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RBK353 AP mode no internet
RBR350, in AP mode + 2 satellites RBS350 Firmware version: V4.3.4.7_1.9.53 Hardware version RBR350 Hardware Type ORBI This is operating in an environment with 40+ devices and several NETGEAR ...
Thanks again CrimpOn and FURRYe38 for nudging me in the right direction. I have done multiple factory resets and an enormous number of experiments with different settings.
As it turns out, I have to use AP mode because it is the only way to get DHCP settings served to clients that are wired to one of the satellites. I have not experienced any problems with AP mode, per se, but thanks for the warnings.
The real problem is that the RBR350 does not accept a comma separated list of gateway IP addresses from a separate DHCP server. I think this is a bug in RBR350 because, strangely, other Netgear products that I use (e.g. web managed switches GS108Ev3) do correctly pick the first gateway address from the list of those supplied by my DHCP server(s).
A detail: I am operating a HA service, and all storage devices (NAS) and services (e.g. DHCP server) have live copies which reside on more than physical machine with automatic failover capability dropping to an alternative when the first selected becomes unavailable. When I first experimented with DHCP server settings to see if changing from a list of gateways to a single gateway address made any difference, I missed one of the several locations that I should have changed. Unbeknown to me, a list of gateways was being served by DHCP to the RBR350 by the one instance that I had failed to adjust. My mistake, and I paid sorely in time wasted trying to track down what was actually wrong.
Bockeman wrote:
The RBR350 reports that the gateway address is 0.0.0.0. This is wrong. My DHCP servers are configured with
option routers 192.168.0.1,82.37.32.1;
and all other devices pick these gateway addresses correctly.
This is the place to start. The RBR350 router has made a DHCP request which has failed to return the correct information.
Did the RBR350 and the RBS350 receive the correct IP assignments, subnet mask, and DNS server IP through DHCP?
Could you please describe the DHCP configuration in more detail? "option routers 192.168.0.1,82.37.32.1" is a bit unusual.
Thanks
Thanks CrimpOn
I agree, I am concerned about the gateway address 0.0.0.0. One thought I had was that the RBK350's are designed to be hooked up to an ISP modem with only one ethernet port that accepts or routes packets for 0.0.0.0 as the only way they can go. I hope this is not the case.
I have not worked out how to see inside the satellites to examine their IP configuration. But from my DHCP servers perspective, and other information, I know they have picked up the correct IP address from the DHCP server. The RBR is correct apart from the gateway address 0.0.0.0.
The "option routers" line is from dhcp.conf in my DHCP server. I changed it to simplyoption routers 192.168.0.1;
and checked that other devices worked without the alternate gateway.I then rebooted the RBR. Still no internet.
Bockeman wrote:
One thought I had was that the RBK350's are designed to be hooked up to an ISP modem with only one ethernet port that accepts or routes packets for 0.0.0.0 as the only way they can go. I hope this is not the case.
Correct. This is not the case. All Netgear Orbi WiFi routers are designed for the WAN (yellow) port to be connected to some device that eventually leads to the internet. This can be:
- An ISP modem or Optical Fiber Termination (ONT) that assigns the router a public IP address through the DHCP or PPoE process
- An ISP combination modem/ONT/router/WiFi device that assigns the router a private IP address through the DHCP process and acts as the gateway from the ISP local LAN to the internet. A Virgin Media Hub5 would be one such device.
- Any network connection that uses the DHCP process to provide the required private IP address, subnet mask, gateway address, and DNS server IP. This appears to be your setup. The Hub5 is the gateway, but the Hub5 DHCP process is not active and network information is being provided from a separate server.
Once connected, the Orbi has two modes:
- In router mode, the Orbi creates a local network (LAN) with a private IP space that is different from the LAN that its WAN port is connected to. If the primary network has assigned an address of 192.168.0.x to the Orbi, then the Orbi create a LAN with 192.168.1.x It the primary LAN happens to be 192.168.1.x, then the Orbi creates a LAN of 10.0.0.x. In router mode, the Orbi uses DHCP to assign network information to devices connected to it. (IP, mask, gateway, DNS server).
- In Access Point (AP) mode, the Orbi LAN and DHCP processes are disabled. The Orbi simply relays DHCP broadcasts from devices connected to the Orbi to the primary network and relays responses back to devices.
When the Orbi router boots up, it should broadcast a DHCP request through the WAN port and expects to be informed through DHCP of the correct IP, subnet mask, gateway IP, and DHS IP. This information is displayed on the Orbi web administration "Internet" page. Note that the only way to reach the Orbi web admin is through the LAN side of the Orbi.
Thanks CrimpOn. A very informative reply.
By "Correct", do you mean that my feared thought "that the RBK350's are designed to be hooked up to an ISP modem with only one ethernet port " is correct, or that "I hope this is not the case."? I hope the latter. And that the "This" in "This is not the case" refers to my feared thought? I hope so. (I trust this clarifies for other readers).
However, forgive me, but I fail to see how this helps me with "no internet". I think I comply with your detailed explanation (thank you), and that in AP mode DHCP is broadcast and responded to correctly. All devices connected (by wire) to the satellite devices receive DHCP information correctly, including gateway address(es).
But, I am still stuck with the RBR350 not picking up the DHCP broadcast response for the gateway address(es). This is my issue. Can you help?
Contrary to your final paragraph, I am accessing the RBR350 router from the WAN side physical connection. Though peversely, I am using the IP address associated with the MAC address of the LAN side. Perhaps the packets come through the WAN to the LAN and are then picked up by the LAN side of the RBR350. I really don't care, because I do have admin access, so no problem. And this should not distract from the headline issue: the RBR350 has no internet access. So I cannot update firmware, cannot speedtest, and NTP is frozen about four years ago.