SmartSDR not starting everytime

Lee - N2LEE

George is correct. Most likely the cable modem should be the DHCP server not the wifi router.

Mark Erbaugh

I have exactly the same symptoms with my Flex 6300. My router / DHCP server is an Apple Time Machine. I sent Tim at Flex some Wireshark dumps of the network comms and he was unable to find a problem. None of the other devices on my network have ever had a problem getting an IP address. The problem has existed from my first SSDR version, 1.3.8 through 1.4.3.

Walt - KZ1F

I would say no. The router handles that function. You guys are just guessing at this huh???

Luke Reynolds

ok tried to boot the flex this morning...radio is showing 169.254.78.204 (wouldn't connect)...but below is what I reserved on the subnet for the flex......

Luke Reynolds

After the reboot this is the IP showing

David

More information about you network setup and connections would be helpful. If you could provide a diagram. The comment about making sure you only have on DHCP server is a good one. The reserved is not being handed off when you reboot. A couple thoughts the MAC isn't right for the Flex reserve configuration, there is another device on the network handing off DHCP (possibly your ISP router), or something else.  What happens if you disable the DHCP server on the Netgear? If your devices get assigned addresses there probably another device configured for DHCP.

KY6LA_Howard

My best guess is that you have the wrong MAC address. My 6700 starts with 50.56. I am not sure if the 6300 uses the same chipset but if so, then you should see similar numbers

David

My 6500 uses D0-39-72 which Texas Instruments. I am guessing your 6700 is 50-56-63 which is also TI. The one he has list 60-02-B4 is Wistron NeWeb Corp. so there is a good chance it is the wrong MAC.

http://standards-oui.ieee.org/oui.txt

Luke Reynolds

Has to be one of these 4 with no tag

David

You would have to check with Flex but those don't seem likely to be the Flex given the associated vendors.

If Lee's suggestion of using the command prompt to ping the Flex IP and then arp (shown below) didn't work for getting the MAC (physical Address) then try Wireshark.

C:>ping -n 1 192.168.1.152

Pinging 192.168.1.152 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.152: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.152:
    Packets: Sent = 1, Received = 1, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

C:>arp -a 192.168.1.152

Interface: 192.168.1.210 --- 0x27
  Internet Address      Physical Address      Type
  192.168.1.152         d0-39-72-66-00-26     dynamic

With the SmartSDR running and the PC connected to the radio you can put ip.addr==[FLEX IP] in the filter. Collect some packets then stop and select one of the packets in the details you will see the MAC in parentheses on the second line. In the example below the Flex IP  was the Src:

https://www.wireshark.org/download.html

Ethernet II, Src: TexasIns_66:00:26 (d0:39:72:66:00:26), Dst: Plugable_fa:5e:ea (8c:ae:4c:fa:5e:ea)

00-15-65 XIAMEN YEALINK NETWORK TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD
00-02-d1 Vivotek, Inc.
02-0f-b5 Not Listed
00-02-d1 Vivotek, Inc.

Luke Reynolds

KY6LA_Howard

Looks like 192.168.1.16 is the device
MAC Address - 02:0f:b5:8e:26:06

Suggest you reserve a high number for the device such as

192.168.1.116 so you do not get into conflicts in the future

Luke Reynolds

Thats the MAC of the wireless extender the flex is plugged directly into WN2500RP.....just reserved the ip to the mac....booting the flex now

David

Looks like the Flex MAC is d0:39:72:8e:26:06 but that isn't listed in your Netgear screen shots.

Are these  this basically you network connections? Have you logged into the Time Warner Modem and confirm that it is not setup for DHCP? If you want the Netgear to handle DHCP you need to have T-W DHCP disabled and manual configure the Netgear to use 192.168.1.1 (typically or what you want to assign) so it connects to the modem.

Time Warner modem<-wired->Netgear wireless router<-wireless?->Netgear extender<-wired->Flex

Luke Reynolds

I have never logged into the time warner router.....I am not sure I have access...but I can login to both the netgear main wireless router and the extender. God I wish I was better at networking!!

David

It seems that you may be fighting DHCP servers and the T-W modem is also a DHCP server. 

You can test this by turning off DHCP services on the Netgear. Restart the T-W modem and Netgear devices. If your devices get IP's and connect then the T-W modem would appear to have DHCP.

You can try this link for accessing the T-W modem. If you don't have success there try T-W support.

http://192.168.0.1 or http://192.168.1.1
User: admin
Password: admin

More information here:
http://forums.timewarnercable.com/t5/Connectivity/Arris-New-Modem-IP-login-TWC-fail/td-p/49397

KY6LA_Howard

Another Guess

Logon to your WIFI Extender.. and look for the MAC address in its attached devices table.

IIRC the Wifi Extender does not issue IP addresses if its in the Bridge Mode. but it translates the MAC Address..

Luke Reynolds

so the saga continues....I tried setting up a IP reservation for 1192.168.1.163  D0:39:72:8E:26:06....tried to reboot the flex and got a different IP (192.168.1.11). I checked the extender for attached devices and this is what I see.

