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Deco X55 Problems (Smart DHCP and more!)

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Deco X55 Problems (Smart DHCP and more!)

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Deco X55 Problems (Smart DHCP and more!)
Deco X55 Problems (Smart DHCP and more!)
2022-07-20 05:31:22
Tags: #Access Point Mode #Feature Request
Model: Deco X55  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: 1.0.8

I don't have high hopes, looking at some of the other threads; but I figured it's still worth a try!

 

I purchased a trio of X55 devices recently, and overall I'm very happy with them.  There are two strange and quite painful quirks however, which I would be extremely happy to see fixed or to see some workaround for.  My network setup is below:

 

Ziply Fiber ONT -> OPNsense router (latest STABLE version) -> unmanaged tplink 8-port switch -> Deco X55 'main' node.

 

 

  • AP mode's "Smart DHCP" is not toggle-able.  I saw that this was trialed for the M5 and would love, absolutely love, to be able to have this available for the X55.  My problem here specifically, is that after a power outage (and of course with no way to control the order of devices coming back online) the Deco device (in AP mode) comes up and starts its own DHCP server.  My devices of course happily take those leases, and then get stuck since the Deco is either not getting, or not respecting the fact that my OPNSense router then comes up and would like to be its own DHCP server.  I am looking for some way to:
    • I need some way to completely, utterly, disable Deco's DHCP server in AP mode;  OR some way for Deco to poll whether or not a DHCP server exists and then turn off its own DHCP.
    • Alternatively, I need some way to 'tell' the Deco in AP mode that it should stop its DHCP server
  • The second quirk is I see a metric ton of log entries for:  "daemon.err bandwidth_contr: get mode: 11AHE160" and have zero idea why or what that means.  Call me old fashioned, but even if it turns out to be a non-issue, I like my logfiles to look clean and be free of errors (actual error or no).  Any thoughts on what causes this?  Or maybe, just maybe, there's some helpful tech that can point me to some code to look at? ;)

 

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#1
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6 Reply
Re:Deco X55 Problems (Smart DHCP and more!)
2022-07-20 12:40:57 - last edited 2022-07-20 14:55:01

  @Butwhydawg 

 

The issue with DHCP you described happens because both your OPNsense router and Deco mesh utilize SMART DHCP feature. The logic of that feature is the following:

 

If there is no DHCP server running on the network, start own DHCP service. If there is another DHCP server running, stop (or do not start) my own DHCP service.

 

For many home networks this is non-issue, because most ISP routers do not have SMART DHCP feature. These routers always start their DHCP service when powered on, and Deco realizing DHCP server appeared will immediately stop its own. 

 

Check in your OPNsense router the configuration parameter which is responsible for "Do not start DHCP service if another DHCP server is already present on the network." Toggle it. If you can't find it on your own, ask on OPNsense router support forums. 

 

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#2
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Re:Deco X55 Problems (Smart DHCP and more!)
2022-07-21 03:04:04
Why not add a disable dhcp function and let the user decide whether to use it or not?
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#3
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Re:Deco X55 Problems (Smart DHCP and more!)
2022-07-21 05:05:41

Alexandre. wrote

  @Butwhydawg 

 

The issue with DHCP you described happens because both your OPNsense router and Deco mesh utilize SMART DHCP feature. The logic of that feature is the following:

 

If there is no DHCP server running on the network, start own DHCP service. If there is another DHCP server running, stop (or do not start) my own DHCP service.

 

For many home networks this is non-issue, because most ISP routers do not have SMART DHCP feature. These routers always start their DHCP service when powered on, and Deco realizing DHCP server appeared will immediately stop its own. 

 

Check in your OPNsense router the configuration parameter which is responsible for "Do not start DHCP service if another DHCP server is already present on the network." Toggle it. If you can't find it on your own, ask on OPNsense router support forums. 

 

 

I'll look into that; I don't see any way to configure that (it looks like Opnsense just uses dhclient /dhcpd in the background) via the UI so I'm guessing I may need to figure out some sort of configuration, thank you for the suggestion!
 

But I do wonder why there isn't such a toggle available in the Deco configuration as well.  From my perspective (and this is just an opinion):  I should be making these sort of configurations and changes in the devices downstream from my router.  I want my -router- to be the intelligent part of my network topology; and for my switches / APs to just be dumb :)

Is there any insight into why this sort of a toggle isn't available for the X55?

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#4
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Re:Deco X55 Problems (Smart DHCP and more!)
2022-07-21 15:43:46

  @Butwhydawg 

 

TP-Link will offer toggle in future firmware, but that firmware might not be coming soon for all Deco models. For regular home network, the problem you described should be uncommon. One must have two or more devices with SMART DHCP feature, on the same network, and they have to start in the wrong order. It is possible TP-Link Software Development haven't considered such Use Case or dismissed it as unlikely. 

