How to stop B2 changing IP address

[Dick Cooper]

I have a problem with my B2 changing its IP address, sometimes when it comes out of standby and occasionally does it while playing music. Obviously it's a real pain having to go over to look at the B2 to find out what its real IP address is (my BT homehub doesn't always know). I've tried setting the Always use this address on my Hub but it has no effect, although the B2 seems to use 192.168.1.221, 219 or 116 most of the time. Can anyone tell me what causes the B2 to look for a new address?

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

This is not under the control of your B2, rather it is under the control of your house's WiFi router.

When a device (such as your B2, phone or PC) is turned on and WiFi is also "on", it looks for nearby WiFi routers, each of which broadcasts it presence as a "SSID". 

If the device has been (or is being) set up to recognise a SSID, it then "talks" back to that SSID saying "I am here, this is your WiFI password (which you have typed in before and it remembers), please give me an IP number to use.

If the SSID router recognises the password, IT assigns an IP number to the device using a process called DHCP.

Once this process is complete the device is connected to the internet by that router using that IP number.  However each time the process happens the IP number assigned by DHCP can vary in the last 3 digits. This it is not the B2's control what IP number is is using.

Normally this would not matter, BUT because you are wanting to talk to the Brennan Unit (to access its web UI), you need to know what IP number it has currently been assigned. - this is displayed on the front panel after boot up.

There are 2 ways to overcome this issue.

There are Brennan Apps (for phone/tablets) that look across all the devices on your SSID router and "discover" the B2 and access it for you on whatever the current IP number for the B2 is.

or (and this is a better solution)

It is possible to access your WiFi routers management software (a set of web pages) and tell it to reserve an IP number for your B2 and then always assign this IP number to your B2.

Fred

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

This may help

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Now regarding this issue 

"and occasionally does it while playing music."

is a separate problem and indicates that at the location of your B2 your WiFi signal is so unstable that connection is being lost and has to be re-established. This NEEDS to be addresses as it will be adversely affecting the performance of your B2. The steps for addressing this are

1) move your B2 to a new location closer to the router where the WiFi signal may be stronger.

2) connect your B2 to your router via an Ethernet cable (removing the WiFi dongle) - this is the best option

3) place the B2's WiFi dongle on a USB extension lead out of USB port A of your B2

4) replace the B2's WiFi dongle with a version that has an external antenna.

Fred

On Friday, 12 March 2021 at 11:32:09 UTC Dick Cooper wrote:

[Dick Cooper]

As I said in my post, I set the Always use this address tag to ON but the router doesn't comply. Any thoughts?

On Friday, 12 March 2021 at 12:01:37 UTC fred.w....@gmail.com wrote:

[Graham Smout]

Well, could be a dodgy router 

You could ask your ISP to provide a new router? Or you could obtain a like for like replacement yourself via a well known on line aution site ! Just a thought

Good luck

[Dick Cooper]

OK, Options (1) and (2) aren't feasible as the B2 is about 20metres and a cavity wall away from the router, which is adjacent to where the BT line comes into the house, while the B2 is sitting on the hifi that I play it through. The B2 is picking up its signal from a BT WiFi extender a few feet away so I wonder if there's a problem with the Homehub and extender dropping the connection - I wonder if anyone has a similar convoluted mess?

The B2 was showing the signal strength as -49dBm which I thought should be OK, but to be on the safe side I've gone for option (4) and replaced the Brennan dongle with a dongle with an external aerial and I'm getting -45dBm and I'll report back in due course if that solves the problem or not. I'll try the externsion lead trick if you think -45dBm isn't strong enough.

[Graham Smout]

Hi - People assume a Wi fi extender will boost a dodgy or weak wifi signal,  but it won't. Any wifi  extender must be in a postotion where it can pick up a good siganl and then retransmit it in good qaulity .

Try this : Move the wifi extender to a point nearer the router, ideally in line of sight of both the B2 and the router.

Or

Get a newer, improved extender . They can and do pack up after a few years use, especially if they are straining to pick up a dodgy signal .

Or

connect the extender to the Router via an ethernet cable so it doesn't  have to work so hard to find a weak wifi signal and place it in line of sight of the B2

Good Luck

Graham

[Dick Cooper]

Presumably the change of address while playing is due to the B2 detecting that it has lost its connection and asking the router for a new one. How the the B2 know it's lost a connection? Does it remember it should be connected and check from time to time, or is it continuously monitoring the wifi signal and asking for a new connection when it drops below a certain level?

