MK63 no internet connection after turning DHCP server off

[lschwarcz]

Hi everyone,

I have a Nighthawk AX1800 MK63 router with two satellites. The Gateway supplied by my ISP (Ziply - Formerly Frontier) is an ARRIS NVG468MQ. Both of these devices can be a DHCP server. 

I want to have the ARRIS gateway be the DHCP server and turn it off in the MK63. The issue is that when I turn off the DHCP server in the MK63 configuration it loses internet connectivity. What's odd is that it seems like it works at first but then loses the connection later (within a day). I have not specifically tested exactly how long so the timing figures may be off. 

I have most of my devices in my home hardwired (Gateway -> switch -> devices) and that's working just fine. But wireless devices can connect to the MK63 but do not have internet access (Gateway -> MK63 -> wireless devices).

Am I missing some critical configuration step when I turn off the DHCP server? All I do is uncheck the box and save the configuration on the MK63. Shortly after that it becomes, as they say, "immune to user input."

Right now, I can't access the configuration on the MK63 with a browser on my laptop using an ethernet cable or with the app on my iPad. At this point, it seems my only option is to reset and start over with the, "New System Setup" option.

When I was able to connect with the MK63 I also verified that I has the latest firmware installed.

Fortunately, I'm still able to use wireless devices with the WiFi in the ARRIS but I'd prefer to use the MK63 with the satellites since that would give a stronger signal.

Any suggestion on what I may be doing wrong?

Thanks!

Larry.

[antinode · Accepted solution]

> I want to have the ARRIS gateway be the DHCP server and turn it off in
> the MK63. [...]

   Why?  Is there some actual problem which you are trying to solve?

> [...] I'd prefer to use the MK63 with the satellites since that would
> give a stronger signal.

   That (at last) would qualify.

> Am I missing some critical configuration step when I turn off the DHCP
> server? [...]

   If your actual goal was to disable the DHCP server, then you did the
right thing.  If your actual goal was to add the MK63 to your existing
network in a productive way, then you took the wrong path.

> Right now, I can't access the configuration on the MK63 with a browser
> on my laptop [...]

   And these devices are connected to what?

   "can't" is not a useful problem description.  It does not say what
you did.  It does not say what happened when you did it.  As usual,
showing actual actions (commands) with their actual results (error
messages, LED indicators, ...) can be more helpful than vague
descriptions or interpretations.

> [...] I has the latest firmware installed.

   As always, an actual version number would be more useful than your
opinion of what's "latest" today.

> Any suggestion on what I may be doing wrong?

   Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look
for Documentation.  Get the User Manual (at least).  Read.  Look for
"Set up the router as a WiFi access point".

   One effect of selecting that mode would be to disable the DHCP
server, but that's not all that it does.

[antinode · Accepted solution]

> I want to have the ARRIS gateway be the DHCP server and turn it off in
> the MK63. [...]

   Why?  Is there some actual problem which you are trying to solve?

> [...] I'd prefer to use the MK63 with the satellites since that would
> give a stronger signal.

   That (at last) would qualify.

> Am I missing some critical configuration step when I turn off the DHCP
> server? [...]

   If your actual goal was to disable the DHCP server, then you did the
right thing.  If your actual goal was to add the MK63 to your existing
network in a productive way, then you took the wrong path.

> Right now, I can't access the configuration on the MK63 with a browser
> on my laptop [...]

   And these devices are connected to what?

   "can't" is not a useful problem description.  It does not say what
you did.  It does not say what happened when you did it.  As usual,
showing actual actions (commands) with their actual results (error
messages, LED indicators, ...) can be more helpful than vague
descriptions or interpretations.

> [...] I has the latest firmware installed.

   As always, an actual version number would be more useful than your
opinion of what's "latest" today.

> Any suggestion on what I may be doing wrong?

   Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look
for Documentation.  Get the User Manual (at least).  Read.  Look for
"Set up the router as a WiFi access point".

   One effect of selecting that mode would be to disable the DHCP
server, but that's not all that it does.

[lschwarcz]

Hi Antinode,

Thanks for the reply with all that info! Being the pedantic type I already had the full manual.

The reason I didn't state the actual firmware version number was because I was unable to access the router in any way (the whole, "immune to user input" issue).

I reset the MK63 to factory defaults and started over following the instructions to set it up as a WiFi access point.

The firmware version is: V1.0.6.102

Right now it seems like it's worked! I'll test it out for a while but it's looking like success!

Thanks again for the pointers,

Larry.

[antinode]

> Right now it seems like it's worked! I'll test it out for a while but
> it's looking like success!

   What could go wrong?

   Note that when you configure the MK63 as a wireless access point, it
should, by default, get a new/different LAN IP address from your main
router, using DHCP.  When that happens, you'll need to ask your
main router about the devices which are connected to it to learn the
new/different LAN IP address of the MK63-as-WAP.  Most likely, you'll
want to reserve a particular (memorable) address for the MK63-as-WAP (on
the main router), so that it will always get the same address, and you
won't need to hunt for it every time you want to talk to the thing.

   There's some chance that those "routerlogin" names will also work, if
your client device is connected directly to the MK63-as-WAP, but its
new/different LAN IP address should work from anyplace on your LAN.