 

This problem created a lot of noise in this forum, but it mostly came from people who run their own DHCP server or configured their home network in some advance ways regular home user will never need to. Also, in at least two cases the home network was misconfigured and Deco Smart DHCP simply exposed underlying issues.

 

I do recall that at least in one case the person I had conversation with confirmed they can disable that Smart DHCP feature in their opensource DHCP server, but I don't recall specifics.

 

There are workarounds, but I have a feeling you'll fix it with some config parameter in OPNsense router. Workaround would be to get uninterruptible power supply with large enough battery to run your router through power outage, and plug OPNsense router to it.

Another workaround would be to get Deco M5 with firmware 1.6, which has that toggle, add it to your Deco mesh and make it Main Deco. If you had WiFi5 Deco mesh that would not be a bad solution, but X55 is WiFi 6 and M5 is only WiFi5.

 

 

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#5
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Re:Deco X55 Problems (Smart DHCP and more!)
2022-07-21 16:12:02

  @Butwhydawg @TP-Link 

 

Could anybody please provide an explanation what does the error message mean?

 

"daemon.err bandwidth_contr: get mode: 11AHE160"

 

I see thousands of them in system log for DECO X50 firmware 1.0.8.

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#6
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Re:Deco X55 Problems (Smart DHCP and more!)
2022-11-24 16:23:44

  @Lada_X50 

I just installed the X60 and am also getting the same error message excessively, along with a lot of others.  I am on Verizon Fios.

 

Mon Nov 21 09:55:56 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

Mon Nov 21 09:56:01 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: send_mesh_band_steering_ioctl: ioctl failed, cmd: 45

Mon Nov 21 09:56:01 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

Mon Nov 21 09:56:04 2022 authpriv.notice dropbear[12380]: Pubkey auth succeeded for 'root' with key sha1!! 7b:1e:be:46:1b:3e:db:9f:b6:95:12:b3:a1:cb:c3:2e:2d:59:fb:44 from 192.168.71.250:49422

Mon Nov 21 09:56:04 2022 daemon.err udhcpd[11327]: Sending OFFER of 192.168.68.55

Mon Nov 21 09:56:05 2022 daemon.err udhcpd[11327]: Sending ACK to 192.168.68.55

Mon Nov 21 09:56:05 2022 daemon.err udhcpd[11327]: clear ip 3744a8c0

Mon Nov 21 09:56:06 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: send_mesh_band_steering_ioctl: ioctl failed, cmd: 45

Mon Nov 21 09:56:06 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

Mon Nov 21 09:56:07 2022 daemon.err bandwidth_contr: get mode: 11AHE160

Mon Nov 21 09:56:11 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: send_mesh_band_steering_ioctl: ioctl failed, cmd: 45

Mon Nov 21 09:56:11 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

Mon Nov 21 09:56:15 2022 user.notice IMPROXY: INFO[imp_verify_multicast_addr@245]: Group address 224.0.0.251 is Local Network Control Block

Mon Nov 21 09:56:16 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: send_mesh_band_steering_ioctl: ioctl failed, cmd: 45

Mon Nov 21 09:56:16 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

Mon Nov 21 09:56:17 2022 user.notice IMPROXY: INFO[imp_verify_multicast_addr@245]: Group address 224.0.0.251 is Local Network Control Block

Mon Nov 21 09:56:21 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: send_mesh_band_steering_ioctl: ioctl failed, cmd: 45

Mon Nov 21 09:56:21 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

Mon Nov 21 09:56:26 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: send_mesh_band_steering_ioctl: ioctl failed, cmd: 45

Mon Nov 21 09:56:26 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

Mon Nov 21 09:56:28 2022 user.notice IMPROXY: INFO[imp_verify_multicast_addr@245]: Group address 224.0.0.251 is Local Network Control Block

Mon Nov 21 09:56:28 2022 daemon.err bandwidth_contr: get mode: 11AHE160

Mon Nov 21 09:56:28 2022 daemon.err bandwidth_contr: Sending TIPC data. Total 20 bytes.

Mon Nov 21 09:56:31 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: send_mesh_band_steering_ioctl: ioctl failed, cmd: 45

Mon Nov 21 09:56:31 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

Mon Nov 21 09:56:36 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: send_mesh_band_steering_ioctl: ioctl failed, cmd: 45

Mon Nov 21 09:56:36 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

Mon Nov 21 09:56:37 2022 daemon.err bandwidth_contr: get mode: 11AHE160

Mon Nov 21 09:56:41 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: send_mesh_band_steering_ioctl: ioctl failed, cmd: 45

Mon Nov 21 09:56:41 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

Mon Nov 21 09:56:46 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: send_mesh_band_steering_ioctl: ioctl failed, cmd: 45

Mon Nov 21 09:56:46 2022 daemon.err nrd[6205]: qca_get_phy_cap_info: get phy cap info failed

 

 

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Helpful: 1

Views: 3397

Replies: 6

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Access Point Mode Feature Request
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