Steve-N5AC

I've not read the thread in detail, yet, but I wanted to add a couple of things just for reference.  First, today the MAC OUI comes from the Ti DaVinci part in the radio so it will always have a TI OUI.  Link any big company, TI has a bunch of OUIs so you'll have to run them against the database.  We also have a FlexRadio Systems MAC address in the radio, but today it is not exposed.  It just didn't seem terribly important, but in the future we may turn it on.  In this case all of the FLEX-6000 radios will have a MAC address that begins with 00-1C-2D.  I'd have to go check, but I believe the FLEX-6000s are currently in block 02-00-00.

Second, I have not done a DHCP renewal on the radio with a new IP address to know how it would tolerate this and it is possible that this is what is going on.  Typically, when a client's lease expires and it requests a renewal it will get the same IP address.  This idea is pure conjecture and I've not had a chance to test it.

David

Looks like you have identified the source of confusing MAC. As Howard suggested the WiFi extender is passing a Virtual MAC which what your Netgear router is using in its tables. Looking at the N600 WiFi Range Extender Model WN2500RPv2 User Manual p.80 shows how to handle MAC filtering for WiFi. Try using 02:0f:b4:8e:26:06 for the Flex reserved MAC. (not sure if you did this already).

Is it possible for you to connect the Flex to the Netgear router directly removing the hop and the virtual MAC issue of wireless extender? Even if it is just for testing. If that resolves thing then you can decide how to proceed. Live with the reboots, run an ethernet cable to office, run the antenna to router and move the Flex, or something else.

Opening a Helpdesk support ticket with Flex is a good idea. When you get a solution please share it here.

http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WN2500RPV2/WN2500RPv2_UM_28May2014.pdf

Tim - W4TME

Luke - this is not a simple issue to diagnose, but I have read this entire thread and I believe the issue is related to network timing issue.  DHCP (whether or not you use a reserved address or not) is a timing specific protocol and if the router does not answer in the proper amount of time, then the radio will fallback to the 169.254.x.x IP address (called link-local).

I suspect that hen the radio boots the first time, something in the network link between the router and the radio is not initially passing all of the DHCP broadcast traffic and either the DHCP discover or the DHCP Offer messages are not making it through.  Once radio boots once the network link is working properly, then on the subsequent reboot of the radio, DHCP works properly.

I did not see a network diagram of you network, so I can't say where to start looking for the culprit.  
If you do not find a remedy on the Community,  I recommend you submit a support ticket via our HelpDesk (https://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us) so one of our Support Engineers can assign you a case number and investigate the issue.

Opening a HelpDesk support ticket will ensure our highest level of customer service we can provide.  For details on how to submit a HelpDesk support ticket, please refer to the following URL: http://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/202118688-How-to-Submit-a-Request-for-Technical-Supp...

Once the support ticket is submitted, a support engineer will be in contact so we can work on the issue.  

Joe WD5Y

I just found this thread and am having the same issue. Also, have the same extender, wn2500rp and ac1900 router. Is there a remedy that anyone knows on this? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks and 73's Joe WD5Y

Mike KD2CJJ

My bet its a flaky switch in between his DHCP server and the end point (the flex)...  

Remove all devices between your DHCP / Router and the flex and retest.

There was a discussion on this a few months ago - and this was the issue for him (and me).

Joe WD5Y

I have the router and wireless extender both are net gear - router r7000 and extender wn2500rp. The SmartSDR pc and flex 6500 are plugged into the wireless extender. Everthing on the system connects properly - wired and wireless (around 8 devices) but the flex 6500 does not get the IP address on startup at times, just as the problem stated in above comments. Only the flex does this, very confusing? 73's Joe WD5Y

Jim Gilliam

When it does obtain an I/P address try reserving this address in the reservation table and see if it will connect every time after that. Most DHCP reservations require only that you enter the MAC address of the unit.

Jim, K6E

Joe WD5Y

Thanks Jim, I just looked at the net gear support and will give it a try.

Mike KD2CJJ

Doesnt matter how many devices are working... Just use good troubleshooting technique.  When you have more than one failure point, if possible remove them from the equation.  

We fixed another guys DHCP issues a few months ago...

Please read:
https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/dns-iaxwdubqkqtwx

Joe WD5Y

Thanks, I wish it was a switch problem as noted in the article. I don't have a switch on the setup. The smartsdr pc and flex 6500 are plugged straight into the wn2500rp wireless extender. I used this because I can not get a straight connection to the router so purchased the wireless extender with wired connections on it. The pc has no issues getting ip addresses. I know it has something to do with dhcp assignments from the router, I also checked and can not adjust ip lease times on the router, would try that if I could. Thanks, Joe WD5Y

Mike KD2CJJ

An extender is a switch (in the most simplest explanation)!

Networking is a complex beast that has been over simplified by it working 99.99% of the time.  Without getting into it, DHCP is NOT the most reliable protocol thus it does not take much for it not to work properly.

Take the flex and DIRECTLY plug it into the router that issues the DHCP assignment.

Its a 10 minute process to rule in or out any other devices - e.g. your extender.

The beauty of the flex design is that your flex need not be in the same room next to your PC.

Joe WD5Y

I understand that the extender is a switch. I just thought this had been addressed with a change in the dhcp configuration in the router, which transfers through the extender/switch or it's supposed to. My equipment is the exact same as posted in this thread, netgear model #'s etc. For some reason the flex is the only device with this issue, I am not saying it is the culprit, just hoping someone had the answer. I just did not want to go the route of replacing existing gear as it does get expensive. Anyway, just drop it and I will look elsewhere for answers. Thanks and 73's Joe WD5Y