Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973

Re: Orbi aggressive DHCP?

AllanA
Guide

Orbi aggressive DHCP?

My Orbi router has been assigned a network IP adderess and attached to a 12 port switch to provide its internet access though our provider. It and its 5 satellites have been inplace for months without incident or failure.

 

The Orbi router was the only device attached to that switch until recently. Yesterday 5 computers moved into the area (all with static IP) and used a 5 port switch to connect to the 12 port switch. The end result was that none of the 5 computers  would connect to the network, the diagnotic error on each system suggested enabling DHCP. Curiosity won out and I enabled DHCP on two of the systems. What I reveived was an entirely different IP scheme form the domain, one used by the Orbi router for wifi clients.

DHCP is not running on my network. Annoyingly, everything I inherited has a static IP assigned, including the Orbi router and all of the workstations. I do not understand why Orbi is populating the switch routing tables with its assigned distribution IP. Nor do I understand how quite a few more attached devices on the network, when allowed to use dynamic IP, aren't receiving the Orbi IP addresses through their physical connection to the network infrastructure.

 

Is there a way to disable DHCP for physical connections while still allowing for DHCP for the wifi connections?

 

Model: SRK60B03|Orbi Pro Tri-Band Business WiFi System
Message 1 of 7

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schumaku
Guru

Re: Orbi aggressive DHCP?


@AllanA wrote:

Anything attached to that 5 port switch receives a 10.50.1.x address which is not compliant with the 192.168.1.x IP scheme used on the local network.


As assumed, you are operating two different networks, with two different subnetworks.

 

A. The network from your ISP router, with the five port switch, and the connection to the Orbi Pro router WAN/Internet interface, and the 10.50.1.x subnet.

B. The network served by the Orbi Pro with its wireless and its LAN ports with the Orbi Pro default LAN subnet on 192.168.1.0/24.

 

This makes clear why the devices on the "A" network can't reach the "B" network, because of the Orbi Router does default to operate as a router, does NAT, and has a by default closed firewall for WAN/Internet->LAN. 

 

You need to run only one internal network. To achieve this goal, you have two to options:

 

  • Either let the ISP router do it's routing/NAT/firewall/whatever job and re-configure the Orbi Pro as a pure Wireless Access Point system - so the only DHCP server on your network is the ISP router, or
  • If possible re-configure the ISP router to pure bridging mode (one might hope there will be a public IP address available then - you might want to talk to your ISP), continue to operate the Orbi Router in router mode with the complete feature set, and only connect one cable from the ISP port to the Orbi WAN/Internet interface, while all additional switches are connected only to the Orbi Pro LAN port(s), ideally on the router.  

 

Afraid, not a Netgear or Orbi Pro issue after all....

 

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Message 6 of 7

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schumaku
Guru

Re: Orbi aggressive DHCP?

The Orbi Pro system does serve only one TCP/IP subnet on the LAN _and_ for all three WLANs (which have just some L2+ isolation)

 

From your unclear description, I think I understand that the 12 port switch is connected between the Internet port/provider and the Orbi Pro router WAN/Internet port. This network is not under the Orbi Pro (or any other consumer or small business router) control - no crazy pushing of routers to a switch or the like. Much more it belongs to the ISP, the Orbi LAN subnet is many2one NATed to one WAN/Internet port IP address assigned by the ISP. Obvious, this WAN/Internet subnet does run on a different subnet then the private WLAN/LAN.

 

Again not sure what you understand under a "different IP scheme for the domain" - I guess you talk of different IPv4 subnetworks and addresses from different subnetorks. Here again, the Orbi Pro does work wiht a single LAN subnet, by default 192.168.1.0/24, with the router LAN IP on 192.168.1.1.

 

If you want these computers connected to your WLAN/LAN subnet, the switch must be connected to the Orbi Pro LAN port, ideally on the Orni Pro router, or on the Orbi Pro satellite.

 

The config must be:

 

ISP Internet "port" (ISP subnet, DHCP et all) <-> Orbi Pro router Internet/WAN port <-> LAN with switches, Orbi Pro wired backhaul [unless wireless] <-> Orbi Pro Satellite[s] LAN with switches

 

Dead simple. No rocket science with pushing routes, aggressive DHCP, whatever .... involved.

Message 2 of 7
AllanA
Guide

Re: Orbi aggressive DHCP?

No need to be an ass. If this was typical I wouldn't have brought it here.Yeah, it's usually not problematic or overly difficult.

No matter how I arraged the switches or how long I let them stay powered off to clear routing the tables, it contines to populate with the Orbi's distributable IP via hard line and prevent the 5 workstations from seeing the domain. 

