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Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

HarryZ
Aspirant

routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

Walked into a new account that was having internet troubles. Fixed the issue with their ISP. Found that there was a Netgear Nighthawk AX8, Model RAX75 "downstream" from the ISP modem. I also noticed that some of their PCs were connected directly to the ISP's modem/router, and some were connected to the Netgear . So all the PCs were not on the same subnet (the ones connected to the ISP modem were on 192.168.0.x, and the ones connected to the Netgear were on 192.168.1.x) It was not possible during the time I had there to move the Netgear physically close to the ISP modem so that all the PCs would be on the same subnet. So, I just disabled DHCP on the Netgear and let the ISP router take care of assigning IP addresses for all the PCs.

 

Now, I want to go back and clean up this mess.  First step I want to do is to acess the Netgear and see what the firmware level is. But, I cannot get to the administrative logon.  192.168.1.1 will not work since DHCP is turned off. I've found the IP address for the router, but when I enter that into my browser I don't get a response.  If I try routerlogin.net, I get redirected  to https://www.netgear.com/home/services/routerlogincom/.  

 

I've tried both ethernet connected and wifi. Both fail.

 

I tried the Andriod app, but it wants to reconfigure the router instead of just showing me what the current situation is, and I don't want to bring down their network at this time. Which also means that doing a factory reset is not on the table right now, either.

 

So, how can I get to the router login window?  Do I need to add a port number to the IP address?  Some other secret way of doing this?

 

Thank you for your assistance,

Model: RAX80|Nighthawk AX8 8-Stream WiFi Router
Message 1 of 10

Accepted Solutions
antinode
Guru

Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

> [...] I will try connecting the cable from the Technicolor to the LAN
> port on the Netgear and see what happens. [...]

 

   I wouldn't do that.  That was a possible explanation for what you
reported, not a suggested course of action.

 

> [...] look in the User Manual for "Set up the router as a WiFi access
> point". [...]

 

   Still my advice.

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Message 8 of 10

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antinode
Guru

Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

> [...] I just disabled DHCP on the Netgear and let the ISP router take
> care of assigning IP addresses for all the PCs.

 

   Not completely wrong, but not good enough.

 

> [...] Some other secret way of doing this?

 

   So well hidden that you might never guess the key...

 

   Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look
for Documentation.  Get the User Manual (at least).  Read.  Look for
"Reset" and/or "Factory Settings".

 

   When that's done, and you can again get to the management web site,
look in the User Manual for "Set up the router as a WiFi access point".

(That will, among other things, disable the DHCP server on the RAX75.)

Message 2 of 10
HarryZ
Aspirant

Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

Aloha @antinode . Mahalo (thank you) for the response. But a couple of things...

 

"...Not completely wrong, but not good enough."   Care to explain a little more?

 

Also, I know what a Factory Reset is, and how to do it. I thought I made it clear that a Factory Reset is not what I'm looking for.  So, do you know how to access the router admin in my current situation?

 

Harry Z

 

 

Message 3 of 10
antinode
Guru

Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

> [...] Care to explain a little more?

 

   What you want is to configure the RAX75 as a WAP.  A part of that
task is to disable its DHCP server, but that's only a part of it, not
the whole job.

 

> [...] I thought I made it clear that a Factory Reset is not what I'm
> looking for. [...]

 

   Yes, but I skipped right past that, assuming that with no DHCP server
running on the RAX75, little else would be working among the devices
connected to it, so that a settings reset would be relatively painless.
Which would be even more likely after any existing DHCP leases expired,
and could not be renewed.  (Also, if you didn't know what a poor idea
disabling the DHCP server was, then I wouldn't bet that you hadn't
committed some other configuration blunder(s), so that a settings reset
would be a good idea, generally.)

 

   But, fine.


> So, I just disabled DHCP on the Netgear and let the ISP router take
> care of assigning IP addresses for all the PCs.

 

   I would not expect the (unspecified) "ISP router" to be able to do
that.  DHCP uses broadcast messages, and those generally don't get from
the LAN side of a router to its WAN/Internet side (where the remaining
DHCP server resides).

 

   A possible exception would be if the connection between the
(unspecified) "ISP router" to the RAX75 was made using a _LAN_ port on
the RAX75.  And that seemed unlikely if client devices connected to the
RAX75 had been getting addresses on a different subnet ("192.168.1.*").

 

> [...] 192.168.1.1 will not work since DHCP is turned off. [...]

 

   Disabling the DHCP server, by itself, would not shift the RAX75 LAN
IP address from its default of "192.168.1.1".  What I _would_ expect to
happen would be that a DHCP-using computer which was connected to it
would not get valid IP parameters (because there's no local DHCP
server).


   "will not work" 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've found the IP address for the router, [...]

 

   How?  What, exactly, did you find?  If you found this (mystery)
address on the (unspecified) "ISP router", and it's on the "192.168.0.*"
subnet, then I'd guess that that's the address of the WAN/Internet
interface of the RAX75.  Normally, that wouldn't work because the RAX75
would see an attempt to connect to its WAN/Internet port as "remote",
and "Remote Management" is disabled by default.