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

You need to link the IP address to the "MAC" address for the WiFi dongle plugged into your B2. 

You could also ask BT for help in getting your router to do what you want.

or

if all else fails purchase a cheep Tplink WiFi router and plug this into the Bt one using an Ethernet cable. Then get your B2 to make a wireless connection to the Tplink one.

If you look on the forum, Paul (from Brennan) has some recommendations as to a suitable "piggy back" router.

Fred

[Graham Smout]

If the above doesn't work invest (FROM  about £80 on Amazon) in a BT WiFi Mesh disc system to give you decent Wifi all over the house. Plug one disc into the router and then place the others at convenient locations round the house, ideally where there is always a good siganl to EXTEND the range of the Wifi signal

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Your signal strength may OK BUT somehow the connection intermittently is being lost entirely,  (to get a new IP assigned the connection MUST have been lost). 

fred

On Friday, 12 March 2021 at 15:15:04 UTC Dick Cooper wrote:

[Graham Smout]

Personally I wouldn't recommend investing in cheap routers or Wifi devices unelss you are prepared to put up with continous Wi fi drop outs. There's a reason that we get offered free Wi Fi routers included in cheap internet deals. It's because  the routers are cheap and often unrelaible. If you feel it is worth it  for the lack of annoyance ,  spend a little more on a quality product.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

True 

I always use my own router for WiFi.

Fred

[Dick Cooper]

Graham,

Without the router the B2 gets a signal strength of -59 to -65dBm, so the extender is doing something. Line of sight won't work because there's a cavity wall in between the router and the B2, and I can't stretch an ethernet connection between them. The extender is 3 metres from the B2 (determined by presence of power sockets) line of sight and 15 metres from the router through a wall, but I've tried it nearer the router but the B2 dongle seems to be the weaker link. I have my Cocktail X10 running off a different extender in a different room (with an ISDN link - the X10 has an ISDN socket) and switching the two extenders makes no difference to either player. I think the extender is fundamentally working as intended but I wondered if anyone is actually using a B2 connected to an extender and what their actual experience was - what distances are involved in your extender setup?

[Dick Cooper]

Fred, Re your link to 'Fixed IP Address' help (which I've read before bu it doesn't seem to relate to my BT router)

1. I have the MAC address from the B2 (it's what the BT Homehub thinks it should be)

2. I log onto the router and don't see an Internet / LAN to click on - I see Status/Wireless/MyDevice/.../Advanced Settings

3. None of those offers something called DHCP Lease but I can find an address table in My Devices

4. When I find the B2 in the address table its MAC address is correct but NOT changeable. The IP is changeable (but correct) and the Always use this address is set ON

5. HAHAHAHAHAHA - not much use if you get a different address every few days.

If 'Always use this address' is ON and the MAC address is correct, can you think what other setting I need to change?

[Dick Cooper]

Fred,

p.s. Couldn't get TPLink (great, my TV is ISDN connected to one) didn't work in the room where the B2 is, I think because it's a different mains circuit.

Sorry

On Friday, 12 March 2021 at 15:24:54 UTC fred.w....@gmail.com wrote:

[Dick Cooper]

Fred - "my own router" - you built yourself a router? Impressive, I get palpitations changing a wifi dongle.

:-)

p.s. Everyone please stop suggesting I buy new stuff. I just want the old stuff to work properly. I always knew this new-fangled electricity idea would lead to headaches. I'm going for a lie down now so any further help today (much appreciated by the way) won't get an immediate response.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi Dick

While I actually have built my own WiFi router using a Pi Zero, what I meant above by "my own router" was a commercial product  (actually i use a NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX200 ) that I had purchased rather than the one supplied by the ISP service provider.

I hope your lie down was restorative :)

This site (which no longer seems to be added to now) is always restorative.

Fred 

[Graham Smout]

Dick.

When you wake up, hopefully restored, try a few more things,  but first do you actually mean your devices are  ISDN connected, or do you mean Ethernet Cable Connected? Two very different things! I'd be very surpised if you are connecting devices via ISDN.

ISDN stands for Integrated Services Digital Network. It's a set of communication standards that uses digital transmission to make phone calls, video calls, transmit data and other network services over the circuits of the traditional phone lines.  PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).

 It was offered only to a limited number of business clients to give them decent fixed point to point data connection speeds prior to ADSL Broadband Connections being popular,  but typically broadcasters such as the BBC  used it for interconnecting studios and theatres via telephone circuts and was an always on leased service. As it was very costly only the likes of the BBC could afford it!  It's now being withdrawn due to fibre lines taking being faster and giving greater bandwidth. Wihtin the studio you'd use an ethernet network to connect devices .

