Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:41 Post subject: Active Clients under Status/LAN just shows * for hostnames
Hey all. I’m using a Netgear R7800 running r45592 (01/28/21). My setup is simple. All my devices are set to use a static IP in their respective network setup screens. My 5 GHz Wi-Fi also has MAC Address Filtering so only devices permitted can connect.
My DHCP server is on and it’s range is 192.168.1.120 - 192.168.140 so 21 devices max. But I've set all my devices outside the DHCP IP range so they start with 192.168.1.141 and so on. I did this because I wanted to free up IP spaces for DHCP if a guest came over.
"DHCP Authoritative" is on and so is "Use Dnsmasq for DNS" although I’m not sure what it does. In the services tab Dnsmasq is on but no other options relating to it are enabled.
Unfortunately my devices don’t report their hostnames in the Active Clients section under Status/LAN. They just show *
Joined: 16 Nov 2015 Posts: 6447 Location: UK, London, just across the river..
Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2021 13:48 Post subject:
make sure your clients names do not have special characters, space/interval and use only letters and numbers and - instead of space..did you give them static name and IP ?
example: Alo's/Iphone 11 will not show...Alos-Iphone-11 is the correct name _________________ Atheros
TP-Link WR740Nv1 ---DD-WRT 55630 WAP
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -DD-WRT 55723 Gateway/DoT,Forced DNS,Ad-Block,Firewall,x4VLAN,VPN
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -Gargoyle OS 1.15.x AP,DNS,QoS,Quotas
Qualcomm-Atheros
Netgear XR500 --DD-WRT 55779 Gateway/DoH,Forced DNS,AP Isolation,4VLAN,Ad-Block,Firewall,Vanilla
Netgear R7800 --DD-WRT 55819 Gateway/DoT,AD-Block,Forced DNS,AP&Net Isolation,x3VLAN,Firewall,Vanilla
Netgear R9000 --DD-WRT 55779 Gateway/DoT,AD-Block,AP Isolation,Firewall,Forced DNS,x2VLAN,Vanilla
Broadcom
Netgear R7000 --DD-WRT 55460 Gateway/SmartDNS/DoH,AD-Block,Firewall,Forced DNS,x3VLAN,VPN
NOT USING 5Ghz ANYWHERE
------------------------------------------------------
Stubby DNS over TLS I DNSCrypt v2 by mac913
If those devices NOT showing in the GUI have been configured w/ a static IP on the client itself, there's no way for the GUI to know of any hostname. For all intents and purposes, one doesn't exist. Even when using my FreshTomato router under such circumstances I don't see a hostnames in the Device List for this very same reason (e.g., most all of my infrastructure devices (APs, client bridges, etc.) are defined w/ a static IP on the device).
That's why it's better to always use DHCP on the client, even if you want to assign specific IPs to those devices. Just use static leases but assign IPs *outside* the IP pool. At least then you have the opportunity to define a hostname, which then becomes available to the GUI, but still able to preserve your DHCP pool for truly dynamic IP assignments.
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14248 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2021 16:58 Post subject:
Does the MAC address or IP match your upstream modem/router or other devices? You don't fix the '*' entries, this is a 'new' feature that has been there for a while... like, over a year, if I am not mistaken... _________________ "Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed... DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
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Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
If those devices NOT showing in the GUI have been configured w/ a static IP on the client itself, there's no way for the GUI to know of any hostname. For all intents and purposes, one doesn't exist. Even when using my FreshTomato router under such circumstances I don't see a hostnames in the Device List for this very same reason (e.g., most all of my infrastructure devices (APs, client bridges, etc.) are defined w/ a static IP on the device).
That's why it's better to always use DHCP on the client, even if you want to assign specific IPs to those devices. Just use static leases but assign IPs *outside* the IP pool. At least then you have the opportunity to define a hostname, which then becomes available to the GUI, but still able to preserve your DHCP pool for truly dynamic IP assignments.
Ok now I understand although it seems pretty dumb in my opinion, especially a Linux laptop with a set hostname (an example, one of my devices) is not able to report it's hostname to another Linux device (DD-WRT router). I could understand if this was exclusive to different operating systems but oh well. Or is it the other way around? DD-WRT just not able to "see" the hostnames?
I've since set up static leases in the Services/DHCP Server tab but even that is just a stupid fix because i want 2 of my devices to use the same IP and I also want those 2 devices to use same IP for both Ethernet and Wi-Fi interfaces but now I can't. I go from 1 IP to 4. Which also makes the situation even worse because those 2 devices are never turned on at the same time and they're game consoles which I've set up Port Forwarding rules for, hence wanting to use 1 IP for both devices for all interfaces since you can't port forward 1 port to two different IP's as far as I know.
kernel-panic69 wrote:
Does the MAC address or IP match your upstream modem/router or other devices? You don't fix the '*' entries, this is a 'new' feature that has been there for a while... like, over a year, if I am not mistaken...
Yes. I take extreme care when setting up each device manually. Everything matches (IP's and MAC addresses) and I have everything noted down in my computer. It's just not getting the hostname from the devices. Can you explain more about this being a new feature? Why was this even added if it's new? I've been using DD-WRT since 2013 but only in 2017 did I start taking my setup seriously so I don't remember if the hostnames ever worked or not.
Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 14248 Location: Texas, USA
Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2021 17:48 Post subject:
The only person who can answer about the 'new feature' for the upstream devices being listed is BrainSlayer. As far as other devices not getting hostnames, it's either the device's hostname is not compatible (as eibgrad alluded to) or the device's OS doesn't want to play nice, AFAIK. _________________ "Life is but a fleeting moment, a vapor that vanishes quickly; All is vanity"
Contribute To DD-WRT Pogo - A minimal level of ability is expected and needed... DD-WRT Releases 2023 (PolitePol)
DD-WRT Releases 2023 (RSS Everything)
----------------------
Linux User #377467 counter.li.org / linuxcounter.net
Ok now I understand although it seems pretty dumb in my opinion, especially a Linux laptop with a set hostname (an example, one of my devices) is not able to report it's hostname to another Linux device (DD-WRT router). I could understand if this was exclusive to different operating systems but oh well. Or is it the other way around? DD-WRT just not able to "see" the hostnames?
If you're NOT familiar w/ the underlying network protocols and how they work, I can understand why it might not make sense that hostnames are not always available to the GUI. But there is a logic to it.
A hostname means absolutely nothing to the IP protocol. Heck, even a domain name is meaningless to IP. These are only meaningful to end-users, for the purposes of making it easier to manage IP addresses. But the underlying IP protocol neither needs nor cares about hostnames or domain names, anymore than your cellphone cares about anything other than your phone #. All it knows and needs to know are IP addresses. Period.
When you use DHCP (which itself is NOT necessary to support the IP protocol, but merely a convenience to the end-user), as part of that convenience, it will allow the client to include a hostname when it initiates contact. If the client doesn't include a hostname, the DHCP server *may* choose one for the client based on how you configured the DHCP server (e.g., using a dhcp-host record w/ hostname). It's all driven by DHCP. Once you step outside DHCP (e.g., assigning static IPs on the client), you're down to the raw IP protocol where none of these conveniences have any meaning.
Quote:
I've since set up static leases in the Services/DHCP Server tab but even that is just a stupid fix because i want 2 of my devices to use the same IP and I also want those 2 devices to use same IP for both Ethernet and Wi-Fi interfaces but now I can't. I go from 1 IP to 4. Which also makes the situation even worse because those 2 devices are never turned on at the same time and they're game consoles which I've set up Port Forwarding rules for, hence wanting to use 1 IP for both devices for all interfaces since you can't port forward 1 port to two different IP's as far as I know.
You can't have two devices using the same IP at the same time. You *can* configure DHCP so that given a specific MAC address, it can be assigned a specific IP, which we call a static lease. You can even define a single static lease w/ *multiple* MAC addresses, so for example, some device that has both wired and wireless network adapters can be assigned the same IP, regardless which is active at any given time. But of course both network interfaces can't be active at the same time. Only problem is that the dd-wrt GUI doesn't presently support multiple MAC addresses, even though the underlying implementation of DNSMasq does. So to take advantage of that feature, you would need to define your static leases using the Additional DNSMasq Options field on the Services page.
In the above example, the hostname "mypc" can be assigned 192.168.1.100 by more than one MAC address (i.e., network adapter).
Do I do this under "Additional DHCPd Options" or "Additional Dnsmasq Options"?
Also this is what I want to do. I have one IP (192.168.1.165) that has ports forwarded to it. This IP is used by PS4 and PS5 for both their Wi-Fi and ethernet interfaces. Can I give 192.168.1.165 to 4 different MAC Addresses but have the GUI show 2 different hostnames like "PS4" and "PS5"?
Also this is what I want to do. I have one IP (192.168.1.165) that has ports forwarded to it. This IP is used by PS4 and PS5 for both their Wi-Fi and ethernet interfaces. Can I give 192.168.1.165 to 4 different MAC Addresses but have the GUI show 2 different hostnames like "PS4" and "PS5"?
I know you can have 4 different MAC addresses associated w/ *one* IP and *one* hostname using *one* dhcp-host record. But whether you can split those into *two* dhcp-host records, each using a different hostname but the same IP, I don't honestly know. I never tried it. Just depends on how DNSMasq interprets it. It *might* be confused by having the same IP on both dhcp host records, but try it and find out.
I know you can have 4 different MAC addresses associated w/ *one* IP and *one* hostname using *one* dhcp-host record. But whether you can split those into *two* dhcp-host records, each using a different hostname but the same IP, I don't honestly know. I never tried it. Just depends on how DNSMasq interprets it. It *might* be confused by having the same IP on both dhcp host records, but try it and find out.
I have found one interesting thing after I set up my static leases though. I forgot to give my PS4 a static lease but it was still set to use 192.168.1.165 manually. Only the PS5 and its MAC address was given a static lease. But in the Active Clients section under LAN, the PS4 MAC address was listed beside 192.168.1.165 and the hostname was "PS5".
So this must mean that the only deciding factor in giving a device a hostname must be the IP address?? Because I did not enter the PS4 MAC address for any static leases. The IP address gets a higher priority than the MAC address. Interesting.
The PS4 is set up manually to use 192.168.1.165. It says to the router "I want 192.168.1.165! Give it to me!". DD-WRT DHCP server checks the static leases and sees that 192.168.1.165 is given a hostname "PS5" and the MAC address for it is different than the PS4 but ignores the MAC address part of the static lease and says "You want 192.168.1.165? Here you can have it, you can also have the 'PS5' hostname because that's what it says on the lease". Very interesting.
You can even define a single static lease w/ *multiple* MAC addresses, so for example, some device that has both wired and wireless network adapters can be assigned the same IP, regardless which is active at any given time. But of course both network interfaces can't be active at the same time. Only problem is that the dd-wrt GUI doesn't presently support multiple MAC addresses, even though the underlying implementation of DNSMasq does. So to take advantage of that feature, you would need to define your static leases using the Additional DNSMasq Options field on the Services page.
