2014-10-07 Tuesday: Newer Belkin routers not working?

[Ichinisan]

I've been getting a ton of calls this morning from people with newer Belkin routers. They receive DHCP, but can't get online. After performing a factory reset and trying to configure from scratch, people receive this message:

"Please contact your ISP. Tell them that your router was able to get an IP address and DNS is working, but we can't ping anyone."​

[edit]

One person told me his router model was F9K1113 v4.

[edit]

@BelkinCares reports that manually-entered DNS settings seem to work around the issue. You can use Google's open DNS.

Preferred / Primary:
8.8.8.8

Alternate / Secondary:
8.8.4.4​

Looks like they're saying to enter the settings on your computer / device...not in the router's configuration settings.

Windows 7

• Open the Start menu
• Type "view network connections" and open it.
• Double-click the connection you're using (Local Area Connection if you're using a wired connection, Wireless Connection if you're on WiFi - typically the one that doesn't have a number in the name)
• Click the Properties button (if there's a security warning, choose OK/Accept/Allow/Continue...or whatever).
• Near the bottom of the list, select Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP /IPv4) (don't remove the check mark)
• Click the Properties button below
• Select Use the following DNS server addresses: and enter the numbers you see above.
• Click OK, OK/Close, Close.

Windows 8

• Open the Start menu (Win7) or Start screen (Win8)
• Type "view network connections" (you won't see a place to type until you start typing)
• In Windows 8.0, you may have to click Settings in the search results to find it. (make sure to get the 8.1 update whenever you're back online again)
• Double-click the connection you're using (Ethernet if you're using a wired connection, WiFi if you're on wireless)
• Click the Properties button (if there's a security warning, choose OK/Accept/Allow/Continue...or whatever).
• Near the bottom of the list, select Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP /IPv4) (don't remove the check mark)
• Click the Properties button below
• Select Use the following DNS server addresses: and enter the numbers you see above.
• Click OK, OK/Close, Close.

Windows XP

• Open the Start menu
• Click Control Panel
• Open Network connections...
• If Control Panel is in Classic View: Open Network Connections
• If Control Panel is in Category View: Click Network and Internet Connections, then click Network Connections at the bottom.
• Double-click the connection you're using (Local Area Connection if you're using a wired connection, Wireless Connection if you're on WiFi)
• Click the Properties button.
• Near the bottom of the list, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) (don't remove the check mark)
• Click the Properties button below
• Select Use the following DNS server addresses: and enter the numbers you see above.
• Click OK, OK again, then Close.

iPhone / iPad / iPod touch (or any mobile device running iOS)

• From the home screen, open Settings (the icon with gears/cogs on it)
• Near the top, tap Wi-Fi.
• Look for the network with a check mark and tap the (i) (">" on older iOS versions) that appears to the right.
• Tap in the DNS field and replace the number there with: "8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4"

[edit]

Had someone try it on his Windows 7 computer and it worked.

 

[Boosthungry]

My Belkin N+ Router isn't working this morning either. Our Verizon Fios Router is working fine and I tried multiple Ethernet cables and hardwired my computer with the same cables.

I'm not getting the message you described though.

I called Belkin and they said they were receiving a higher than normal call volume follow by another message saying all circuits were busy, please hang up and try your call again (that message brought me back).

I think they done did break something.

 

[Boosthungry]

Their website and support site seem to be down also.

 

[PliotronX]

Wait a tick, why would a centralized issue affect network devices that should be independent? Are these newer Belkins some kind of BS cloud routers? A strong case for open source firmware...

 

[Ichinisan]

Wait a tick, why would a centralized issue affect network devices that should be independent? Are these newer Belkins some kind of BS cloud routers? A strong case for open source firmware...

I don't think it's that. I think an automatic firmware update broke them. The site and phone system is down because thousands of Belkin owners are trying to find out what's going on and calling / visiting the site and it's too much load. Since the affected routers are all fairly new (people are telling me they've had theirs for a week or a month), I bet they are all within the phone support period and Belkin's phone lines are slammed.

 

[PliotronX]

I don't think it's that. I think an automatic firmware update broke them. The site and phone system is down because thousands of Belkin owners are trying to find out what's going on and calling / visiting the site and it's too much load. Since the affected routers are all fairly new (people are telling me they've had theirs for a week or a month), I bet they are all within the phone support period and Belkin's phone lines are slammed.

Oh wow, I'd be so pissed.

 

[Ichinisan]

Belkin screwed up! Been in tech support 10 years and haven't experienced anything like this before.

Software updates causing massive issues, yes. Never experienced mass issues from an automated firmware update for a piece of hardware.

 

[sk716]

I woke up to this problem this morning. I found this thread Googling the ping error message since the Belkin website is down. I even hard reset the router back to factory.

I checked to see if there was a firmware update overnight, the router didn't show that there had been, but it's the only explanation if it's affecting everyone with a newer Belkin. I bought this one about a month ago to replace an 8 year old LinkSys.

So pissed off.

Glad I found this thread though. Hopefully Belkin will get a patch(?) up soon.

 

[Ichinisan]

I woke up to this problem this morning. I found this thread Googling the ping error message since the Belkin website is down. I even hard reset the router back to factory.

I checked to see if there was a firmware update overnight, the router didn't show that there had been, but it's the only explanation if it's affecting everyone with a newer Belkin. I bought this one about a month ago to replace an 8 year old LinkSys.

So pissed off.

Glad I found this thread though. Hopefully Belkin will get a patch(?) up soon.

