[SOLVED] meaning of self-assigned connection type under DHCP client table

hw_user

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My home network has a CGN3 router and 2 access points. The 2 access points are TP-link C50 and TP-link A7. They both connected to CGN3 using powerline adapters and both have DHCP disabled (i.e. Obtain IP address from CGN3). On my CGN3 client table (connected devices ) I can see
Archer_A7192.168.0.1073:DA:89:93:4A:78DHCP-IPNot ConnectedInactiveRenew
Unknownfe80::a63b:b0ff:feb1:f256A4:3B:B0:B1:F2:56Self-assignedNot ConnectedInactiveRenew

Any idea why the C50 is not showing the regular IP address as the A7 ? Did I do something wrong on the C50 ?
My problem is if I do not know the assigned IP address, I cannot administer the C50.
 
Solution
I can use the default IP (192.168.0.1) to get to the C50 GUI when it is standalone (i.e. not connected to my router). I cannot get to the C50 GUI using 192.168.0.1 once it is connected to my router as an access point. My router must be communicating with it using this self assigned IP address (fe80::a63b:b0ff:feb1:f256 ) otherwise how can the connected devices get internet access.
You need to assign it a static IP address that is in the main router LAN subnet, but NOT in the DHCP range of your primary router. That way you can still access it the entire time.
You don't have everything setup quite right yet.

kanewolf

Titan
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My home network has a CGN3 router and 2 access points. The 2 access points are TP-link C50 and TP-link A7. They both connected to CGN3 using powerline adapters and both have DHCP disabled (i.e. Obtain IP address from CGN3). On my CGN3 client table (connected devices ) I can see
Archer_A7192.168.0.1073:DA:89:93:4A:78DHCP-IPNot ConnectedInactiveRenew

Unknownfe80::a63b:b0ff:feb1:f256A4:3B:B0:B1:F2:56Self-assignedNot ConnectedInactiveRenew

Any idea why the C50 is not showing the regular IP address as the A7 ? Did I do something wrong on the C50 ?
My problem is if I do not know the assigned IP address, I cannot administer the C50.
Does the C50 have a static IP address? I think that is what is being shown. Do you have a DHCP reservation on the A7 vs GUI assigned static on the C50 ?
 

hw_user

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Does the C50 have a static IP address? I think that is what is being shown. Do you have a DHCP reservation on the A7 vs GUI assigned static on the C50 ?
No, I did not assign static IP address for the C50. I have no ip address reservation for any device.

BTW, devices connected to C50 (wired or wireless) have no problem accessing internet through CGN3.
 
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hw_user

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It might be the case that the C50 doesn't do a DHCP request when configured as an AP. Can you get to the C50 GUI ?
I can use the default IP (192.168.0.1) to get to the C50 GUI when it is standalone (i.e. not connected to my router). I cannot get to the C50 GUI using 192.168.0.1 once it is connected to my router as an access point. My router must be communicating with it using this self assigned IP address (fe80::a63b:b0ff:feb1:f256 ) otherwise how can the connected devices get internet access.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
I can use the default IP (192.168.0.1) to get to the C50 GUI when it is standalone (i.e. not connected to my router). I cannot get to the C50 GUI using 192.168.0.1 once it is connected to my router as an access point. My router must be communicating with it using this self assigned IP address (fe80::a63b:b0ff:feb1:f256 ) otherwise how can the connected devices get internet access.
You need to assign it a static IP address that is in the main router LAN subnet, but NOT in the DHCP range of your primary router. That way you can still access it the entire time.
You don't have everything setup quite right yet.
 
Solution

hw_user

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Mar 11, 2010
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The CGN3 router has a default IP of 192.168.0.1 and both the A7 and C50 also has the default IP of 192.168.0.1.
Found out that the A7 and the C50 behave differently. I can set Access point mode on A7 which , I think, disabled the default IP (192.168.0.1) and allows it to obtain DHCP-IP and use that for accessing it's ADM GUI.
But C50 has no access point mode. According to TPLINK, I have to give it an address outside of the DHCP range of the CGN3 router and I did. That's why everything works.
The CGN3 is just not displaying the IP address that I gave to the C50. It does correctly indicated that the IP was self assigned.
I can access the C50 ADM GUI using the IP I gave to the C50.
Thanks for all the help.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
The CGN3 router has a default IP of 192.168.0.1 and both the A7 and C50 also has the default IP of 192.168.0.1.
Found out that the A7 and the C50 behave differently. I can set Access point mode on A7 which , I think, disabled the default IP (192.168.0.1) and allows it to obtain DHCP-IP and use that for accessing it's ADM GUI.
But C50 has no access point mode. According to TPLINK, I have to give it an address outside of the DHCP range of the CGN3 router and I did. That's why everything works.
The CGN3 is just not displaying the IP address that I gave to the C50. It does correctly indicated that the IP was self assigned.
I can access the C50 ADM GUI using the IP I gave to the C50.
Thanks for all the help.
OK when using routers as APs you want to think of them like clients of your primary router. Since your primary router is 192.168.0.1, you need to check the DHCP range on that router. It is probably 2 - 250, or something like that. I would scale it back to 2 - 100. Then all the IP addresses above 100 can be used for static IP devices.
You want to use the GUI on your C50 and A7 to assign them a LAN IP address. If you follow my recommendation above and limit the DHCP server to 100 then you can give the C50 and A7 101 and 102. Personally I like to keep network hardware at the highest IP addresses. I would probably give them 250 and 251.
That should allow you to always access the GUI on the C50 and A7 even when they are fully integrated into your network.
 

hw_user

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Thanks for all the replies. Since I am able to get the ADM GUI of C50 using the assigned IP, this meets my need. It is just a little annoying that CGN3 is not displaying the assigned IP.