1. Regardless of the line of sight issue, I'd experiment with  locating the wifi extender closer to the router, somewhere where there is stronger router signal and see if you get better  Wi-fi pentration of your cavity wall with the extender.  

2. What's to stop you running an ethernet cable from your router to the extender nearest the B2 , assuming it too has an ethernet port, or even direct to  the B2 itself? Ethernet cabling is simple to install  and can be any length up to 100m without signal degradation. Various lengths are cheaply available and it can be neatly tucked away  hidden under  carpets etc. This is what I have done to cheaply extend my netword and no-one even notices the cable neatly clipped along the skirting. 

3. It's often claimed that the Brennan supplied Wifi dongle is a cheap and not very good peice of kit. But I am not sure this is true. When I first set my B2 up it was in a different room and separated by a 2 foot solid stone wall from the router and a distance of roughly 25 ft. (including the 2 ft thick solid stone wall) . The Wifi Strength was about 45db and it worked without a hitch. However I live in a remote  location and there are no neighbours and therefore no stray wiFi signals from nearby properties interferring with the WiFi in my house. What I am suggesting is that you investigate using a less congested WiFi channel. A good router will allow you to choose an alternative channel and doing so will often clear up wifi connectivity issues especially if the signal strength is poor. Try looking through this article for guidance . https://www.hellotech.com/guide/for/how-to-change-wifi-channel-on-router

best of luck and hopefully no3 will solve your problem at no cost!

[Steve Woolaway]

With reference to the comment about BT Wi-fi Mesh Disc system, I have had that for more than 18 months. Just router and 2 extra discs covering whole house. I haven’t made any attempt to get the router to define a static IP address. I have not had one single IP address change in that whole time. Totally reliable Wi-fi. Web UI never loses connection even when the B2 has been on standby for days. I touch one button on the nearest one of my 6 SONOS speakers and the whole house has music that carries on where it left off. Fantastic!

[Mark Fishman]

Reading around bthe Internet, apparently there's a known issue withthe HH6 and DHCP -- it's flakier than a good pie crust. Some of the units have firmware that assigns the same IP address to multiple devices, others don't honor the "always use..." tick box, and so onb. Call BT. Tell them you want an updated router. Stop beating your head against the wall.

If the router doesn't know what IP address it has assigned to a device, there's something seriously wrong.

[Dick Cooper]

Graham

Yes, my brain knew the difference between ISDN and ethernet but my fingers are suffering from a dodgy connection, and you're right about it being an ethernet connection.

Looking at your suggestions I chose the least-work option

1. I have moved the extender nearer the router (now just one wall and one floor away) and the B2 shows a signal strength of -59dBm down from -45dBm but the extender thinks the signal is better.

2. I really can't cable directly from the router. The router is located where the BT cable comes into the house, as demanded by BT. It is upstairs and we have a loose-laid T&G wooden floor that I really can't take up. The B2 and the extender are downstairs in an extension with a flat roof. I could choose to run an ethernet cable up into and through the loft space, across the house and either through the outside wall, down the side of the house and in through the wall of the extension, or maybe try to thread it down though the cavity wall, but I choose not to.

Meanwhile, after I wrote the above, I checked the B2 which had gone into standby and when it woke up it has acquired a different IP address. I will go back the existing thread elsewhere to try to ask about this. 

3. So I will look at changing channels. I am in a rural area with ony 2 neighbours and I can only see my network and another that shows up as 'Hidden Network'. What you say about the B2 dongle seems right - the after-market dongle with an external aerial broke when I disconnected it so I'm back to the Brennan dongle.

I will look at BT's Mesh solution next time my contract is up, but my experience of BT's preference to try to sell me an upgrade rather than fix their own problems (two problems in 7 years - rusty connector outside my house, broken wire at the pole) does not fill me with any confidence about getting a new router (mine is labelled SmartHub 2 - how misleading).

After I've had a nice cup of tea and a sit down (thanks for the lin) I'll consider trying again to run my TV off an extender - then I could repurpose the TPLink to connect to the Brennan - this only means running an ethernet cable through one external wall (because of my two-circuits problem). I recall seeing instructions somewhere in the forum for dismantling the B2 to get at the ethernet connection (great piece of Broken-As-Designed not to have a connector on the back - or the front- or the side).

