can not configure port forwarding with xfi app

Hey there, thanks for reaching out through Xfinity Forums! We would be happy to help you with troubleshooting your Port Forwarding on the xFi app! You have reached the right place! What type of device are you having issues appearing online and in the app? 

I have a VM running and connected to wifi, however, it is not recognized as a connected device in the app. In order to setup port forwarder in the app, the device need to be on the list of connected devices. I already restart the xFin router, the VM, and the VM host multiple times, it did not make any different. This VM did not show up in the list of connected devices although, it is connected and access internet or home network just fine. In addition of selecting a list of connected devices, should the app provide an option to enter the IP of the port forwarding to in case the device is not show up in the list? Or a way to setup port forwarding in the xFi admin console?

Thanks for those additional details. The only way to set up port forwarding with an xFi Gateway would be through the app. Here is a link with those steps, https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/port-forwarding-xfinity-wireless-gateway. I would recommend making sure that the VM is connected to your in-home network and not a hotspot nearby. You would need to have the device showing on your list of devices in order to set up port forwarding.

We would be happy to help by taking a look at your device to see if we can help with troubleshooting to ensure it is showing on your connected devices. Please send us a private message with your name and service address to "Xfinity Support" by clicking on the chat icon at the top right of the page. 
 

There appears to be conflicting information about how how port forwarding is supposed to work on Xfinity gear. The admin console has been crippled.

Some report to get a device to show up in the app, you have to use DHCP for the device.  You could try it with your VM just for a test.  Make sure networking for the virtual machine is set bridge mode on the host OS (not internal or host-only), and that it's getting an address from your gateway that is inside the address pool the gateway passes out (VM set for DHCP, not a static IP).

Apparently, the undocumented part is that the assigned DHCP addresses are supposed to stick once assigned, then the app can supposedly see them.  And yes, it is counter intuitive and not the way anything else works with DHCP reservations, or the normal way of just setting an IP outside of the address pool to avoid conflicts and setting port forwards on those.  True or not?  Meh.  Like I say, conflicting information and probably dependent on specific Xfinity hardware and firmware versions.

The XfinitySomethings could easily clear this up with a simple white paper, and it would help a lot of folks here.  Let everyone know if this works for you and report the specific hardware model number and firmware for everyone else.

flatlander3, thank you for your comments, the VM was configured to use DHCP, I even can reserved an IP from DHCP pool for it. I think the issue is at the xFi gateway, it recognized devices either connect with ethernet or Wifi. Since the VM is connected through the host NIC, the gateway won't able to verify either it was connect as ethernet or Wifi thus it just mark the device offline and this reflect on the app. This gateway model had a decent configureable port forwarding menu but it has been remove and substitute by the app which is not adequate. For example, if some one want to forward port 80 to port 8080 on destination device, there is no way to do that on the app. It seems the only option that works is to place this VM on DMZ but that will require maintain a firewall on the VM. Not sure if I want to do this.