You'll probably have to update it the old-school way: Bypass the router, download the new firmware to your computer, reconnect the router, log into the router's internal setup webpage, and upload the new firmware file from your computer.

...assuming a new/old firmware is made available there.

 

[Ichinisan]

Moved to the OP.

 

[sk716]

You'll probably have to update it the old-school way: Bypass the router, download the new firmware to your computer, reconnect the router, log into the router's internal setup webpage, and upload the new firmware file from your computer.

...assuming a new/old firmware is made available there.

So far, no dice. I even tried rolling back to the old firmware. From the others affected, it's all on Belkin being incredibly stupid and requiring the routers to ping off of one of their servers which is down or something. They refuse to acknowledge anything and keep just telling people "we are aware of the problem."

It appears that I'm just going to have to wait it out. Unless someone figures out how to bypass the Belkin ping.

Today we all should be happy we don't work for Belkin tech support. Can you imagine the things irate customers are shouting at them?

 

[sk716]

I'm seeing some anecdotal reports that manually-entered DNS settings seem to work around the issue. You can use Google's open DNS.

Preferred / Primary:
8.8.8.8

Alternate / Secondary:
8.8.4.4​

Looks like they're saying to enter the settings on your computer / device...not in the router's configuration settings.

That's not going to help me. I'm home alone now but once the family gets home with laptops, iPads, and phones, reconfiguring all of them individually just isn't an option.

I did try to manually enter my IP and DNS into the router, but nothing changed.

 

[Ichinisan]

That's not going to help me. I'm home alone now but once the family gets home with laptops, iPads, and phones, reconfiguring all of them individually just isn't an option.

I did try to manually enter my IP and DNS into the router, but nothing changed.

Yeah. I wouldn't do it to the game consoles, smart TVs, Roku/Apple TV streaming boxes just yet. I'd only bother with manual settings if you're in a pinch and need to get one system back online.

I feel sorry for those working at home today

 

[VirtualLarry]

I woke up to this problem this morning. I found this thread Googling the ping error message since the Belkin website is down. I even hard reset the router back to factory.

I checked to see if there was a firmware update overnight, the router didn't show that there had been, but it's the only explanation if it's affecting everyone with a newer Belkin. I bought this one about a month ago to replace an 8 year old LinkSys.

So pissed off.

Glad I found this thread though. Hopefully Belkin will get a patch(?) up soon.

Well, Cisco routers sent every web site you visited to Cisco. Could the newer Belkin routers be doing the same? And something br0k3?

 

[Elixer]

Was there an firmware update pushed when the router phones home ?

 

[sk716]

Well, Cisco routers sent every web site you visited to Cisco. Could the newer Belkin routers be doing the same? And something br0k3?

Pretty much. Belkin routers are programmed to ping a Belkin server, that server is down so thousands of people have useless routers until Belkin fixes the server. The work-arounds only work with certain routers on certain operating systems.

They started out the day blaming the ISPs but Comcast threw Belkin under the bus after the flood of complaints.

 

[imagoon]

Since you're an ISP reroute the ip address of heartbeat.belkin.com to another device that responses to pings. The connect light will turn blue and calls will end. Cisco ACL in the router to redirect it to loopback of the router works.

 

[Elixer]

Since you're an ISP reroute the ip address of heartbeat.belkin.com to another device that responses to pings. The connect light will turn blue and calls will end. Cisco ACL in the router to redirect it to loopback of the router works.

So, they didn't even have a fallback address in case heartbeat.belkin.com ever failed ?
Sheesh.

 

[imagoon]

So, they didn't even have a fallback address in case heartbeat.belkin.com ever failed ?
Sheesh.

Yeah Sheesh. All because a ping failed, belkin routers around the world shut down. Would it have killed them to have "heartbeat2" - "heartbeat4" in 3 different AWS zones with the original (or some other datacenter etc)

 

[Ichinisan]

Yeah Sheesh. All because a ping failed, belkin routers around the world shut down. Would it have killed them to have "heartbeat2" - "heartbeat4" in 3 different AWS zones with the original (or some other datacenter etc)

...or it shouldn't require that at all. What happens if Belkin doesn't exist 10 years from now, but someone still depends on the router and expects it to keep working?

 

[imagoon]

...or it shouldn't require that at all. What happens if Belkin doesn't exist 10 years from now, but someone still depends on the router and expects it to keep working?

Maybe. It isn't super relevant though since you don't generally keep those routers 10 years.

 

[Ketchup]

...or it shouldn't require that at all. What happens if Belkin doesn't exist 10 years from now, but someone still depends on the router and expects it to keep working?

Great question. Is this a tactic specific to Belkins or do other routers reach out for such a ping in order to operate?

And imagoon is correct. If a Belkin router lasted 10 years, you would probably see it in a museum

 

[Ichinisan]

Maybe. It isn't super relevant though since you don't generally keep those routers 10 years.

I have some 10-year-old WRT54G routers here with open source firmware and antenna mods. Not actively in-use at the moment, but they're available and I expect them to work if I'm in a pinch and need them temporarily.

 

[imagoon]

I have some 10-year-old WRT54G routers here with open source firmware and antenna mods. Not actively in-use at the moment, but they're available and I expect them to work if I'm in a pinch and need them temporarily.

I am not sure I follow your point. I have random boxes of old but still working hardware also. Not that I would want to use a WRT54G anymore.

 

[drebo]

So I shouldn't null route 54.83.179.150. Got it.