Any way to make HDCP lease times infinite on WRT54G router ?

[Markfw]

I leave my 12 boxes on 24/7 running DC projects, but quite often, expecially after a re-boot, the router will assign an IP address that is already in use. It looses tract of all the PC's in the routing table ! WTF ? Why ? And can I make it so the leases don;t expire ? And the XP boxes quite often say "no connectivity a after working for days, and no reason. And when I try a command prompt, and "ipconfig/release" and then renew, it doesn't work. I re-boot then all is fine. Whats going on here ?

Edit: I just flashed the firmware. Here is what is in the document for this version:
Firmware 1.01.1
- Resolves issue with IP address assignment via DHCP on some particular devices.


Think that may have been one of my problems ?

 

[Steve]

Sounds like it. Did you mean DHCP?

 

[spidey07]

Umm, dhcp is broken on either the client or the DHCP server. This should never happen.

try a lease time of zero. After that check your cables - you aren't using homemade cables are you?

 

[kevnich2]

12 boxes?? What kind of projects are you running? I'd hate to have your electric bill

 

[amdskip]

Spidey07, our IT guys use homemade cables in both of our data centers for everything. I've mentioned to them that they should be using factory cables and they shrugged their shoulders and said someday. I think some of their problems with no cause are caused by them but thats just my 2 cents.

 

[kevnich2]

Honestly, I only use non factory cables going jack to jack (no RJ45 end), but from the jack to the PC, all factory made. This really has nothing to do with better quality, I just would rather spend a buck on a factory made and tested cable rather than measuring cable, stripping the end, untwisting wires & crimping on ends and then testing it. I think it's a waste of anybody's time.

 

[Markfw]

First, I use factory cables, and all the 2k boxes are fine (except the router giving the IP out that is already assigned)

But why would the XP boxes loose internet, reboot and they are fine ???? Thats not wiring.

And last, I do F@H and Rosetta@home. I am number 3 for team anandtech for F@H, and about 5th place contributor for rosetta for TEAM.

 

[RebateMonger]

No possibility you have a second DHCP Server somewhere in your network, is there?
Are you seeing "Duplicate IP Address" messages in your System Event Logs?

 

[Markfw]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
No possibility you have a second DHCP Server somewhere in your network, is there?
Are you seeing "Duplicate IP Address" messages in your System Event Logs?

No possibility of another DHCP server, but that is exactly the problem. I go to the router, and it only sees a couple of my boxes !

OK, once I really got mad. So I turned off every computer. I turned on one, reset the router to start at 192.168.1.2, then reset the first computer. I check the DHCP clients table, its there. Then I turn on number two, check the table again, and it there. Then I continue on with all of them. Then all 12 are in the table !

Not a week or two goes by, and I have to turn one off to upgrade hardware, then I turn it back on, and BAM, duplicate IP address shows up on some other box, and eventually on the one I turned on ! I go to the clients table, and only one box is there ! It looses track of my boxes after a while. WTF ??????

 

[RebateMonger]

Sounds like a "DHCP Server gone mad".

You might try re-flashing the Firmware on the router. Linksys routers go crazy sometimes and lose partial function, only to be brought back to life with a re-flash.

If you have any other routers laying around, I'd swap it out temporarily to verify it's the router. You can often find routers for $10-$20, either on sale or on rebate.

 

[kevnich2]

Well you've got two options. Spend about $50 and get a new buffalo router (whr-g54s) to replace your current flaky linksys one (this would be my prefered option), or go static IP's on all of your boxes. It definately sounds like a bad dhcp server though

Edit - What version of WRT54G do you have? If it's compatible, I'd try flashing with dd-wrt and see how that does.

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: kevnich2
Well you've got two options. Spend about $50 and get a new buffalo router (whr-g54s) to replace your current flaky linksys one (this would be my prefered option), or go static IP's on all of your boxes. It definately sounds like a bad dhcp server though

Edit - What version of WRT54G do you have? If it's compatible, I'd try flashing with dd-wrt and see how that does.