 

> [...] If I try routerlogin.net, I get redirected [...]

 

   "try" from where?  There are multiple reasons for a computer to get
to that misleading/useless error page, generally involving use of a DNS
server other than the relevant Netgear router.  See, for example:


      https://community.netgear.com/t5/x/x/m-p/1976674

 

   If the RAX75 WAN/Internet port is connected to the (unspecified) "ISP
router" LAN, then I'd expect its LAN interface still to be at
"192.168.1.1".  And, if you connected a computer to it (probably by
Ethernet), and configured that computer's network interface manually,
using parameters like:

 

      Address: 192.168.1.x   (x = something big, perhaps 200?)
      Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
      Gateway: 192.168.1.1

 

then, I'd expect a web browser on that computer to be able to reach the
RAX75 management web site at "192.168.1.1".  And you could re-eenable
its DHCP server.  And/or configure the RAX75 as a WAP.  Which I'd expect
to disrupt the RAX75 LAN client devices about as much as a settings
reset on the RAX75 would have done, because they'll all need to get new
IP configurations on the "192.168.0.*" subnet.


   Hence, I'd suggest a settings reset, and then configuring the RAX75
as a WAP.  But, "If a man wants to carry the cat home by the tail, I say
let him.  That cat will teach him a thousand lessons which I could never
explain."

Message 4 of 10
HarryZ
Aspirant

Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

So, the ISP router is a 'Technicolor' brand. Sorry, I don't have the model number.  It does have DHCP and dispenses addresses in the 192.168.0.x range. When I turned off DHCP on the Netgear, all the wired and wifi clients connected to it received 192.168.0.xxx addresses.  Everything is working as far as networking is concerned.

 

Finding the address of the Negear in the 192.168.0.xxx range is fairly trivial. I use a program called Advanced IP scanner, which I ran from an ethernet cable connected machine. I believe the address of the Netgear shows up 192.168.0.9.  This is the IP address I put into the browser in an attempt to access the admin function.

 

I did not change the port the cable from the ISP router goes to from WAN to LAN.  Maybe I got lucky that the clients are working? Does this fit into your scenario about the Netgear seeing this as a 'remote' access and therefore not allowing the connection?

 

Thanx for your responses

Message 5 of 10
antinode
Guru

Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

> [...] When I turned off DHCP on the Netgear, all the wired and wifi
> clients connected to it received 192.168.0.xxx addresses. Everything is
> working as far as networking is concerned.

 

   I can't explain that.  I'd expect DHCP problems.

 

> [...] I believe the address of the Netgear shows up 192.168.0.9. This
> is the IP address I put into the browser in an attempt to access the
> admin function.

 

   I'd expect the ISP router to offer something like an "Attached
Devices" or "DHCP Clients" report, too, where the RAX75 (WAN/Internet
interface) should appear.

 

> I did not change the port the cable from the ISP router goes to from
> WAN to LAN. [...]

 

   Ok.  But that means that "192.168.0.9" is the WAN/Internet IP address
of the RAX75, with the "Remote Management" implications described above.


> [...] Does this fit into your scenario about the Netgear seeing this
> as a 'remote' access and therefore not allowing the connection?

 

   Exactly.

 

> [...] Maybe I got lucky that the clients are working? [...]

 

   Or there's some fine print someplace which I'm missing (or don't
understand). (It can happen.)

Message 6 of 10
HarryZ
Aspirant

Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

OK. It will be a week or more before I can get back there.  I will try connecting the cable from the Technicolor to the LAN port on the Netgear and see what happens.  I'll update then.

 

Again, Mahalo for your assitance.

Message 7 of 10
antinode
Guru

Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

> [...] I will try connecting the cable from the Technicolor to the LAN
> port on the Netgear and see what happens. [...]

 

   I wouldn't do that.  That was a possible explanation for what you
reported, not a suggested course of action.

 

> [...] look in the User Manual for "Set up the router as a WiFi access
> point". [...]

 

   Still my advice.

Message 8 of 10
antinode
Guru

Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

    Note that if the RAX75 gets its IP address using DHCP, then it'd make
some sense to reserve an address (preferably memorable) for it in the
DHCP server on the main router.  When it's configured as a WAP, those
"routerlogin" names might work from a system which is connected directly
to the RAX75, but not from other places on the LAN.  Its (new) LAN IP
address should work from anyplace on the LAN.

Message 9 of 10
HarryZ
Aspirant

Re: routerlogin.net not working after disabling DHCP

I finally got the chance to get back to this customer and adjust the configuration per @antinode's recommenadation.  Pushing the reset button on the back of the router just rebooted the router, but did not reset the configuration.  Found something on the web about a 30/30/30 reset, and that did the job!  Was able to verify that it had the latest firmware level. Set it up as a WAP per the user manual and all is well.  routerlogin.net does not work (get the web page saying I'm not connected to the router's wifi), but I can access the Admin function via the IP address.

 

Mahalo nui loa (Thank you very much) for the assistance!

 

Harry Z

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