RBR50 can't address outside 24 bit range for port forwarding.

I have set the IP address and Mask to 172.16.0.1 255.255.240.0. Everything works OK, but I can't port forward to anything past 172.16.0.255, i.e. 172.16.1.77. It only allows a zero in the third octet...

schumaku
Dec 05, 2023
Netgear does not support subnetworks larger (different) than 255.255.255.0 respectively a max of 254 workable hosts. Said but true.

CrimpOn

Guru - Experienced User

Dec 05, 2023

greypanda wrote:

I have set the IP address and Mask to 172.16.0.1 255.255.240.0. Everything works OK

Thanks for posting this. What a hoot! The Orbi "takes" that subnet, and when parameters are communicated with DHCP, that subnet is provided. (Verified with Windows 11.) My guess is that this allows users to create a huge LAN subnet, but I am 90% certain that no other part of the system will accept an IP address outside the base 255.255.255.0 subnet.

(Not LAN assignments, not port forwarding, not filtering, blocking, etc.)

I also have real doubt that WiFi clients outside the regular subnet will be able to communicate with devices in this expanded subnet. Doing an experiment on this would require setting a static IP on something before connecting to the Orbi WiFi. (Not sure if I have enough fascination to do this.)

greypanda

Aspirant

Dec 06, 2023

thanks, everyone. Indeed, wireless clients also fail that way.

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RBR50 can't address outside 24 bit range for port forwarding.