Thanks to everyone for their ideas. One final thought. I am probably going to have to get a new smartphone so I can get a Covid passport, whenever that happens. At that point I will be able to stream music from a new phone to the bluetooth receiver attached to my hi-fi (I can do this with my current phone but its player is rubbish) and then I can use the B2 as a doorstop. Job done.

Have a good weekend everyone and stay safe.

[jeff...@googlemail.com]

Running my ethernet through power line adapters. Works fine!

[Mark Fishman]

On Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 6:32:29 AM UTC-5 Dick Cooper wrote:

2. I really can't cable directly from the router. The router is located where the BT cable comes into the house, as demanded by BT. It is upstairs and we have a loose-laid T&G wooden floor that I really can't take up. The B2 and the extender are downstairs in an extension with a flat roof. I could choose to run an ethernet cable up into and through the loft space, across the house and either through the outside wall, down the side of the house and in through the wall of the extension, or maybe try to thread it down though the cavity wall, but I choose not to.

Meanwhile, after I wrote the above, I checked the B2 which had gone into standby and when it woke up it has acquired a different IP address.

Are you willing to move the B2 temporarily to the same location as the router to see if a direct cable connection would even address the changing-IP problem? Apparently you don't have to be using it, just let it go into standby and then wake it up again. At least that would tell you something.

 

the after-market dongle with an external aerial broke when I disconnected it so I'm back to the Brennan dongle.

You can fit a short (~1ft, a.k.a. 30cm) USB extender lead to the dongle just to get it away from the metal case -- often that works well.

 

I will look at BT's Mesh solution next time my contract is up, but my experience of BT's preference to try to sell me an upgrade rather than fix their own problems (two problems in 7 years - rusty connector outside my house, broken wire at the pole) does not fill me with any confidence about getting a new router (mine is labelled SmartHub 2 - how misleading).

Are there any other Internet Service Providers (other than BT) that you can talk with? The not-very-Smart Hub is just a renaming of BT's Home Hub, which as I wrote elsewhere has known problems. If possible, perhaps considering changing vendors would at least change your frustration.

 

I recall seeing instructions somewhere in the forum for dismantling the B2 to get at the ethernet connection (great piece of Broken-As-Designed not to have a connector on the back - or the front- or the side).

The internal location of the ethernet jack is a consequence of using the Raspberry Pi computer board, and of the size of the B2. There's not really room on the back panel for adding an ethernet jack -- if you'd open the case you'd see that the unused parts are blocked by electronics boards. And if you put a jack on the side of the B2 you'd never be able to open the case for repairs. So your choice is really between "hiding" something that few people want to use or using a significantly bigger box.

 

Thanks to everyone for their ideas. One final thought. I am probably going to have to get a new smartphone so I can get a Covid passport,

No passport without a smartphone? Millions of people have dumb phones -- talk about Broken-As-Designed...

 

Have a good weekend everyone and stay safe.

You too.

[RichM]

I have had problems with poor wifi signal through my 1960s house with solid internal walls. I've tried boosters and powerline adapters with limited success, but since I bought a TP-Link Deco mesh system (other makes are available - Which? Best Buy is Linksys for about £200) they are a thing of the past. I got mine for about £100 18 months back and it is one of the best £100s I have spent - phones, tablets, TV, B2 all work so much better. It doesn't replace your existing router (BT SmartHub in my case) but plugs into it.

RichM

[Graham Smout]

Hi Dick

you said " I will look at BT's Mesh solution next time my contract is up, but my experience of BT's preference to try to sell me an upgrade rather than fix their own problems (two problems in 7 years - rusty connector outside my house, broken wire at the pole) does not fill me with any confidence about getting a new router (mine is labelled SmartHub 2 - how misleading)."

Is the cavity wall  you mentioned and external or an internal wall ?

Here are a few more suggestions: 

1. Ask your ISP (BT) to replace your router with a new one. Just tell them it has stopped working properly and keeps dishing out random IP addresses and disconnecting WiFI. They probably won't argue and will send  you a new one to try for the price of the postage. If they refuse say you will not be renewing your contract.

2. The BT disc based mesh system will work with any ISP -  you do not have to be a  BT customer to use the mesh system. It's probaly cheaper in the long run to buy a disc  mesh sysyem yourself  than to add it to the cost of a line rental deal over the length of a contract. So just consider buying one then as others have agreed, all your worries will be over.

