wifi lights blinking in bridge mode--why?--comcast experts please answer

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@qstnS wrote:

Hello.

I set my gateway to totally disable all wifi when I set it up a couple weeks ago.  Bridge mode was not enabled.  I have been using an ethernet connection for my laptop and smart tv.  The wired connections were working fine.  None of the wifi signal lights were on, nor were they blinking.

Suddenly tonight one of the wifi lights lit up and stayed on steadily. 

 

I don't have an answer for you, sorry, just some observations / comments.

 

Things like that that seem to change out of the blue typically are caused by a recent firmware update push by them, and it may have some bugs.

 

I checked the admin settings and found that wifi was still disabled. 

So I called and was told that bridge mode had to be enabled for wifi to be entirely disabled, so the rep did that at xfinity's end. 

 

FWIW, if your gateway were truly put in to bridge mode as rep allegedly did. Only one of your wired devices would have internet access. This is because when in bridge mode, only ethernet port number one is active. The others are disabled.

 

The light went off.  But shortly after, the 2 lights started blinking intermittently.  They continue to do so.

The xfinity site states that when those lights are blinking it indicates it is in WPS mode---that the equipment is searching for a wifi device to connect to.  There is no other explanation provided for why they would blink other than being in the activation process---which obviously shouldn't apply.

Why would this be happening when wifi is totally disabled?---including the public hotspot feature.  

 

Bear in mind that even with all WiFi disabled (private and public hotspots), the Comcast gateway devices still broadcast a *hidden* network which is for interfacing with their home security systems. This can not be disabled. Perhaps that why you see WiFi activity lights ?

 

Again, sorry that I don't have any concrete answers for you. I am not an employee. I can only speculate. Perhaps an official employee will chime in here with answers. Good luck !

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Thanks for replying so promptly and for your input.  I appreciate it.

 

I don't claim to know who is right, but, according to another agent I subsequently spoke to at xfinity, all the ethernet ports should still be working in bridge mode---not just one.  I did look at the admin tool the first night and bridge mode was enabled after he said he enabled it.

 

And here is an update:

The first night in the early AM, after I spoke with the agent who enabled bridge mode and the lights started blinking, I went online on my laptop and it worked as usual with the ethernet.  Then 12 hours later that same day in the afternoon I tried to go online on my laptop and it suddenly can't connect to the internet!  It says "Ethernet does not have a valid ip configuration."  I didn't change any PC settings or install any updates in the meantime, etc.  I'm tethering my phone to my laptop and using it's cell data in order to post this, etc.  My smart tv is working fine with the ethernet connection.  The modem has been reset at xfinity's end by the agents with whom I've spoken.  And all these matters have been forwarded to Advanced Repair---but I've yet to hear from them and my laptop is still saying "no valid ip configuration".  I don't want to mess with doing anything to my laptop unless it is determined that the ip configuration problem is defintiely not xfinity's issue.  If my laptop can connect via my phone, then surely it would be able to via ethernet if the problem wasn't with xfinity or the modem.  Another thing that seems weird to me is the light next to the ethernet port on the modem leading to my laptop is green while my laptop is switched on---while the light next to the smart tv connected port is orange [or is that supposed to be what they label as amber?] whether it's on or off.

 

Man is this annoying!  It was all working fine untli that wifi light came on all of a sudden 3 days ago!

 

Sincere thanks to all who can help!

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@qstnS wrote:

Thanks for replying so promptly and for your input.  I appreciate it.

 

Quite welcome !

 

I don't claim to know who is right, but, according to another agent I subsequently spoke to at xfinity, all the ethernet ports should still be working in bridge mode---not just one. 

 

They are COMPLETELY WRONG !! They are either something less than trained or they have been making up stuff that people want to hear FOREVER !! In bride mode it acts just like a straight (plain vanilla) with only one active port. Good luck with this !

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Any update on this? I have a similar issue. Thx for posting, the entire thread has been helpful