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Refusing to pass internet connectivity test

Refusing to pass internet connectivity test

Refusing to pass internet connectivity test
Refusing to pass internet connectivity test
a week ago
Tags: #Access Point Mode #Wired Backhaul #FailedInternetTest
Model: Deco BE63  
Hardware Version:
Firmware Version: 1.3.2 Build 26040912 Rel. 40631

So, I have two BE63's (they say they're BE10000s) that have been working fine in AP mode for a long time. I have (had) a Raspberry Pi5 running pihole for DHCP/DNS because the Verizon FIOS router's DHCP doesn't let me specify DNS servers and I really don't like all those ads.

 

192.168.1.x network, 192.168.1.1 FIOS default gateway, 192.168.1.5 DNS server default (there's IPv6 too) for the pi5.

 

Unfortunately, the microSD card on the pi5 has pretty much failed, and since Deco's are pretty damn fragile when it comes to a DHCP or DNS server not being around, that killed the WiFi network too. Why don't they, you know, have a local cache, for Pete's sake. That's probably the primary contributor to my woes but isn't what I'm asking, really.

 

Until I get a new, better quality I hope microSD card for the pi5, I've been trying to just use the FIOS router's DHCP service as a temporary stopgap (tried to put pihole on my Mac desktop via Docker, but as that would never see DHCP requests, kind of doesn't work).

 

Except, even though the Deco's are getting an IP address and DHCP leases on my ethernet-connected desktop get a working default gateway and DNS server to look up and ping, say, www.tp-link.com, the Deco's refuse to think they're connected to the Internet and thus refuse to do anything WiFi.

 

Maybe they cached the DHCP address of the pi5 (WHY????), but even a factory reset and rebuild has not solved this. (I added a whole new network; took a couple tries to get it to actually set AP mode but it's in there now; Smart DHCP is disabled; Fast Roaming is disabled; Beamforming is enabled but I doubt those have anything to do with the Deco's ability to look up a hostname and ping it.)

 

I can ping (ipv4) both Deco units from my ethernet desktop.

 

So what's going on here? What exactly is this thing trying to do, how exactly can I see what the FULL IP configuration is, and most important of all, what do I have to do to fix this other than hope once I rebuild the pi5 by this weekend it'll magically start working again?

 

Thanks for any help or suggestions here. I'm tempted to put the Eero's back online at this point.

 

Michael

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Re:Refusing to pass internet connectivity test
a week ago - last edited a week ago

OK, next question. On some suggestions from Gemini, it seemed like something was really stuck on using the pi5's address as the DNS server, so I set up a simple redirector on my desktop using dnsmasq to forward queries on after confirming it was receiving queries.

 

Where. Is. This. Set?

 

Perhaps it was set ten months ago when I was trying to get this to work in Router mode, but now that it's in Access Point mode there's no UI to see it, but the config is set anyway?

 

Thanks...

 

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Re:Refusing to pass internet connectivity test
Saturday

  @MMatthews 

 

 

The TP-Link Deco BE63 (in AP mode) is failing its internal "internet connectivity test," which prevents the WiFi network from activating properly (red/offline status), even though wired devices on the FIOS router get full connectivity and you can ping the Decos.

 

Why This Happens

 

Deco units (even in AP mode) run their own connectivity checks to decide if they show as "online" (solid green LED) and enable client WiFi fully. This typically involves:

 

  • Receiving proper DHCP info (IP, gateway, DNS servers).
  • Successfully resolving external hostnames (DNS queries) or reaching certain test servers.

 

Your previous Pi-hole setup was likely pushed as the DNS server via DHCP. The Decos appear to have cached or retained this old DNS reference stubbornly, even after factory resets and switching to the FIOS router's DHCP. This matches known Deco behavior where they act somewhat independently for status checks.

 

The FIOS router's DHCP isn't overriding it cleanly for the Decos themselves.

 

Quick Troubleshooting Steps (in order)

 

  1. Power cycle everything:
    • Unplug the FIOS router, both Decos, and any switches for 2–3 minutes.
    • Plug FIOS back first → wait for full internet.
    • Then plug in the main Deco → wait, then satellites.
    • Check the Deco app.
  2. Force DNS on the Deco (if accessible):
    • In the Deco app: Go to More > Internet Connection / Internet Settings > IPv4 (or similar).
    • Set DNS manually to public servers like 1.1.1.1 (primary) and 8.8.8.8 (secondary), or 8.8.4.4.
    • Save and test. Note: Some settings are limited/hidden in AP mode.
  3. Ensure clean DHCP from FIOS:
    • On the FIOS router, confirm DHCP is enabled and not handing out the old Pi-hole IP (192.168.1.5) as DNS.
    • Look for any "DNS" or "advanced DHCP" options and set it explicitly to public DNS or leave automatic (ISP-provided).
    • Release/renew leases on devices if possible.
  4. Factory reset the Decos again (more thoroughly):
    • Reset each unit (hold reset button ~10 seconds until LED changes).
    • Set up one Deco at a time as the main unit in AP mode (connect it directly to FIOS first).
    • Avoid restoring any backup/config from the old Pi-hole era.
    • Do not enable Smart DHCP or any router-like features.
  5. Static IP for Deco units (recommended for stability in AP mode):
    • In the app or web interface (if available), give each Deco a static IP in your 192.168.1.x range (e.g., .10 and .11), outside the FIOS DHCP pool.
    • This prevents any lease/DNS weirdness.
  6. Test what the Deco is actually doing:
    • The app has a diagnostics tool that shows what the unit sees for IP/GW/DNS/public IP.
    • From a wired PC, try to access the Decos' web interface (usually by their IP) for more detailed status.

