DHCP and all that!

11 Jan 2013 21:21:33

David Fleetwood

On one occasion since changing my internet access to using my Netgear router/modem as purely a modem and using an Airport Extreme for the wireless network - a set up that has generally worked really well, I found it impossible to log onto the wireless network with one device. This device was a newish iPad mini, which on the initial set up worked fine.
When I looked at the network settings on the iPad, the IP address was not in the usual 192.168 Netgear range. From memory it was 169. something. I have since read that there should only be one DCHP server per network and I suspect I have 2 running which caused the problem with the iPad. So the question is how do I switch off the DCHP element and is it best to do this on the Airport Extreme as my main desktops are wired to the Netgear device?

Re: DHCP and all that!

12 Jan 2013 13:51:17

Lionel Ogden

I would have thought that you would be better connecting all your devices via the Airport extreme and just use the netgear as a modem. Make sure the wifi is switched off on the netgear of course. The Airport extreme would then allocate DCHP settings.

Re: DHCP and all that!

13 Jan 2013 17:30:40

David Fleetwood

Yes Lionel that is one option but I think from a chat I had with Mick Burrell yesterday, that it would be 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other to do this. I did establish from Mick that when my Airport Extreme was set up it automatically switched itself off generating IP addresses, so I don't have the problem I thought! They are all done by the Netgear modem so no conflict. I also learnt that an IP address starting 169. is a default one a router generates when it can't find another one and that clicking 'Renew Lease' on the router settings will cause a fresh IP address to be requested from the device that generates them. So I have added to my knowledge of these things and my system is currently working fine.
Again thanks to Mick and Lionel for their inputs.

Re: DHCP and all that!

14 Jan 2013 09:49:41

Mick Burrell

Minor correction David, the router will have a factory set default IP address (with Netgear it's 192.168.0.1) as it's usually the router that's asked to be the DHCP server - it's the computer or other device which will give itself a self assigned IP address (usually starting 169) if it cannot find a DHCP server. So it's the computer etc. that will have the option to "Renew Lease". Other than that you've got it ;-)

Re: DHCP and all that!

18 Jan 2013 19:01:21

David Fleetwood

Thanks Mick, that makes sense!