Virtual Mac Addresses with Nighthawk R9000 and Orbi

[dos286]

I have a list of static IP reservations on my Nighthawk R9000 router. My network server assigns access to certain resources based on IP address or in some cases MAC address of the connected devices. This has worked fine for some time, however WIFI service was not reaching several rooms in the house. Having access to an ORBI router with 2 sattelites, I turned off the WIFI on the R9000 and added the ORBI in AP mode. Now devices connected to the ORBI do not list the real MAC address for the attached devices. My first question:

How can I make the ORBI report the correct MAC address for the attached devices?

If that is impossible, my next question is are the virtual MAC address assigned to attached devices stable? Will they change as devices move from the ORBI base unit to the satelites? Will they change overtime, or will the same device always be assigned the same virtual MAC address?

If they are not stable, how can I reserve static IP addresses to specific devices?

If static IP addresses are not possible, is there a better system recommended for my situation that can handel static IP addresses?

[CrimpOn]

Can you please explain more about these "static IP reservations"?  My understanding is that should be a table similar to the Orbi LAN setup page (which doesn't apply in AP mode), where you enter a list of MAC addresses and assign an IP address to each.  When the device does a DHCP request, it gets the assigned IP address.

So, I am confused by "Access based on IP address".

As far as I am aware, Orbi faithfully reports the MAC address of any device connected to the Orbi.  I have been super annoyed by some devices which have a setting to "scramble" their MAC addresses as a security measure, which totally screwed up my IP assignment table until I found out how to make them stop doing that.

[dos286]

@CrimpOn 

Yes, the static IP reservation is a table similar to the Orbi LAN setup page, where you enter a list of MAC addresses and assign an IP address to each. I have done this on the R9000 router since it does not apply to the ORBI.

"Access based on IP address" refers to access to network resources, such as shared files on the server. These settings are setup on the server, not the router but depend on static IP assignment done by the router.

The ORBI is indeed scrambling my MAC addresses. and you are right, it is supper annoying. I wondered if it was a security "feature" that could be turned off, but I cannot find a setting anywhere. Do you know where that would be?

[CrimpOn]

Sorry if I misspoke. I have individual devices which can scramble MAC addresses, at least one cell phone and all of my Linux boxes.

As far as I am aware, the Orbi simply reports the MAC address of attached devices.  If it does not, this will be a great test case to escalate to Netgear support.  All of my devices have a way to learn their MAC address (Windows config /all. Android phone on the "About" page, etc.)

Is is every single device which does not match the Orbi value?  i.e. not even one matches?

[FURRYe38]

What Firmware version is currently loaded?

Be sure to know that STATIC IP addresses are set ON devices themselves while IP ADDRESS RESERVATIONS are set on host routers for connected devices. All you need if you want your devices to have an IP address that doesn't change is to set IP Reservations on the host router for each devices. Orbi only works as pass thru for devices. The Orbi should see connected devcies and there MAC addresses only. 

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@dos286 wrote:

I have a list of static IP reservations on my Nighthawk R9000 router. My network server assigns access to certain resources based on IP address or in some cases MAC address of the connected devices. This has worked fine for some time, however WIFI service was not reaching several rooms in the house. Having access to an ORBI router with 2 sattelites, I turned off the WIFI on the R9000 and added the ORBI in AP mode. Now devices connected to the ORBI do not list the real MAC address for the attached devices. My first question:

How can I make the ORBI report the correct MAC address for the attached devices?

If that is impossible, my next question is are the virtual MAC address assigned to attached devices stable? Will they change as devices move from the ORBI base unit to the satelites? Will they change overtime, or will the same device always be assigned the same virtual MAC address?

If they are not stable, how can I reserve static IP addresses to specific devices?

If static IP addresses are not possible, is there a better system recommended for my situation that can handel static IP addresses?

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[dos286]

@CrimpOn 

At first it was every single device, which was attached through the Orbi that showed a scrambled MAC address. Several devices were wired into the R9000 and showed the same MAC address.

I reset the whole network back how it was before, using only the R9000 and not using the Orbi at all. Everything was still scrambled. I turned of the R9000 wifi radios and reset the Orbi as the WiFi Access Point. Now only 1 phone shows a different MAC address from before and from the MAC address listed in the Phone's about screen. I have no idea what is causing this, but I suspect it was a glitch or a bug, perhaps in the R9000 since the problem persisted when bypassing the Orbi.

[dos286]

@FURRYe38 

Orbi Firmware: V2.5.1.8

R9000 Firmware: V1.0.5.8

It says that these are the latest.

Yes, that is the goal, to setup IP reservation on the router (R9000). The trouble is that reservation is done by MAC address, and suddenly devices to not have a consistent MAC address.

[CrimpOn]

I'd like to beat some more on this "dead horse".  When the Orbi reports a MAC address, I'd like to distinguish between two scenarios:

1. The MAC address is different from the MAC address that was reported before, but the MAC address reported by the device remains the same, and
2. The MAC address reported by the device and reported by the Orbi match, but are different from the last time.