Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server

Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server

200 Reply
Re:Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
2023-05-25 02:42:45

  @luckystrikes 

 

Hi, if you restart the main router first, then unplug and plug the powerline extender in, will all the client devices obtain IP address from the main router and access internet properly?

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#200
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Re:Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
2023-05-25 08:36:30

  @Sunshine 

 

The problem is the OP doesn't want to have cycle the power of his network router and PL devices each time it happens to clear the deadlock created.

 

The second problem is that TP link claimed to have done exactly what they are requesting to switch off DHCP on the TL-WPA8630p device and whilst that is showing on the device config pages it has absolutely no effect at preventing what he has shown from his analysis happening.  So the best option is buy something other than TP Link because they don't care.  This has been running for ages.

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#201
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Re:Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
2023-05-25 12:47:43

It's very disappointing that the TP-Link folk responding to a message to this thread, over 200 messages long, don't consider that context and treat new messages as if they were brand new support tickets from people who don't know what is going on.

 

Come on TP-Link, test and release firmware fixes for all models that are broken by the insane Smart-DHCP feature.

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#202
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Re:Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
2023-05-25 16:03:47

  @dunxd 

 

I believe telling me how i can SSH or Telnet into the TL would be even enough, but i can´t find a way to access the CLI.

Funny in the first Thread the dude is writing we should tell him which models are broken... i told him one and he does not believe it xD  

 

It´s not even a hard fix...

 

 

@Sunshine 

 

####################################################################
 TL-WPA7510 system log 
 H-Ver = TL-WPA7510 v1.0 : S-Ver = 1.0.6 Build 20181212 Rel.40856 
####################################################################
0 days 00:00:04      OTHERS     INFO    System started. 
0 days 00:00:05      WIFI-SCHEDULES   INFO    Wifi schedules enabled. 
0 days 00:00:05      LED-SCHEDULES   INFO    Led schedules enabled. 
0 days 00:00:05      WIFI-MOVE   INFO    Wi-Fi Move start. 
0 days 00:00:28      MAC-FILTER   INFO    Access control disabled. 
0 days 00:00:28      PARENTAL-CONTROLS   INFO    Parental control disabled. 
0 days 00:00:34      DHCPS      INFO    DHCP server started 
 

same outcome. it does not stop the dhcp. 

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#203
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Re:Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
2023-05-25 19:47:37

  @luckystrikes 

 

I am not sure that having command line access would help without knowing the code and architecture of the specific device.

 

Suffice to say TPLink was once a reasonable buy, but their lies and dishonesty selling a product without specifically identifying the DHCP feature and then failure to act honourably and fix it means that TPLink cannot be trusted as a supplier of such equipment.  Who know what other underhand activity may also be enabled that they have not said anything about.  

 

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#204
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Re:Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
2023-05-26 06:55:00

  @luckystrikes @PC_60 @dunxd 

 

The reason why we asked those questions is that sometimes, the root cause might be different even though the problem seems to be related to DHCP. 

For example, the original post in this thread described the issue happens after a power failure or router restarting, so when the powerline extender is on but router is not on yet, the powerline extender will enable its DHCP server so that the client device could still obtain IP address for at least managing the powerline extender, that is how Smart DHCP works, but unfortunately the issue happens when the router is back online.

 

However, based on @luckystrikes description, it seems that the DHCP Sever is always started even though the router doesn't reboot, which is kind of different from the original post. And for TL-WPA7510 V1, there is no firmware to disable the smart DHCP now, we've already reported it to senior engineer and are trying to ask for a beta firmware.

Once it is available, I will add it into the solution.

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#205
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Re:Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
2023-05-26 08:08:28

  @Sunshine 

 

I don't think the powerline firmware changes are intelligent enough to allow the router to change IP with the internet provider (dynamic IP changes) or to validate existence of an internet connection when this happens.  They will also affect the network and windows 10 devices particularly that are using other hardwired powerline connections at random intervals whenever the wifi powerline device is online.  This is with the DHCP feature switched off....

