No web interface over WiFi; Fine over Ethernet

[alokeprasad]

Hi,

I was using a PC connected to Ethernet. I replaced it with a MacBook on WiFi.

I had a heck of a time trying to connect to the Orbi (and a Qnap NAS) web interface in a browser on the Mac.  I could not.  The Orbi app on the iPad worked, but Safari on the iPad could not access the web interface.

Things worked when I used a dock to connect my Mac using Ethernet.  There is some setting that blocks access over WiFi (for security reasons) to the Orbi and apparently, the NAS.

Where is that.  I cannot find it.  It must be on the Orbi, blocking port 8080 over WiFi?

Thx.

Aloke

[CrimpOn · Accepted solution]

http://orbilogin.net (and several other URLs) connect to the router web interface because the router DNS feature intercepts those URLs and responds with the IP address of the router itself.  If the DNS request actually went through the Internet Service Provider network to a DNS server somewhere (GoogleDNS, CloudFlare, OpenDNS, etc.) there is no way on earth that the DNS server would know what the local IP address of the router is on thousands of customer networks.  By using the actual IP address, the web browser connects directly to the router web interface without performing a DNS query.  192.168.1.1 is the most common IP for Orbi routers (on the LAN side).

If Safari went to that web URL at Netgear, that indicates to me that the DNS query was not processed by the Orbi DNS feature.  The DHCP process which devices use to learn their IP address also returns information about  the subnet mask (255.255.255.0), the internet gateway, and the DNS server IP address.  By default, most residential routers return their own IP address for the gateway and DNS server.

Modern web browsers are getting "too smart".  Some now have settings to perform secure (encrypted) DNS lookups using special DNS servers rather than the traditional unencrypted port 53 lookup.  iPhones have all sorts of modern features that  create issues with WiFi systems (randomizing MAC address, for example).  Perhaps the iPhone and Mac are going around the Orbi DNS feature?

[CrimpOn]

The web interface is not at port 8080.  It is the default http, which is port 80.

Is the browser opening the web interface using the URL (http://orbilogin.net ) or the IP address?

[alokeprasad]

I'll try to replicate it by connecting the Mac over WiFi, rebooting and trying the web interface (typing 192.168.1.1 in the address bar.).

Do you know of a setting on the Orbi that would allow the web interface only via Ethernet connected device (and not over WiFi)? 

I like that as it requires someone to be physically at my home to admin the router ...

[alokeprasad]

I tested using my iPhone browser (Safari).  It is using WiFi, so the test should be as valid as on the Mac...

orbilogin.net redirected me to www.netgear.com/home/services/orbilogin/

That page says "Looks like you’re not connected to your Orbi’s WiFi network. Don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. Try the following steps to get connected etc."

192.168.1.1 gave me the web interface. I logged in to the Orbi successfully on my iPhone Safari.

[CrimpOn · Accepted solution]

http://orbilogin.net (and several other URLs) connect to the router web interface because the router DNS feature intercepts those URLs and responds with the IP address of the router itself.  If the DNS request actually went through the Internet Service Provider network to a DNS server somewhere (GoogleDNS, CloudFlare, OpenDNS, etc.) there is no way on earth that the DNS server would know what the local IP address of the router is on thousands of customer networks.  By using the actual IP address, the web browser connects directly to the router web interface without performing a DNS query.  192.168.1.1 is the most common IP for Orbi routers (on the LAN side).

If Safari went to that web URL at Netgear, that indicates to me that the DNS query was not processed by the Orbi DNS feature.  The DHCP process which devices use to learn their IP address also returns information about  the subnet mask (255.255.255.0), the internet gateway, and the DNS server IP address.  By default, most residential routers return their own IP address for the gateway and DNS server.

Modern web browsers are getting "too smart".  Some now have settings to perform secure (encrypted) DNS lookups using special DNS servers rather than the traditional unencrypted port 53 lookup.  iPhones have all sorts of modern features that  create issues with WiFi systems (randomizing MAC address, for example).  Perhaps the iPhone and Mac are going around the Orbi DNS feature?

[alokeprasad]

I'm sure Chrome (and now Firefox) are using encrypted DNS lookups.  That explains the web address vs ip address thing.

Thx.  I'll mark this as solved.