Is SmartLink working with the 8600?

Pat W5VY

I've replaced my F6700 with a new 8600. The 6700 is having a Spa Day treatment (new Fans, updates, SD Card, etc.) in Austin and should be still registered in SmartLink. I have been unable to register the 8600. When attempting to register the 8600 I see "The radio does not have an Internet connection, An Internet connection is required to configure SmartLink.

I've checked the Windows 11 Firewall and SmartSDR, SmartCAT and DAX are allowed apps for Public and Private. The 8600 connects to PGXL, TGXL, Maestro, PC Running SmartSDR, etc. I have added Port Forwarding for TCP Port 4993 and UDP Port 4994….with no change.

Is there an issue with SmartLink and the 8600? Hovering over the radio ICON on the SmartLink Registration window shows the Radio Serial #, FW 3.8.20, MAC and IP address and "Radio Internet: NONE!" I can connect to the 8600 via SmartSDR on Windows laptop and iOS iPad on the LAN. Sounds like something being blocked to the Internet. Cable based Internet…DOCIS 3.1 Modem with eero 6+ Router/AP Version 6.51.0.36687

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Pat, W5VY

KD0RC

Hi Pat, SmartLink works with the 8000 series radios. I think that the issue is the port number. I am away from my computer, so I can't look at what I have, but I think that you port forward ports 21000 and 22000 to 4992 and 4993 respectively. Check the documentation to be sure - my memory is pretty terrible...

Mike-VA3MW

If SmartLink is not working on your new radio, make sure you follow all the steps in Chapter 9 of the manual just to make sure you didn't miss anything.

Make sure the radio is getting the proper DHCP IP address and that uPNP is turned on on the Router. This is by far the most reliable way to configure a radio as a simple reboot of either device usually resolves all issues.

If you fully understand networking, portfowards, etc., then feel free to run manual setups. However, if they are somewhat foreign to you, the full automatic mode is the best.

Pat W5VY

Len, thanks for the reply. I just found the presence of second Private IP in the route and that appears to be at least one of the problems. Trace route results:

I'm going to call CableLynx support to inquire. I switched from a Cablelynx supplied Modem/Router (ARRIS TG862) to a Modem only (ARRIS TM3402) and installed the eero 6+ as the router about a month ago. I didn't have any the issues before with the Modem/Router….something has changed with the Modem only option. The eero 6+ WAN port is getting a 206.255.****.**** Public IP via DHCP. That is not in the CGNAT 100.**** range.

Thanks again….you got me headed in the right direction.

73,

Pat, W5VY

Mike-VA3MW

If your previous radio worked, the 8000 will work as nothing has changed within that regard.

If the 10.168.0.1 is the WAN side of your Router, than you are CGNAT'd by your ISP and SmartLink will not function. Which, is confusing if the FLEX-6700 worked as it should.

The critical data is to see the port forwards on the Router and to also know the IP address of the actual radio. That will tell the entire story.

Pat W5VY

Mike,

Thanks for your comments/suggestions. Been on the road being Santa the past few days.

The home internet connection has changed ….around the same time I switched out the 6700 for 8600. Our son gifted me a three pack of eero 6+ widgets he had purchased for a new home being built but later found all the home networking gear was included in the contract. We had been using an old Apple Airport that was struggling with all the devices in the house. For ten years or more, we had a integrated Modem/Router…ARRIS TG862, supplied by CableLynx. I tried putting it in bridge mode to use the eero 6+ as a the router but the TG862 wouldn't provide a Public IP on its LAN port. CableLynx replaced it with a Modem only and everything appeared to be working fine. I only noticed an issue when I attempted to set-up SmartLink on the 8600. I may have to go back to an integrated Modem/Router and put the eero 6+ in bridge mode and use them as Wifi devices.