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#206
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Re:Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
2023-05-26 08:47:00 - last edited 2023-05-26 08:48:43

My understanding is that the Smart DHCP is intended to kick in if the powerline device detects that there is no DHCP server on the network.

 

I guess this was done to allow clients to access the config page of the powerline device for initial setup or troubleshooting in cases where the powerline device is not connected to a router - e.g. the powerline network hasn't connected. Maybe that is helpful in rare occasions for users that don't read instruction manuals.

 

Unfortunately, the Smart DHCP function can kick in for other situations. For example, after a power cut, both the router and the powerline device boot at the same time. If the powerline device wins the race, Smart DHCP starts long enough to hand out settings, and the clients don't bother requesting new settings from the router for some time. Smart DHCP seems to kick in at other times too.

 

In all cases, apart from the initial setup while offline one, chaos ensues.

 

IMHO this could have been solved much better by an additional paragraph in the manual directing users to use a default IP address for initial config, the same way that generations of routers, switches and access points have done it.

 

Once the issue was raised and a solution found, one would hope that TP-Link would have tested and rolled out fixes to every devices that included the problematic function within a reasonable time. That hasn't happened. Future sales are being impacted.

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#207
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Re:Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
2023-05-26 10:08:12
I would agree on many points but experiences here are that plugging the wifi enabled powerline device in will work for a while. There doesn't need to be any lost of power to either router or the powerline ki but at some random point it will trash the network connection on a windows 10 pc. It shows up in the pc task bar as no network. Unplug the wifi enabled powerline kit in my case a TL-WPA8630p Version 2 and the PC recovers network and is solid connection. If you can cope with random drop outs that go on for variable unspecifiable periods or that may not recover then you can leave the tplink powerline wifi plugged in and on. I wasted months waiting for firmware fixes and nothing that TPLink has done with the firmware works. As to the manual explaining DCHP, well TPLink didn't tell anybody it was there and didn't cover it in any manual. They just lied.
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#208
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Re:Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
2023-05-26 19:51:04

  @Solla-topee 

 

Hi All,

 

A bit odd that my original post seems to have disappeared on this thread...

 

I am the OP and was first to discover and highlight this issue to TP-Link support a couple of years ago now.

TP-Link were receptive to the issue and released a new firmware for my particular model and version of powerline adapters fairly promptly.

However, I'm shocked that this is still an ongoing issue for so many end users!

 

The TP-Link Powerline Adapter Smart DHCP "feature" should be removed from all powerline adapter models old and new, or at the very least optional and disabled by default.

 

I have been a senior IT infrastructure and networking engineer for nearly 25 years now and I have never seen such a pointless and troublesome "feature" like this in any other networking equipment I have ever worked with. I cannot think of a single scenario that would make this Smart DHCP feature useful to anyone on any kind of network either. It's effectively what we would call a rogue DHCP server/service which can cause absolute havok on an established DHCP network already provided by a router, firewall or server. I don't know who's idea it was to create this feature in the fist place but it's absolutely crazy. It took me quite a while to figure out what the problem was originally and was a little surprised that TP-Link added the disable button for me with no argument or defense of the feature. Still, I'm glad that they did!

 

I assumed that this fix would be rolled out for all TP-Link powerline adapter devices with the Smart DHCP feature included immediately to fix such an obvious blunder.

I guess I was wrong.
TP-Link, please do the right thing and fix this problem asap.
 

As a side note, Please fix the system log under the system tools menu. There are NO time and date stamps AND it clears itself on every reboot.
This is very frustrating! if the device crashes or reboots on it's own for whatever reason, there are no longer ANY logs to look at to see what caused it!
If there is no onboard persistent storage to accomodate this, can we at least have the option to collect the logs via SNMP or have them collected within the tpPLC software installed locally on a PC. Thanks.

N0r7on

 

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#209
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