From my experience no firmware for the WRT54G ever gets the DHCP server quite right. So far my best luck has been using an ISC DHCP server installed on a Linux box.

 

[kevnich2]

Originally posted by: InlineFive

Originally posted by: kevnich2
Well you've got two options. Spend about $50 and get a new buffalo router (whr-g54s) to replace your current flaky linksys one (this would be my prefered option), or go static IP's on all of your boxes. It definately sounds like a bad dhcp server though

Edit - What version of WRT54G do you have? If it's compatible, I'd try flashing with dd-wrt and see how that does.

From my experience no firmware for the WRT54G ever gets the DHCP server quite right. So far my best luck has been using an ISC DHCP server installed on a Linux box.

I've had two flaky WRT54G's that when I flashed it with DDWRT fixed most of the problems. I still went with a Buffalo router though because the $50 seemed worth it and wow, was I impressed after I got everything hooked up. I have zero wireless deadspots, my router has been on for 4 months solid with no reboots at all and zero problems.

 

[hnewburn]

I have the WRT54G v5, I have this same problem (plus many others with it). I've given up and ordered a DGL4300 and can't wait to rip it out. I talked to Linksys tech support. Their answer was use static IP, which isn't feasible for me. They gave no help for how to address the problem.

Heath

 

[kevnich2]

My replacement answer: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833162173

 

[nweaver]

why not just move to static IP's?

 

[crazedmodder]

My Linksys WRT54GS doesn't even hand out IP addresses, my boxes end up 169.*.*.* when they should be 192.168.1.>130. I installed DD-WRT, but it didn't help at all. I just use static now, a bit of a PITA at the beginning but it works well now so no complaints I agree with nweaver, if you can then use static IPs.

 

[Markfw]

Originally posted by: hnewburn
I have the WRT54G v5, I have this same problem (plus many others with it). I've given up and ordered a DGL4300 and can't wait to rip it out. I talked to Linksys tech support. Their answer was use static IP, which isn't feasible for me. They gave no help for how to address the problem.

Heath

My exact version number.....

Whats this buffalo router ?

Edit, OK I saw one in the link above. Whats the subnet ? 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 ?

I have a network printer on 192.168.1.26, and installed on 12 boxes... I'd really rather not have to change all that, and it doesn;t say on the newegg site.

 

[kevnich2]

The buffalo's default subnet I believe is 192.168.11.x This can be changed though (I changed mine to 192.168.2.x). If you upgrade to DDWRT though, the default for it is 192.168.1.x This also can be changed. These values are changed when you go into the Admin site and change the router's LAN IP address. So in your case, the buffalo will work fine with stock firmware or DDWRT. The stock works ok but DDWRT gives many more options and features.

 

[Markfw]

Thanks Guys... I was about to get the Buffalo, but first I saw a bunch of bad reviews, then I remembered that I still had a brand new DI-624 provided by Verizon FIOS, so I hooked that up.. All I had to do was reset all the ipconfigs/ and 3 of the machines had the printer, and then the printer itself IP.

All up now. That it for me and Linksys....

 

[kevnich2]

The dlink DI624 isn't a bad router at all. I hope before you change your PC's IP addresses that you just change the router's IP to match your IP scheme. It's much easier. On the admin screen, just change the IP address from it's default of 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.1.1 After this, reboot it and then reboot all of your machines to register with the DI624 and voila. You don't need to change any IP's on the computers itself. As far as bad reviews, if you look at the number of reviews compared to bad reviews, it's not bad at all. That buffalo router has a VERY high number of reviews and any unit will have bad reviews. But in comparison, the DI624 has alot more bad reviews than anything buffalo puts out. Buffalo gear is excellent SOHO gear. As far as linksys, well, they try to make the products as cheap as possible to get as much profit as possible which in turns means a crappy unit. I also hear Zyxel routers are pretty good as well in the SOHO category.