I spent a couple of hours on the phone with different levels of support with CableLynx, our ISP. I never got to talk to anyone with network access to look in their network. Someone in the support chain suggested that the 10.168.0.1 interface might be associated the Cablelynx ARRIS TM3402 Modem (not Modem/Router). We have phone service so the modem has VoIP/SIP embedded so, perhaps the 10.168…… address could be involved with that. The ICMP/Trace Route times place the 10.168.0.1 widget at the same delay as their edge (first) router. They want to send a tech out to look at the config in the Modem. I can log into the modem but don't have access to the Advanced settings. I pulled all the info I could from Trace routes and the WAN connection in the eero 6+ router and put it in an email to CableLynx support. Checked just now and no record of the email on my ticket….but it's Monday…a few days from Christmas.

I was able to register the 8600 and set up Port Forwarding:

TCP External 54994 Internal 4994

UPD External 54993 Internal 4993

That's in Flex SmartLink set-up and the eero 6+ router. No change in behavior. Still fails the SmartLink network test.

My F8600, PGXL, TGXL and Maestro are all DHCP with reservations.

I have two ways to get a Internet connection separate from our home connection. I have a Netgear Nighthawk 4G-LTE Hotspot/Router with AT&T Wireless. I also have a Samsung Galaxy S24 with mobile hotspot with AT&T Wireless. From the Hotspot a traceroute shows the the Hotspot LAN gateway address then a 172.26…. and then a 172.16…. address….in the CGNAT range of 172. On the Phone hotspot, traceroute appears to be blocked but I'm pretty sure AT&T wireless is using CGNAT across the board these days. I'll try to take my laptop to a public WiFi hotspot and see what I can learn.

Will SmartLink / Azure be capable of using IPv6 anytime soon? The IPv4 address exhaustion issue will most likely get more acute with time with more CGNAT deployed. I'm really not familiar with IPv4/IPv6 inter-working so that may be a silly question.

I will inquire about cost/availability of a static IP for residential service.

73,

Pat, W5VY

Mike-VA3MW

Hi Pat

We tell customers with a Mesh such as a Eero, to run it in Bridge Mode (or AP Mode). I have a 5 node pack and it works wonderfully in that mode and I have 3 radios on that network. In Bridge mode, all DNS and DHCP functions are passed over to the main router. I gather from your email, this is what you observed already.

In order to work, all devices must be on the same subnet and all devices must be able to see Layer 2 UDP packet broadcasts. I mention that in case someone else is reading this.

I would open a support ticket and provide them with the IP addresses of the Router and the IP address of the Radio. This is must have information in order to understand what the topology.

This video might help explain it further:

https://youtu.be/rmkejJWIQpc?si=LPsDsogtDSqHdLp-

Conny

If you use SmartSDR for MAC. Then just using layer3 works fine. So about any Layer 3 VPN works fine.

If you use SmartSDR for Windows and need/want to use a VPN you need a Layer 2 transparent VPN.

i.e. it's not the radio itself that requires Layer 2, its the current SmartSDR windows software that requires Layer 2.

The only draw back is that you need to know the IP address of the device(s) like the radio, amp, tuner, ag

Again, this is only for MAC users.

Conny

In addition to SmartLink, there are 3 ways you can connect to the radio in the SmartSDR for MAC.

Discover = Using layer 2 broadcast from the radio.

Scan = Search the current subnet. This uses Layer 3. Dependent on the subnet size it could take awhile.

Fixed = Manually provide the IP address of the radio.

I successfully use TailScale with a fixed MTU of 1319 in SmartSDR for MAC.

Pat W5VY

Conny,

Thanks very much for the suggestions. I'll file them away for possible future use. I run SmartSDR for Windows 11 Desktop and the 8600 is in my Shack. I use a Windows notebook with SmartSDR or Apple iPad with SmartSDR to access the radio when I travel. I've pondered use of a VPN but don't want the added complexity. I've exhausted conversations with eero Support. I believe they are doing something with Mesh Routing that is blocking SmartLink. I've decided to install a "real" router and put the eero 6+ GW in Bridged/AP mode. I have verified there is no CGNAT/Double NAT from ISP. The "extra" Private IP in trace route is an interface on a router the ISP uses to split off VoIP packets. Broadband Internet packs are routed on to their edge router. No address modifications is going on. That scheme has been in place for 15 years and SmartLink worked fine until I deployed the eero 6+ GW.

Thanks,

Pat, W5VY