I have an Orbi router, and I have connected a lot of devices over the past few years that are no longer around. Can someone tell me how to auto re-assign old IP addresses that are not used when a new device is attached? I have deleted them from the access control section that is "allowed" but to connected. But, I still notice that new devices are being assigned to never used addresses (currently around xxx.181). Any thoughts?
I think the question has to do with IP assignments from the DHCP pool.
In his case, the pool starts at some number (maybe 2) and over months and months, devices keep getting IP's. Even though he has erased all traces of many of those devices, when a new device appears, it always gets an IP that is 1 greater than the last one. All those "unused" IP's down at the bottom of the pool seem to be unavailable.
I confess to being ignorant about how Orbi manages the DHCP pool. My naive sense is that it should start at the bottom and move up until it finds an IP that is not "taken", but that appears not to be the case. What seems to be happening is that it keeps a record of the last IP assigned and goes up from there. What happens when it reaches the "top" of the DHCP pool would be interesting to find out.
One thought is doing a "simple reset" (power off and back on). Maybe that would clear the entry of last IP assigned. (or not).
@CrimpOn, you are exactly correct. In my example, let's say that two years ago I had an iPhone that connected to the network and was assiged a IP address of xxx.xxx.xxx.056. Well, that phone is long gone. I'm trying to find a way to let Orbi know that .056 is now available to use again. Seems like it assumes that if something was assigned once, it is not ever available again?
If you never set a IP address reservation on the RBR for your device, and only used Dynamic IP addreses, mostly Automatic assigned by the router, then any IP addresses given out by the router would be available after there internal least times have expired. So at some point a reboot maybe needed however if your using Dynamic IP addreses, then it's up to the Router to assign IP addresses. We don't know the algorithm used in this process. However if you want something to use that IP address, then you can set an IP address reservation yourself. As suggested.