The fix was to run a longer line to a nearby RJ45 jack to avoid the switch with the Orbi attached, peoblem solved, albeit temporarily.

 

Message 3 of 7
schumaku
Guru

Re: Orbi aggressive DHCP?


@AllanA wrote:

No matter how I arraged the switches or how long I let them stay powered off to clear routing the tables, it contines to populate with the Orbi's distributable IP via hard line and prevent the 5 workstations from seeing the domain. 


Most switches deployed in such environment are pure L2 devices, no routing devices, no routing tables.

 

What are "Orbi's distributable IP" addresses? What addresses heave the working domain members?  And where exactly is everything connected to - on these wall outlets, on the Orni router, on the Orbi Satellite, ...?

 


@AllanA wrote:

The fix was to run a longer line to a nearby RJ45 jack to avoid the switch with the Orbi attached, peoblem solved, albeit temporarily.


Ok, and we have to know what this RJ45 jack is connected to?

 

We have a some undefined RJ45 wall outlets, an Orbi Pro system with unknown backhaul (wired or wireless), some 12 port switch, a five port switch, some devices that work on static IPs, and some devices that don't work on static IPs and apparently getting IP addresses from a DHCP server (which can be the Orbi Pro or any other).

 

Provide a network layout, provide details on the assuming right (and wrong) LAN IP subnet addresses (the static assigned ones), .... 

 

If there are two subnets used on the same L2 network (say the Orbi Pro LAN) and this LAN is connected to another network (wild guessing) and this is other network is configured to a different IP subnet (e.g. used by a Microsoft AD domain and server?) than the Orbi Pro LAN ports, but now you go and enable the DHCP server on the Orbi it's predictable that the Orbi DHCP will assign IP addresses belonging to the L3 subnet the Orbi Pro LAN port is connected to.


Look, I've listened to a Webcast from Netgear these days about how they think Orbi Pro can be used to deploy a wireless network for an bigger amount of wireless clients, with some wired devices like storage or printers connected to the Orbi Pro device LAN and that this is supposedly possible within five minutes. I could only rub my eyes and shake my head... I'm happy to be the ass sometimes (sorry for that, I'm happy to help) but I was out of words.

Message 4 of 7
AllanA
Guide

Re: Orbi aggressive DHCP?

The Orbi is connected to a 5 port switch with a static IP address (192.168.1.31) to maintain its connection to the ISP provided router.

 

DHCP is on assigning 10.50.1.x addresses to Wifi clients 24/7 and some wifi connected mini-computers & printers. By distributeable IP, I mean DHCP addresses that are defined to be given out on request.

 

Anything attached to that 5 port switch receives a 10.50.1.x address which is not compliant with the 192.168.1.x IP scheme used on the local network.

 

(I inherited the IP scheme and its a bit too far down the path to make an all out change now)

Message 5 of 7
schumaku
Guru

Re: Orbi aggressive DHCP?


@AllanA wrote:

Anything attached to that 5 port switch receives a 10.50.1.x address which is not compliant with the 192.168.1.x IP scheme used on the local network.


As assumed, you are operating two different networks, with two different subnetworks.

 

A. The network from your ISP router, with the five port switch, and the connection to the Orbi Pro router WAN/Internet interface, and the 10.50.1.x subnet.

B. The network served by the Orbi Pro with its wireless and its LAN ports with the Orbi Pro default LAN subnet on 192.168.1.0/24.

 

This makes clear why the devices on the "A" network can't reach the "B" network, because of the Orbi Router does default to operate as a router, does NAT, and has a by default closed firewall for WAN/Internet->LAN. 

 

You need to run only one internal network. To achieve this goal, you have two to options:

 

  • Either let the ISP router do it's routing/NAT/firewall/whatever job and re-configure the Orbi Pro as a pure Wireless Access Point system - so the only DHCP server on your network is the ISP router, or
  • If possible re-configure the ISP router to pure bridging mode (one might hope there will be a public IP address available then - you might want to talk to your ISP), continue to operate the Orbi Router in router mode with the complete feature set, and only connect one cable from the ISP port to the Orbi WAN/Internet interface, while all additional switches are connected only to the Orbi Pro LAN port(s), ideally on the router.  

 

Afraid, not a Netgear or Orbi Pro issue after all....

 

Message 6 of 7
AllanA
Guide

Re: Orbi aggressive DHCP?

Thanks for the logic check. My gut told me the same but I thought it better to get a second opinion. I'm relieved to know its not the Orbi. When I asked (?) errant DHCP was the only thing, no matter how unlikely, I could figure.

 

Thanks for your help

Message 7 of 7
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