3. My experiecne with all Wifi extenders and ethernet over mains adaptors and Wifi Access Points is that most of the kit on sale will  only have a working life of about 3 years then they start to go wrong. After 4 years they are mostly junk. They literally wear out as the components used are of a very low quality.There are a few exceptions to this but as a rule they cost a lot more. Sad but true! No doubt others will disagree with this statement, but I have had a lot of frustrating experiences with cleints who have  these devices and I would not recommend them now.

Good luck

Graham

[crap...@gmail.com]

Another point of view (if I may).

Sometime in the last 3 months, my B2 has changed one of its processes.

Whenever it finishes compressing, it changes its IP address.

This is definitely something the B2 is doing and nothing to do with my Wi-Fi at home.

Whether it is just changing the IP address or this is happening because it re-starts after compression, I have no idea.

What I do know is that this happens every time.

After a compression, the next time I try to connect using the user interface, my device has to search for the Brennan again, as it is no longer at the address where it was last time.

Food for thought and maybe connected?

DG

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

The process of WiFi connection and obtaining an IP address is part of the Linux operating system an not part of what Brennan has added.

If your IP number has changed, the connection between your B2 and your WiFi router has been interrupted and then automatically re-established by Linux.

Fred

[Daniel Taylor]

I think DG is suggesting a possibility of why the WiFi link has been lost in the first place.  Whatever the B2 software does right after compression could be causing the connection to drop.  Once it's dropped, Linux does what it can, but at that point the fault has already occurred.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hmm!

It seems to me that if there was an issue with the activity/code for compression causing WiFi disconnection we would all be experiencing this issue.

It is my understanding that the "activity" of establishing and maintaining a WiFi/internet connection is a base level Operating system function and would therefore have a higher priority than a user compression/file read/write activity. If this is the and the WiFi is lost during a protracted compression run, I believe the WiFi would be automatically re-established without significant interrupt of the compression.  You would only see the IP number change when the compression ended or was interrupted.

In DGs case, there is either an Pi operating system corruption (ruled out by the new SD card) or hardware problem with the WiFi dongle (ruled out by the fact that this still happened using a different dongle - the one with the ariel)  or the WiFi issues are originating in the "home environment" WiFi router provision/system (likely as, as described DG's setup is very complex).

If I were firefighting this issue, that is where I would be concentrating my efforts.

Fred

[Daniel Taylor]

Fred, I agree that what you say should be true.  I've seen ample evidence that the Brennan/R.Pi combination does not handle multi-tasking well.  If I were responsible for the software, I'd want to set a break point right before the compression task exits and trace it along to try and see why the connection is dropping.  Weird things like that happen all the time.  Sometimes although the problem isn't in software, the software can work around it.

You do make a good point that if the problem was common to the B2 then we'd all see it.  I'm just too lazy to test it out. ;o)

[Daniel Taylor]

I'm sorry that I seem to have derailed the thread into theory.  I should let things get back to fixing the problem at hand.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

OK Daniel,

As I said I think the root cause of this is with the house WiFi rather than the B2.

Fred

[Dick Cooper]

As I may have mentioned, I moved the BT Extender to be closer to the router (it's showing a green light fwiw) and the B2 still has the same IP address as it did on Sunday. I'm waiting to see what happens when the router restarts (I could do that manually, but why poke a sleeping rhino). I agree it's probably the wifi not the B2 causing the snafu.

Re BAD design - the B7 had a USB on the front (which seemed more sensible to me, but I'm no hardware designer) and I wish the B2 did too, but here we all are. Thanks all.

[Dick Cooper]

Problems with flaky addressing continue. I agree as has been suggested that it's likely the BT router that's causing the problems, but the symptoms seem to occur most often when the B2 comes out of standby. Is that plausible  - does the B2 forget or disconnect its connection when going into standby?

[Mark Fishman]

On Monday, March 29, 2021 at 9:22:15 AM UTC-4 Dick Cooper wrote:

Problems with flaky addressing continue. I agree as has been suggested that it's likely the BT router that's causing the problems, but the symptoms seem to occur most often when the B2 comes out of standby. Is that plausible  - does the B2 forget or disconnect its connection when going into standby?

It might; more likely is that the B2 merely stops communicating so the router decides it isn't there anymore and doesn't renew the DHCP "lease" when it expires -- but with most routers it is possible to ensure that a device gets the same IP address assigned every time it tries to connect again. Apparently yours does not honor that setting.

[Dick Cooper]

Yes, mine does not honour that setting, although "Always use this IP address" is set to Yes. So here's the tricky part - I'll try to stop the B2 going into standby. There's a thread " How to prevent b2 from going into standby mode " so I'll ask over there.

