Solution Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server
This Article Applies to:
TL-WPA7510, TL-WPA9610, TL-WPA8730/8630(P) V2, WPA4220 V3, etc.
Problem Description/ Phenomenon:
What is Smart DHCP, and How does Smart DHCP work? Visit TP-Link Smart DHCP Makes Network Configuration Simple.
Some users may find that after the power outage or router’s rebooting, even after router’s internet is back and up running, client devices still get IP address from powerline extender, and cannot connect to the internet.
Note: if router loses internet and then goes back afterwards, powerline extender will do a scan automatically, if it detects another DHCP Server is running, it will disable its own automatically (when powerline units remain paired), and the devices will get IP address from main router then access the internet through that.
Troubleshooting Suggestions:
1. Double check if the main router’s internet is actually back ON and working fine.
To confirm this, wire a computer or laptop to another LAN port of the router using an Ethernet cable, leave the main powerline adapter connected to the LAN port of the router as well, check if you can access the internet successfully on the computer or laptop. If yes, that means the router's DHCP server is up and running; If not, you will need to check what's wrong with the router after the reboot or power outage.
2. Make sure the powerline adapter and extender are still paired (house LEDs are ON), show us the IP address on the clients devices. Compare that when the internet is good and when it is not.
How to check the IP address on a computer: https://www.tp-link.com/support/faq/669/.
If your model is not listed or the issue persists, please report back with the information below to help locate the issue.
Or send a support email to TP-Link technical support with title ‘[Forum ID 265692] Powerline Extender Acting as the DHCP server’ to get further assistance:
1. How did you find out powerline device's DHCP server does not work properly? Did you often reboot main router or is there often power outage in your house?
2. Does router’s internet work fine at that moment?
3. LED status on both powerline units.
4. Brand and Model of router, the network topology, for example:
ISP modem --- Router Archer C7 --- PA8010 .... <powerline> ...WPA8630P --- Asus laptop model X.
5. Model & OS of devices that connected to wireless powerline unit.
6. Model number & firmware and hardware version of your powerline KIT, update the firmware if it is not the latest version:
How to update the firmware of the powerline adapter using the tpPLC Utility: https://www.tp-link.com/support/faq/1091/
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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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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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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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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...
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TL-WPA7510 system log
H-Ver = TL-WPA7510 v1.0 : S-Ver = 1.0.6 Build 20181212 Rel.40856
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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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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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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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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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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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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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