One of the main problems with getting SmartLink to operate properly and to pass the SmartLink network test to get a green circle is a network configuration where the FLEX-6000 is located due to multiple routers that are performing network address translation (NAT) known as "double NATing" or "multiple NATing". SmartLink only works properly when there is only one router between the FLEX-6000 and the Internet doing NAT also known as "single NATing". This "one router" must be the one where UPnP or the manual port forwarding rules are configured.
A quick way to determine if you have a multiple NAT situation is to use a network tool included with Windows called Traceroute (tracert.exe) This tool will record the IP address of each router as a packet makes its way to the traceroute destination. If there is more than one private IP address listed as the first two "hops" in the traceroute output, you have a multiple NAT situation.
A private IP address can have the following pattern where "x" is a number from 0 - 255
- 192.168.x.x
- 172.[16-31].x.x
- 10.x.x.x
- 100.[64-127].x.x (Reserved CG-NAT IP address range)
Here is how to run Traceroute
From PC used to access the FLEX-6000 on your local network, open Command Prompt and run a Traceroute to Google
- Press the ' Windows Key ' on your Keyboard or click the ' Start ' Button
- Type ' CMD ' and press ' Enter '
- In the ' Command Prompt ' window type your desired destination;
- tracert -d 8.8.8.8
Take a Screen Capture of the Command Window and Attach it to your HelpDesk ticket
- Click on the Command window you want to take a screen capture. Make sure it’s in the foreground and not behind other open apps.
- Press Alt + Print Screen.
- Open MS Paint (the fastest way to do this is to enter "paint" in the search box and select it).
- Press ctrl + v.
- This will paste the screen capture of the open window in Paint. You can save the screen capture anywhere you like.
- Then attach it to this ticket as an attachment.
Below is an output from a successful traceroute that is not multiple NATed
C:\Users\HomePC>tracert -d 8.8.8.8
Tracing route to 8.8.8.8 over a maximum of 30 hops
1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.1
2 1 ms 1 ms <1 ms 61.198.164.1
3 <1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 61.198.165.146
4 11 ms 11 ms 12 ms 61.98.0.25
5 11 ms 11 ms 11 ms 206.126.236.21
6 11 ms 11 ms 10 ms 108.170.246.1
7 11 ms 11 ms 11 ms 216.239.54.205
8 11 ms 11 ms 11 ms 8.8.8.8
Trace complete.
C:\Users\HomePC>