all. The second one had a ticket opened in about 15 minutes.
I'm just wondering if anyone else has had a similar issue. I'm hoping it's a simple mistake in some configuration somewhere and they can have me back up to 6Mbps asap. ...but why couldn't someone there just look at it from a logical standpoint instead of giving nothing but scripted answers and insisting on selling me something I don't need? Not to mention the unexplained random increases on my bill every month, and errors that take an act of congress to correct and get credit for. I'm SOO fed up with Centurylink as a whole. The local techs have always been super nice and helpful and a pleasure to work with. The support and billing system is absolute garbage though. I was actually waiting for my 12 month agreement to end in October to close my account, when the upgrade happened I decided to renew the agreement and give them another change. A week and a half later here we are... lol I should have known... :( Sadly my only other option for internet service at my home is satellite. I'm at the point where I was willing to make the switch though. I couldn't have been any worse than CL. The promise of 6Mbps DSL was enough to bait me back in I guess... lol
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Youtube / Facebook video stream buffering in Phoenix
We just switched from Cox to CenturyLink, we got the 100/50Mbit fiber package. Speed tests are exactly what they promise, however every single video either from youtube or facebook can't stream without buffering throughout the video multiple times.
This leads me to believe it's a peering issue since it only seems to affect streaming video (or they are purposely throttling it).
Does anyone else have this issue?
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[Prism TV] HOWTO: Use pfSense with CenturyLink FTTH and Prism TV in Seattle
Hi all,
I want to share how I configured my pfSense system to work with my Prism TV service in Seattle, WA, in case any one else was interested in doing so as well.
I had Prism TV installed yesterday in Seattle with my FTTH gig service. The tech set it up with the Technicolor C2000T router, and then I spent the rest of the day getting it working with my original pfSense setup. After paring my network down to the bare minimum, some trial and error, and a little bit of luck, I was able to get it working using bits of information gathered from a number of other sources and similar setups, and I wanted to gather it all in one place to help others.
Here's my setup:
CenturyLink FTTH 1 Gbps service
Calix 716GE-I interior ONT
pfSense Router x86-64 2.2.4 (Celeron 1037U mini-PC with dual Intel gigabit NICs (em driver in pfSenese))
WAN connection is type IPoE on tagged VLAN 201
LAN is default 192.16.1.1/24
ZyXEL GS1920-24 network switch
Prism TV service with HD and DVR via Pace IPH8010 STB
I had the FTTH service installed about three weeks ago, and it was originally set up using PPPoE on VLAN 201. I followed other guides here to get that up and running with pfSense without too much difficulty.
I moved everything back to the stock CenturyLink router (the C2000A) before the installer came yesterday so he'd have a normal install to work with. The first thing the installer did yesterday was reprovision my service from PPPoE to IPoE and go through a process of reconfiguring the C2000A router with some QoS (done automatically through some interface on his laptop, it seemed). He then went through the normal set-top box setup process and got it provisioned (had to reboot it a couple extra times, and swap my C2000A for the C2000T when the C2000A started making a high-pitched whine). According to the installer (and mentioned elsewhere on this board and others) Prism TV users are all on IPoE service and still on VLAN 201.
Quick overview at a high level of how the Prism IPTV service works, based on my understanding, anyway. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this should be good enough to understand what follows:
TV channels are broadcast on the fiber network as multicast UDP streams. Multicast groups are used to direct the traffic to all the subscribing devices (i.e., STBs tuned to that channel).
Multicast groups are managed via the IGMP protocol (not the more common TCP or UDP). This allows the stream to be sent only to the parts of the network that need it (instead of flooding the entire network with traffic). IGMP doesn't normally pass networks/NAT setups - there needs to be some kind of proxy to relay the IGMP messages between networks.
When you switch to a channel on the STB, it will first start receiving the channel as a regular UDP unicast stream, then send the necessary IGMP messages to going the multicast group and then seamlessly switch to the UDP multicast stream.
That last part is why, when your router isn't configured correctly, you'll see a channel freeze 10-15 seconds after switching to it: the STB isn't able to subscribe to the multicast stream to view the channel. Either the IGMP messages or the UDP packets aren't making it through the router properly (or both).
So, now that we know what the issue is, we can fix it, and it's actually pretty straightforward now that we know what we're trying to do: set up an IGMP proxy and configure the necessary firewall rules to allow the IGMP and UDP traffic.
One thing I got stuck on is that the IGMP proxy service in pfSense requires you to specify the upstream multicast networks. It seems that the equivalent service in WRT firmwares doesn't require that - you just enable the "IGMP proxy" option and you're good to go. So far I've found two networks that traffic comes from, but there may be others, possibly for channels I don't have or haven't tried to view yet. Hopefully other users will report back with any other networks they find and we can maintain a comprehensive list.
First, you need to upgrade the version of igmpproxy that comes with pfSense. Get to a shell on the pfSense machine (either via SSH or the console) and run:
pkgpkg updatepkg install igmpproxy
This should install the package igmpproxy version 0.1_2,1.
Screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/P6Jk0Bs.png
This version of igmpproxy has different command-line arguments than the default version, so we need to update the way it is launched:
1. Go into the pfSense Web UI and navigate to "Diagnostics" -> "Edit File".
2. Browse to the file "/etc/inc/services.inc"
3. Find the line which reads: "/* NOTE: -d4 means everything LOG_WARNING and smaller */"
4. Edit the line underneath to change -d4 to -v -v:
mwexec("/usr/local/sbin/igmpproxy -v -v {$g['tmp_path']}/igmpproxy.conf");
Screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/yrrQL1s.png
5. Save the file
(sources: https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=93293.0;nowap and https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/4672)
Now to configure the IGMP proxy
1. Go into the pfSense Web UI and navigate to "Services" -> "IGMP proxy"
2. Click the "+" button to add a new upstream proxy as follows:
Interface: WAN
Description: Prism Upstream
Type: Upstream Interface
Threshold: Leave empty
Networks: 67.12.0.0/15, 151.118.0.0/15
Screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/QKPRRAY.png
Save the changes
3: Back at the IGMP proxy screen, click the "+" button to add a new downstream proxy as follows:
Interface: LAN
Description: Prism Downstream
Type: Downstream Interface
Threshold: Leave empty
Networks: Leave empty
Save the changes
Screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/XutmhHx.png
4. Your IGMP proxy settings should look like this: http://i.imgur.com/wgDyjxO.png
5. Click the "Apply Changes" button in the red banner to restart the IGMP proxy with the new configuration. (Note: in my experience, the page will hang on reloading and if you reload it the "apply changes" message is still there, even though the changes have actually been applied and the service restarted. Not sure why that is.)
I found these networks by looking at the debug messages from the igmpproxy service and from what the firewall was blocking. I only saw one or two IPs in each network in the logs, but I did a whois on the address to find the entire network block and added that, just in case CenturyLink changes things in the future.
Also, some threads on igmpproxy on pfSense said you may have to create an interface using the underlying network adapter for your WAN and give it a fake static IP, just so igmpproxy doesn't complain about it and refuse to work. I didn't have to do that here (it may only apply to the outdated version included by default), but YMMV.
Now that the igmpproxy is configured, on to the firewall rules...
1. In the web UI, navigate to "Firewall" -> "Rules"
2. In the WAN tab, add the following rules:
Action: Pass
Interface: WAN
TCP/IP Version: IPv4
Protocol: IGMP
Source: any
Destination: any
Log: unchecked
Description: CenturyLink Prism IGMP Messages
Advanced features -> Advanced options -> Check the box next to "This allows packets with IP options to pass. Otherwise they are blocked by default. This is usually only seen with multicast traffic."
Action: Pass
Interface: WAN
TCP/IP Version: IPv4
Protocol: UDP
Source: Network, 224.0.0.0/4
Destination: any
Log: unchecked
Description: CenturyLink Prism Multicast UDP
Advanced features -> Advanced options -> Check the box next to "This allows packets with IP options to pass. Otherwise they are blocked by default. This is usually only seen with multicast traffic."
Action: Pass
Interface: WAN
TCP/IP Version: IPv4
Protocol: UDP
Source: Network, 67.12.0.0/15
Destination: any
Log: unchecked
Description: CenturyLink Prism Multicast UDP
Advanced features -> Advanced options -> Check the box next to "This allows packets with IP options to pass. Otherwise they are blocked by default. This is usually only seen with multicast traffic."
Action: Pass
Interface: WAN
TCP/IP Version: IPv4
Protocol: UDP
Source: Network, 151.118.0.0/16
Destination: any
Log: unchecked
Description: CenturyLink Prism Multicast UDP
Advanced features -> Advanced options -> Check the box next to "This allows packets with IP options to pass. Otherwise they are blocked by default. This is usually only seen with multicast traffic."
NB: 224.0.0.0/4 is the block of reserved multicast addresses. The other two networks are the same as those added to the IGMP proxy configuration.
3. In the LAN tab, edit the "Default allow LAN to any rule" rule and under "Advanced features" -> "Advanced options" -> Check the box next to "This allows packets with IP options to pass. Otherwise they are blocked by default. This is usually only seen with multicast traffic."
WAN rules screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/QO8njQW.png
LAN rules screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/OzpoQ9g.png
4. Reload the filter rules
These are the rules that are working for me. It's more than likely that finer-grained networks or network addresses could be used than what I've got, but I haven't looked into that yet.
Once pfSense is configured, you need to enable IGMP snooping on your switch(es). Well, this is not strictly necessary, but since the UDP multicast stream is sent as (I think) broadcast traffic at the layer 2 level, it'll be sent out to every port on your switch unless the switch is able to inspect (snoop) the IGMP messages and send the traffic only out to the port(s) with clients of the multicast group. If everything's hard-wired, this isn't so bad since the stream doesn't seem to use a whole lot of bandwidth, but if you've got a wireless access point you definitely don't want the broadcast traffic going over the air (the AP will spend all its time sending traffic to nowhere and clients won't be able to send or receive much real data). Any halfway decent smart or managed switch should have an IGMP snooping option somewhere in its settings...you should just need to find it and enable it.
On my GS1920-24 (running FW version "V4.10(AAOB.5) | 05/05/2015"), which has a very non-intuitive menu system, it's in "Advanced Application" -> "Multicast" on the left menu, then click on the "Click Here" link next to "IPv4 Multicast" in the right pane, then "IGMP Snooping" on the next screen. I just needed to enable the checkbox next to "Active", then click the "Apply" button at the bottom to save and activate the new setting, then "Save" up in the top banner to save the running config to flash so it persists across switch reboots. I didn't have to change any other settings or port configuration.
My GS1920-24 config screenshot: http://i.imgur.com/mo89tZc.png
Your switch will likely differ (and I hope it's easier than mine). All switches that are between your router and your STB (including any build into, e.g., consumer routers you're running in AP mode) will need to have IGMP snooping enabled.
The next step is to add the appropriate QoS service to prioritize the IPTV traffic across your network (this is done by default in the C2000A and C2000T routers). I haven't done that yet, but as soon as I get it set up I will add it to this document.
I've successfully recorded programs, paused live TV, and viewed free on-demand content with this configuration.
I hope this information has been helpful to others. If you see anything that needs clarification or more information, or have any questions/need help, please let me know and I will do my best to assist.
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