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user_q1iwlt
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Friday, November 21st, 2025 2:23 AM

XP8 gateway buggy in Bridge mode drops Ethernet WAN

My XB8 in bridge mode intermittently drops Ethernet WAN. The router sees random WAN failures and DHCP outages.  Using Orbi 771 router which freezes (purple light) and must be rebooted when this occurs.  I could switch the Orbi to AP mode but this configuration isnt optimal.  Reading that the XB8 is "buggy" and known for this any input from those with greater knowledge than I?

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10 days ago

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XfinityQuemekia

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746 Messages

12 days ago

Thank you for reaching out and providing such specific details about the intermittent connectivity issues you're experiencing with your XB8 gateway in bridge mode. I can certainly understand your frustration.

Here are a few troubleshooting tips to address the intermittent Ethernet WAN drops: 

  • Inspect and Replace Ethernet Cable: A faulty or low-quality Ethernet cable is a common culprit. Ensure you are using a high-quality, undamaged Ethernet cable.
  • Verify the Port: The Ethernet cable must be securely plugged into one of the available yellow LAN ports on the XB8
  • Remove Unneeded Splitters: Check the coaxial line coming into your XB8 for any excess or poor-quality signal splitters. Unneeded splitters degrade the signal quality, which can cause intermittent drops.
  • Connect a Computer Directly (as a test): To isolate the problem to either the XB8 or the Orbi, disconnect the Orbi router and plug a laptop/PC directly into the XB8's Ethernet port. If the connection is stable on the PC but not with the Orbi, the issue may be with the Orbi or the interaction between the devices.

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user_q1iwlt

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Thank you for your response.  I 1. replaced the ethernet cable with a new Cat6 shielded cable.  2.  Verified the port.  3.  No splitters used.  4.  Unable to connect directly to the XB8 as its in bridge mode.  Had to contact customer service to disable bridge mode.  After much diag I came up with teh following.  XB8 is consistently buggy in bridge mode. 

Orbi was crashing when WAN link negotiation with the XB8 running in Bridge Mode fails mid cycle or renews during DHCP lease rollover triggering XB8 sending a DHCP renewal or link registration, Orbis WAN driver then stuck in a deadlocked state which cascaded into LAN stack lockup, router watchdog detects a fault, router freezes causing Purple  WAN LED error, no internet, No LAN routing, No router UI, No DHCP to wired devices necessitating reboot to resolve and reacquire. .  
This instability with the XB8 required a different architecture involving deactivating the bridge mode and putting the Orbi in AP mode.  
This now allows the XB8 to handl WAN and DHCP routing and turns the Orbi into a pure access point + switch (Does not run DHCP, does not route) and has zero conflicts with XB8 DHCP.    Not my favourite solution as I lose a lot of the Orbi's router functionality using it in AP mode but the connection has been stable for 72 hours thus far which makes sense.

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10 days ago

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user_q1iwlt

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Would be interested if Xfinity is aware of the XB8 bridge bugs.  Would have asked to downgrade to the XB7 but it does not support 6Ghz band.  

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10 days ago

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XfinityChristy

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Thank you for your extensive troubleshooting and detailed findings regarding the intermittent connection issues with the XB8 in bridge mode. We appreciate you identifying that the instability seems to stem from a conflict between the XB8's bridge mode and your Orbi's WAN link negotiation/DHCP renewal process. It is great news that you achieved stability (72+ hours) by switching the XB8 back to router mode and setting the Orbi to Access Point (AP) mode, even though this means losing some desired Orbi router features. Regarding your question about the XB8 bridge mode bugs: We do track and investigate customer reports of bridge mode instability to inform our firmware updates. Your detailed report is valuable for our engineers. We understand you do not want to downgrade to the XB7 because it lacks the 6 GHz band.

 

I do not see any know or scheduled firmware updates at this time for the Xb8 that specifically address bridge mode stability. One thing you can do is reboot your modem from time to time put the gateway in update mode as it is rebooting. 

 

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10 days ago

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