Troubleshooting

Purpose of This Guide

This page provides structured diagnostic steps if Firegate™ does not behave as expected after installation.

Most connectivity issues are related to cable placement or ISP lease binding and can be resolved quickly.

1. No Internet After Installation

If internet access does not restore after installing Firegate, follow these steps.

1.1 Verify Cable Placement

Confirm the correct topology:

Modem → Internet IN (Firegate)
Internet OUT (Firegate) → Router WAN/Internet Port

Reversing these cables will prevent connectivity.

Ensure all Ethernet cables are fully inserted and link lights are active.

1.2 Restart in Correct Order

Power cycle in this exact order:

  1. Power off modem and router.
  2. Power on modem and wait until fully synchronised.
  3. Power on Firegate and wait approximately 1–2 minutes.
  4. Power on router.

Allow up to 2 minutes for network stabilisation.

1.3 Refresh ISP Lease

Some internet providers bind connectivity to the previously connected device.

If internet does not return:

  1. Power off the modem.
  2. Wait at least 60 seconds.
  3. Power the modem back on.
  4. Restart the router.

This forces the ISP to refresh the network lease.

2. Internet Works When Firegate Is Removed

If connectivity works when Firegate is bypassed but fails when inline:

  • Recheck cable orientation.
  • Repeat the power sequence.
  • Confirm no cables are reversed.

Firegate must sit directly between modem and router to function correctly.

3. Slow or Intermittent Connectivity

If internet works but performance seems degraded:

  • Restart Firegate.
  • Restart the router.
  • Confirm Ethernet cables are not damaged.
  • Test with a known-working cable if necessary.

Firegate operates inline and does not modify gateway behaviour.

4. Certain Websites Do Not Load

If specific websites fail to load:

  • Restart Firegate.
  • Confirm DNS resolution is functioning.
  • Temporarily bypass Firegate to determine whether blocking is policy-related.

If the issue disappears when bypassed, enforcement rules may be responsible.

5. Update Connectivity Issues

Firegate uses a separate management interface for secure outbound update connectivity.

If updates fail but general internet works:

  • Confirm the update interface is physically connected.
  • Confirm it has outbound internet access.
  • Restart Firegate if necessary.

The update interface is isolated from the inline inspection path.

6. Verifying Hardware Link Status

Check for active Ethernet link indicators on:

  • Modem Ethernet port
  • Firegate Internet IN
  • Firegate Internet OUT
  • Router WAN port

No link light usually indicates a cabling issue.

7. Temporary Bypass Procedure

If immediate connectivity is required:

  1. Disconnect Firegate.
  2. Connect modem directly to router WAN port.
  3. Restart the router.

Reconnect Firegate once the issue has been resolved.

8. When to Contact Support

Contact support if:

  • Internet does not restore after correct power sequence.
  • Update connectivity fails repeatedly.
  • The device does not power on.
  • Unexpected behaviour persists after bypass testing.

Include:

Whether bypass restores connectivity

ISP name

Router model

Description of issue