R6400 is not adhering to IP reservation settings

[c_sw]

Ever since the latest firmware update, the router has not been correclty setting the IP address for a particular device. The MAC address was selected from a list of options, and the IP address manually configured. I've rebooted the device, removed and re-added the MAC address (and rebooted again), but nothing works.

I also have another discussion about how the router disconnects from the modem daily. Perhaps the latest firmware is simply bad.

I see nowhere on netgear's websites to report such a bug.

[c_sw · Accepted solution]

I reset the router to factory settings, then upgraded immediately to the latest firmware. That resolved both issues I was having.

FYI, I would not trust Netgear to correctly do automatic firmware updates given these issues.

[antinode]

> Ever since the latest firmware update, [...]

   An actual version number would be more useful than your opinion of
what's "the latest" today.  ("R6400", not "R6400v2"?)

> [...] the router has not been correclty setting the IP address for a
> particular device. [...]

   What _does_ happen?  The device gets some other address from the
pool?  Does the Address Reservation report show the right values?

> [...] I've rebooted the device, removed and re-added the MAC address
> (and rebooted again), but nothing works.

   Settings reset and manual reconfiguration?  You can try to save some
work by saving settings, resetting, and restoring the saved settings.
If that works, then you're happy.  If it fails, then you still need to
try manual reconfiguration (after another reset), because the saved
settings could have been corrupt.

> I see nowhere on netgear's websites to report such a bug.

   They don't seem to care about bugs.  If you're willing to pretend
that it's a security problem, then there is (was?) an e-mail address for
reports on such problems (techsupport.security at the obvious domain).

[c_sw]

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@antinode wrote:

An actual version number would be more useful than your opinion of
what's "the latest" today.  ("R6400", not "R6400v2"?)

V1.0.1.42_1.0.28

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@antinode wrote:
What _does_ happen?  The device gets some other address from the
pool?  Does the Address Reservation report show the right values?

Yes, the device gets a number from the pool. I don't use 192.168.1.2, so it gets that one. I like to know what's on my network, so I assign static IPs to everything, and then if the IP address is one that I haven't assigned, I know it's an unknown device.

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@antinode wrote:
Settings reset and manual reconfiguration?  You can try to save some
work by saving settings, resetting, and restoring the saved settings.
If that works, then you're happy.  If it fails, then you still need to
try manual reconfiguration (after another reset), because the saved
settings could have been corrupt.

Okay, I'll try that first.

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@antinode wrote:
They don't seem to care about bugs.  If you're willing to pretend
that it's a security problem, then there is (was?) an e-mail address for
reports on such problems (techsupport.security at the obvious domain).

That's great. At least you cared. Thank you!

[antinode]

> [...] I assign static IPs to everything, [...]

   A static address is configured on the device itself; a reserved
dynamic address is configured on the router (DHCP server).  Both are (or
should be) fixed/reliable.

   It shouldn't matter, but you might try shrinking the DHCP pool, so
that your reserved addresses are outside the pool.  Around here, for
example (D7000, V1.0.1.64_1.0.1), my pool is small (".224" - ".239"),
and many of my devices have static IP configurations, with many others
having reserved dynamic addresses.  (All the reserved and static
addresses are outside the pool.  Currently, only a Roku box uses a pool
address.)

   For a good time, you could try loading an older firmware version, to
verify that the new one really is what wrecked it.  Visit
http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look for
Downloads.  Under Firmware and Software Downloads, look for "View
Previous Versions".  Find the kit(s).  Download the kit(s) you want.
Read the "Release Notes" file for instructions.

   Again, confused behavior after loading any different firmware version
is a plausible reason to try a settings reset, just in case.  It's not
always a complete waste of time and effort.

[c_sw]

I just realized that perhaps the IP reservation isn't taking place because of the type of device. The device that isn't getting the expected IP address is a wireless repeater - perhaps it has a built-in static IP address.

I removed a known device, changed the IP address range to start at 192.168.1.100, and reconnected the device. It received 192.168.1.100. So perhaps the repeater has its own static IP address.

[antinode]

> [...] The device that isn't getting the expected IP address is a
> wireless repeater - perhaps it has a built-in static IP address.

   Not a very detailed description of anything.  I can't see your
address reservations, or the (appropriate) MAC address of your
(unspecified) "a wireless repeater".  Note that if a device has multiple
network interfaces, then each interface can have its own MAC address,
and specifying the wrong one in an address reservation would make it
ineffective.  I can't see your Attached Devices report, either. 
Copy+paste is your friend.

> [...] So perhaps the repeater has its own static IP address.

   What is that address?

   A device may be configured with a static address, but if it were
"built-in", then such a device would be useless on many networks.  It
would need to be changable in some way.  Of course, only one of us knows
what your "a wireless repeater" is.

[c_sw]

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@antinode wrote:
Not a very detailed description of anything.  I can't see your
address reservations, or the (appropriate) MAC address of your
(unspecified) "a wireless repeater".  Note that if a device has multiple
network interfaces, then each interface can have its own MAC address,
and specifying the wrong one in an address reservation would make it
ineffective.  I can't see your Attached Devices report, either. 
Copy+paste is your friend.

Here are the reports:Reserved IP addresses

Provisioned IP addresses

The repeater is this device:

https://www.amazon.com/URANT-Extender-Wireless-Powerline-Mode-2-4GHz/dp/B01LZ37CRX

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@antinode wrote:
What is that address? A device may be configured with a static address, but if it were
"built-in", then such a device would be useless on many networks.  It
would need to be changable in some way.  Of course, only one of us knows
what your "a wireless repeater" is.

 The address that the repeater is taking is 192.168.1.2. It only has 1 interface to the main router.

[c_sw · Accepted solution]

I reset the router to factory settings, then upgraded immediately to the latest firmware. That resolved both issues I was having.

FYI, I would not trust Netgear to correctly do automatic firmware updates given these issues.