Archer c3200 only "works" in AP mode with cloned MAC address and DHCP disabled, after switching ISP.

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Archer c3200 only "works" in AP mode with cloned MAC address and DHCP disabled, after switching ISP.

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Archer c3200 only "works" in AP mode with cloned MAC address and DHCP disabled, after switching ISP.
Archer c3200 only "works" in AP mode with cloned MAC address and DHCP disabled, after switching ISP.
2020-10-21 19:24:24 - last edited 2020-10-21 19:26:28
Model: Archer C3200  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: latest

Hi!

 

Our HOA has recently upgraded our fiber network, and switched to a new ISP on monday. Since then—literally since they flipped the switch, I guess—I've not been able to get the router to work as intended; the only way I've been able to access the internet through my router is by connecting it to the main outlet through a LAN port rather the WAN port, cloning my main laptop's MAC address, and disabling the DHCP server on the router.

 

This cludgy workaround has some major drawbacks ofc—not least of which is that we can only reliably use 3 devices at a time (the number of IP addresses we're limited to by our ISP). The ISP's tech support says they've run extensive diagnostics, and cannot see any issues with their hardware or software. I don't think they've restarted the switch responsible for our apartment since this problem began. 

 

Initially, connecting other devices directly into the main ethernet jack did not make a difference, but now it looks like a laptop connected that way can at least get an IP address and access the internet. My router, however, cannot get an IP address, irrespective of whether it's connected via the WAN port or a LAN port. 

 

In short, my ISP's tech support believes some software issue on my router—even on factory settings other than network ID & password—is preventing it from requesting or accepting the necessary parameters from their switch. 

 

I've never encountered a problem exactly like this before. The only other time I've experienced something similar, someone had to reboot the switch responsible for our apartment, presumably to flush the cache? I don't know. Anyway, I would really appreciate any and all advice you might have for how to diagnose and pref. solve this problem. Working from home isn't going very well this week :)

 

Thank you in advance

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Re:Archer c3200 only "works" in AP mode with cloned MAC address and DHCP disabled, after switching ISP.
2020-10-22 11:55:01
I have never encountered that either. One thing I would check is to see if you get a WAN IP address when you connect to the ISP as I would suspect that may be where the problem may be.
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Re:Archer c3200 only "works" in AP mode with cloned MAC address and DHCP disabled, after switching ISP.
2020-10-22 12:18:23 - last edited 2020-10-22 12:18:44

@ArcherC8 thanks for taking the time to help! As I wrote, the router doesn't get a IP address for some reason, irrespective of whether it's connected through WAN or LAN. My ISP's tech support believes there is something about the router's implementation of some protocol or whatever that's preventing it from accepting an IP address from their switch, but I can't help but wonder whether it might be something banal like an address conflict that might be resolved by flushing the cache on the switch in question. I dunno, just very frustrated :) 

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Re:Archer c3200 only "works" in AP mode with cloned MAC address and DHCP disabled, after switching ISP.
2020-10-22 16:00:53
Understand your frustration. I think you are right that it is between your ISP and your router not getting in sync. Maybe you can get to a higher level at the ISP and see if they can re-provision your connection.
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Re:Archer c3200 only "works" in AP mode with cloned MAC address and DHCP disabled, after switching ISP.
2020-10-22 20:52:04

@Aimless 

 

I think a clue is that you need to clone the computers MAC address in order to get some connection.

 

So for whatever reason, the internet connection will only give the internet to a specific MAC address.

 

I usually see that with cable modems in which the cable modem only needs to be rebooted, and it will recognize the new router.

 

In your case, if there is no modem, default the router, and connect the internet Ethernet to the WAN port. Reach out to the ISP and see if there is a way to reset the MAC address that currently is tied to your computers MAC address or have some reset done to the connection.

 

The WAN port runs in DHCP by default so it will take whatever is given to it, be it from an ISP or being connected to another router. Just like how your computer automatically grabs an IP to what it is connected to, the router works the same way.

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