 

Longer-Term Suggestions

 

  • Rebuild the Pi-hole quickly (as you planned) — Decos are known to be picky when their expected DNS/DHCP disappears.
  • Consider running the Decos in Router mode if you can disable the FIOS router's WiFi/routing (or put FIOS in bridge mode if available) for more control, though AP mode is fine for your setup.
  • Firmware: Ensure it's the latest (yours is 1.3.2; check for updates in the app).
  • If it still fails: Temporarily connect a device directly to FIOS WiFi as a workaround, or test with different public DNS.

 

This is a common frustration with Deco in AP mode after DHCP/DNS changes. The above should get it passing the test.

Need help with the Deco app, setup, Ethernet backhaul, network switch or rolling back firmware? Router or AP mode? https://community.tp-link.com/us/home/forum/topic/699816?page=1
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Re:Refusing to pass internet connectivity test
Yesterday

  @HelpFixDecoApp Thanks for the information. This basically boils down to needing more information in the app display as to why the tests are failing to make it easier to resolve, given the buggy unexpected behavior from the BE63s in holding on to information longer than they should.

 

I did try to go back into the non-viable option of Router Mode, but could not find any setting in the newly exposed UI that would explain this behavior.

 

I'm in a weird state now where the units are showing as offline, but still working, most likely due to the transition back to the "normal" operations with my rebuilt Pi5 back online, combined with something very weird that my UTM bridge mode Linux VM did. The web interfaces on the Deco's themselves don't seem to tell me anything useful either, unless I'm just not searching for the right log entries.

 

Haven't tried to resolve that because, well, it's working and I can't take the network down yet.

 

Basic info -- what its IP/mask, gateway, DNS servers are. What tests are failing and why. That's all I'm asking for here. Beyond having the Deco's honor DHCP and not keeping information longer than they should.

 

Michael

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Re:Refusing to pass internet connectivity test
22 hours ago

  @MMatthews 

 

I think the next best bet is to check the logs via the web UI to see if you can find the information your looking for. You can access the Deco logs via the web UI by entering "tplinkdeco.net" in your browser. Navigate to Advanced > System > System Log, select "ALL"

 

If you are unable to solve the problem with the information from the logs please use the steps below to open up a ticket with support.

 

First please access the Deco web UI by entering "tplinkdeco.net" in your browser. Navigate to Advanced > System > System Log, select "ALL" in the log type, and save the file to your local computer. Then follow the steps below making sure to attach the logs to the email.

I recommend sending an email to forumsupport.usa@tp-link.com with the following information:

Subject: [Forum Escalation][ID 866722] Refusing to pass internet connectivity test

Forum Nickname: [User Provided]

Thread URL: https://community.tp-link.com/us/home/forum/topic/866722?moduleId=2424

Model&Version: [User Provided]

Description: [User Provided]

Any Other Relevant Information (Logs, Config Files, Images, etc.): [User Provided]

In the template above please fill in the areas that say [User Provided].  This will open a case with our engineering team, and they will work with you via email. 

 

 

Need help with the Deco app, setup, Ethernet backhaul, network switch or rolling back firmware? Router or AP mode? https://community.tp-link.com/us/home/forum/topic/699816?page=1
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#5
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Re:Refusing to pass internet connectivity test
20 hours ago

  @HelpFixDecoApp I think we may be going around in circles here.

 

Without the Deco's telling me the information I need to know, there is no way I can figure out how to solve any problems (and, quite frankly, this latest one seems to have solved itself without any action by me). Nor is there any way I can provide any information to Deco Support to help them help me. "It doesn't work" is not enough context. The log files through the Deco's web interface (btw, your suggestion of using tplinkdeco.net assumes I'm using your DNS, which I am not; at least the app tells me what the IPs are, although I can see that in PiHole's DHCP lease and query log as well) is pretty useless. Doesn't seem to keep logs around for that long (4 hours). I'm assuming setting the Log Type dropdown to DEBUG shows me everything, and while there are some curious entries in there (lots of wandetect3: fopen /tmp/access_mode failed. messages, parse errors for cron root user file, ...), I see nothing that looks like any error or reason for it to fail a health check. Of course, it probably fixed itself more than 4 hours ago so the errors would be gone anyway.

 

How do I submit a suggestion for a pretty simple enhancement request for the Deco iOS/iPadOS app (and any others that this applies to)? Simple thing, in the Device Info for the devices just give the DNS IP it is using. And for the failure, just mention WHAT FAILED WITH WHAT ERROR CODE. Was it a DNS lookup? What was it trying to look up? Was it a connection attempt? What was it trying to connect to?

 

Bonus points for persisting the error in the UI past when it got fixed, so the network admin can acknoweldge it if the error resolved itself.

 

Michael

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Re:Refusing to pass internet connectivity test
19 hours ago

  @MMatthews 

 

I would post your request here. Feature Request

 

Thanks 

Need help with the Deco app, setup, Ethernet backhaul, network switch or rolling back firmware? Router or AP mode? https://community.tp-link.com/us/home/forum/topic/699816?page=1
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Helpful: 0

Views: 167

Replies: 6

Tags

Access Point Mode Wired Backhaul
FailedInternetTest