Question Losing connection ocasionally when obtaining ip address automatically

[Arbiter051]

Hi there, I've been having a problem for quite a long time and was hoping someone could help me.

On both my desktop (Ethernet connection) and 2 different laptops (Wifi connection). Whenever I am playing a game on my desktop or just watching some videos on youtube or twitch on one of the laptops, I will lose connection and get the error.

Ethernet doesn't have a valid IP configuration or Wifi connection doesn't have a valid IP configuration. If I go into windows 10 and set the IP address manually, the problem completely goes away. I currently use the router my isp gave me and this problem has continued to happen on 2 different brands of routers from my isp.

My question is what is going on? I have always been under the assumption that manually setting your ip in windows is bad security and so I am paranoid to leave it alone, I hope someone can help and shed some light on what is going on, thank you!

 

[USAFRet]

This happens on all systems at the same time?
When it goes offline, what does the router show? Connection or no connection to the outside world?

 

[Arbiter051]

It does not happen at the same time no. Let's say I am watching twitch on my desktop and on my laptop. My desktop will have the problem, laptop is fine. Then 20 minutes later, the roles reverse and the laptop has the problem.

When the problem happens the router shows its fine, no errors, no issues, nothing.

Edit: just to note. When I say manually setting the ip address, I mean the ipv4 settings in windows 10, not the router itself.

I am unsure as to if setting the ipv4 ip manually is safe or unsafe and no idea if that has anything to do with the router itself. Like if I set the IP address manually on my desktop but my laptops use the obtain automatically option, are my laptops “safer” than my desktop?

 

[nigelivey]

It does not happen at the same time no. Let's say I am watching twitch on my desktop and on my laptop. My desktop will have the problem, laptop is fine. Then 20 minutes later, the roles reverse and the laptop has the problem.

When the problem happens the router shows its fine, no errors, no issues, nothing.

Edit: just to note. When I say manually setting the ip address, I mean the ipv4 settings in windows 10, not the router itself.

I am unsure as to if setting the ipv4 ip manually is safe or unsafe and no idea if that has anything to do with the router itself. Like if I set the IP address manually on my desktop but my laptops use the obtain automatically option, are my laptops “safer” than my desktop?

Ok, firstly you could well be causing your own problem here but its certainly not unsafe. Remove all the static IPs from your devices, this isn't where this should be set.
Go into your routers DHCP settings and check the range that DHCP issues to devices. You may find if you are on a 192.168.0.0 network your DHCP range is 192.168.0.20 - 192.168.0.100. On a standard /24 subnet mask (255.255.255.0) the total range of addresses is 192.168.0.1 -192.168.0.254.
Look at the MAC address table and reserve in the router an IP that falls within your subnet but outside of the DHCP range, in the above example and presuming your router is 0.1 you have 0.2 - 0.19 and 0.101 - 0.254.
You should always reserve static IPs in the router, not on the host device. ( I will explain further why if required).

 

[Arbiter051]

Ok, firstly you could well be causing your own problem here but its certainly not unsafe. Remove all the static IPs from your devices, this isn't where this should be set.
Go into your routers DHCP settings and check the range that DHCP issues to devices. You may find if you are on a 192.168.0.0 network your DHCP range is 192.168.0.20 - 192.168.0.100. On a standard /24 subnet mask (255.255.255.0) the total range of addresses is 192.168.0.1 -192.168.0.254.
Look at the MAC address table and reserve in the router an IP that falls within your subnet but outside of the DHCP range, in the above example and presuming your router is 0.1 you have 0.2 - 0.19 and 0.101 - 0.254.
You should always reserve static IPs in the router, not on the host device. ( I will explain further why if required).

Why Is it better to set it in the router than on each individual device? Isn’t it the same thing as what i am already doing? Sorry if that is a stupid question.

Also forgive me for my paranoia, I’ve read so many places that static ips are not safe practice, can you explain why you say that is false?

 

[nigelivey]

Why Is it better to set it in the router than on each individual device? Isn’t it the same thing as what i am already doing? Sorry if that is a stupid question.

Also forgive me for my paranoia, I’ve read so many places that static ips are not safe practice, can you explain why you say that is false?

You are setting a static IP on your internal LAN, it is not internet facing. You could argue that a static public IP means anyone with bad intentions knows where to find you.....It makes zero difference on your internal network.
Your DHCP server has a set lease time, if your devices are not connected to the network for a long enough for your leases to expire the DHCP server can issue the same IP you have reserved on the host, thus causing a conflict when the host with a locally set IP rejoins the network. If you bind MAC to IP in the router this can never happen. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Arbiter051]

You are setting a static IP on your internal LAN, it is not internet facing. You could argue that a static public IP means anyone with bad intentions knows where to find you.....It makes zero difference on your internal network.
Your DHCP server has a set lease time, if your devices are not connected to the network for a long enough for your leases to expire the DHCP server can issue the same IP you have reserved on the host, thus causing a conflict when the host with a locally set IP rejoins the network. If you bind MAC to IP in the router this can never happen. I hope that makes sense.

Yes that makes sense. I haven’t been stupidly making a static Public up have I? I wouldn’t know if I was.

 

[nigelivey]

Yes that makes sense. I haven’t been stupidly making a static Public up have I? I wouldn’t know if I was.

No, this would be issued to you by your ISP, not something you can change, you may not even have a static on your WAN, you can normally tell by going to "whatsmyip.com", that will tell you what your internet facing IP is, if you leave your router off for a while then turn it back on and revisit the web site your IP may have changed. It may take 24 hours of down time though.

 

[Arbiter051]

So far no issues the last 3 days. Knock on wood haha.

Thank you for the help! Also for putting my mind at ease about the security.