I don’t think we are communicating. I am not sure what you are getting at when you refer to my use of the phrase static IP address. I am not using the phrase incorrectly if that is what you are suggesting. In any event, that is not my point.
My point is that I manually am configuring certain of my devices with static IP addresses; I do not want my router to dynamically assign IPs to those certain devices. However, my CAX30 modem-router is not automatically registering these devices as having static IP addresses and dynamically reassigns those same IP addresses to other devices on my network. This creates a conflict whereby multiple devices on my network simultaneously have the same IP address, which should not happen.
My understanding is that when a router is not able automatically to recognize a device having a static IP address, there usually (always in my 30-some-years experience) is a way to force the router to do so. Although I have used many pieces of Netgear equipment in the past including older routers, I am not as familiar with these newer models and their software. So as yet, it has not been evident to me where this is done in the online administrator software.
You wrote earlier, “It does allow you to make an "Address Reservation" but that is something else.” Actually after five phone calls and several hours with multiple Netgear technical-support specialists (I just got off the phone with them), it turns out that is precisely where I am to force my router into recognizing my assigned static IP addresses.
After I logged in, I was instructed to select the Advanced tab, then select Setup in the left navigation menu, and then select the LAN Setup submenu. Once on that page, there is a location near the bottom whereby I can add those devices under Address Reservation. Once added and saved, the router supposedly no longer dynamically will assign those specific IPs to any other of my devices.
I emphasized supposedly above because when I check a different section of the CAX30 router software (Advanced > Administration > Attached Devices) I still see two devices with duplicate IP addresses to the devices listed under Address Reservation. I know they are different devices because they have different MAC addresses. Meanwhile, those same two devices with the “correct” MAC addresses are not listed under Attached Devices. My other devices now listed under Address Reservation correctly appear under Attached Devices; only two do not. So although this appears to be the correct solution to one problem, this solution does not appear to be working entirely as it should.
When I spoke to Netgear tech support, I queried whether this could be a bug in the firmware (I just installed a recently released update last night). I was told they don’t know the reason for this discrepancy but are escalating the problem among their support staff and will get back to me sometime during the next 24-48 hours. Hopefully, they will have a solution. If not, I probably will drop the matter since this already is taking more time to resolve than it should take. If only two/four devices on my LAN have potential traffic conflicts, I think I can live with that….
