Is there a hidden DHCP Server in Powerline adapters?
I've been having some problems with DHCP on my network. My router (TP-Link Archer VR600) is set to be the DHCP server. It should be the only DHCP server on the network.
However, from time to time clients get the wrong IP address and aren't able to access the internet. When this happens Windows is reporting the IP address one of my TP-Link WPA7510 devices as the DHCP server it is getting network configuration from. On the logs for that WPA7510, I can see "DHCP server started" and "DHCP server stopped" messages.
There is no interface to enable or disable a DHCP server on the PowerLine equipment, nor is it an advertised feature, so what is going on? I have enabled the PowerLine devices to get an IP address using DHCP. Is it possible that this is inadvertantly enabling a DHCP server on the PowerLine device?
This is the UK variant of the WPA8630P.
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hello all....same situation with tl-pa4010 ..........
blew up my whole network setup.......
any news on how to fix this please?
ps already asked tplink support....waiting for an update
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@linuxas Hello,
May I know the model of your whole powerline KIT and what is the hardware version on the back label?
Do you have any WPA4220? TL-PA4010 is a wired powerline unit, and it does not have a DHCP Server.
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@TP-Link is there a fix for WPA4220 V5 hardware?
it's quite astounding your engineers would put something like this into the firmware in the first place and then not provide a way of disabling it.
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Dcrh111 wrote
it's quite astounding your engineers would put something like this into the firmware in the first place and then not provide a way of disabling it.
@Dcrh111 It really is astounding! The product is a wifi **extender**: it extends an existing wifi network, so why would anyone want it to stomp on the setup of that existing network?
The DHCP "functionality" isn't mentioned anywhere in the product documentation, so in effect, TP-Link has deployed unauthorized software onto my network without me having any meaningful opportunity to consent. It's very disappointing to see a vendor operate like this.
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I have been experiencing this same issue with the TL-WPA4220 v.4 UK edition. I have tried the beta firmware downloaded from here: https://static.tp-link.com/2020/202012/20201224/TL-WPA4220_V4(EU).zip and I confirm that it does not disable the DHCP server after selecting the static IP option. The DHCP server is shown to be running in the system log and seems to start automatically if the extender is unplugged and moved to a different power socket. Using these extenders disconnects everyone on my local network from the internet as this forced DHCP server is conflicting with my router's DHCP server. It is unacceptable that TP-Link are selling a product that causes more problems than it solves. If they cannot release a revised version of the firmware that offers full control of the DHCP server, we need to be refunded.
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Updated on 2021/7/28: Providing firmware to disable the hidden network on 8630P V2 and 8631 V3
Regarding the hidden DHCP server (or we call smart DHCP) in the powerline extenders, visit the below thread:
[Solution] Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
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@Solla-topee The specific issue it caused for me was that the DHCP server activated - even while the main DHCP server on my network was still active - and assigned a random IP address to a device which needs a specific IP address, and normally gets the address it needs through a MAC-to-IP mapping on my main DHCP server.
In any case, it's not reasonable to expect me to find a "Troubleshooting" forum thread to know that a product implements a DHCP server. It should be declared clearly in the product documentation so I can make an informed decision while buying. I want to have 100% control of DHCP on my network, and there's no way I would have bought a product knowing it would compromise that. You might think that this functionality is useful for some people - and maybe it is - but I should be able to make my own informed choice for my own network.
In my view it's unacceptable to include this functionality without documenting it in the user guide. Yet it's mentioned nowhere here: https://static.tp-link.com/2020/202008/20200824/1910012821_TL-WPA4220(EU)_UG_REV5.0.0.pdf
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@dunxd I share your frustration - this issue has been running for months and months and just goes around in circles. To contributors to this forum it seems obvious that the "feature" should be documented - or better have a setting that enables it to be disabled. It is baffling that TP do not get it. Just keep giving them 1 star ratings.
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@pg_tips I don't get the feeling that TP-Link realise how disastrous the decision to have a hidden DHCP server in their equipment potentially is for their customers, despite the growing number of posts on their own forums. I suspect this is the tip of the iceberg and that there are a lot of customers that don't know enough about networking to figure out why their network is broken from time to time. Maybe the economics of retail networking equipment are insufficient for TP-Link to do anything. Their silence on this issue is disappointing.
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@Solla-topee Thank you for your reply but the problem is that the "Smart DHCP" server is not functioning as described in the explanation you have given. I already have a DHCP server running on my router so if the "Smart DHCP" server was functioning correctly this would be detected and the extender would disable its own DHCP server. The extender's DHCP server is running regardless of any settings I apply and I have no way of manually disabling it. This product is flawed by design and there is no justification for not including an option for manually disabling the DHCP server, especially when it is conflicting with my router's DHCP server. I have essentially spent my money on a device that is disabling my internet connection. At this point you should restore your customers' faith in your company and your products by quickly releasing an update to the firmware that allows full control of the DHCP server. You should treat this as a top priority because so far you have let us down.
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