Thanks

[Brian R]

Hi Dick

Are you sure you saved changes when you set your Smart hub 2 to Always use this address for the Brennan? I seem to remember that I had to go into a second screen to save changes and that it was not that obvious. My Smart Hub 2 behaves faultlessly since I did it. I also relabelled the multitude of devices that we all seem to have nowadays at the same time.

Brian

[Daniel Taylor]

I've been (re)reading Dick's various threads about his WiFi problems.  If I was in that situation, I'd consider doing the following:

Get a new router of a dependable brand (not BT), and put it in the same room in close proximity with the B2.  Then I'd connect it to the existing router via however long an ethernet cable was needed to do the job, drilling holes as needed through floors or walls.  If that idea has an inherent problem that I'm not aware of, someone please let us know.

[Graham Smout]

Graham Smout

18:12 (0 minutes ago)

to Daniel

Hi Dan,  various people have suggested that a good move would be to ditch his BT router completely. Why keep on trying to make something work that is broken?  I'd recommend  a decent generic router, such as a Netgear or Asus and add a whole house Mesh wi fi system such as the BT system which is remarkably good.Eg this here. 

[Daniel Taylor]

Thanks, Graham.  That sounds good.  I have no experience with mesh systems.  I was thinking about how his B2 is at least one wall and one floor  away from his router.  I guess my idea is a primative version of a more modern mesh system.

[Dick Cooper]

Yes, thanks everyone, if I wanted to spend more money on more stuff I'd definitely consider getting a new router or a very long ethernet cable and a hammer drill and a new floor or maybe I'd move house to somewhere with a more convenient entry point for the BT cable so I could put the B2 next to the router. As I may have mentioned, the simplest solution would be to buy a decent phone and blutooth the music direct to the hifi, then I could use the B2 as a doorstop - my shed door keeps blowing shut when I'm there, very annoying. For now, then, I'll just keep walking over to the B2 to find out what address it's been given by my incompetent router. Over and out.

[Mark Fishman]

(a) "buy[ing] a decent phone" means spending more money

(b) if you won't be helped then there's no point in trying, so we'll leave you alone until we get a magic wand and can make all your problems go "poof!" without any changes on your part.

Seems like there's a lot of testiness around these days, and it's contagious...

[Dick Cooper]

(a) Yes, but at least I won't have to keep trying to solve B2 problems
(b) Well, I'd be happy to be helped if someone could suggest how to make the kit I've got work rather than telling me the kit I've got isn't very good - which I know already
Easily irritated. That's me. It's tempting to reply with more sarcasm, but this is not the place (that's what Twitter is for). Have a pleasant afternoon - I'm off to find out my router's been up to.

[Mark Fishman]

re: making the kit you've got work

  BT's Smart Hub is BROKEN in its firmware. That info is ALL OVER the bt-community forums. It cannot be made to work because it is BROKEN. So let's get past that and move along to a workaround, which is to give your Brennan a STATIC (not dynamically assigned AT ALL) IP address.

That has to be configured INSIDE the B2, in the operating system networking configuration. The only piece of information you need from the router is what range ("pool") of IP addresses it uses for DHCP addresses, because we need to tell the B2 to use an address OUTSIDE that range. My router currently uses the whole available address range, but I can change it because it's not a broken piece of ****. If yours does, too, then if you can't change it just pick an address to use from the higher part of the range to reduce the likelihood that there'll be an assignment collision.

Maybe PMB will jump in to tell you what you have to do to set a static IP address in the B2, and if he does, try it his way. Otherwise, the safest way to try this is to make a duplicate of your B2's existing SD card so you can get back in if this mucks things up.

Using the duplicate card, then, SSH into your B2 at whatever address it has for the moment. cd to /etc/network. Edit the interfaces file -- my B2 appears to have only vi for a text editor, but all the important commands fit on a coffee cup, so finding a short cheatsheet shouoldn't be hard.

Currently my copy of the file has this section for wirless connections:

# Configure wireless lan

iface wlan0 inet dhcp

        udhcpc_opts -t 5 -T 5 >/dev/null 2>&1

        post-up /etc/init.d/S49ntp restart >/dev/null 2>&1

You probably want to change it to

# Configure wireless lan

iface wlan0 inet static

        address [the address you have selected to use goes here, no brackets]

        netmask 255.255.255.0 [NB this is probably correct -- do not include this stuff in brackets]
        gateway [probably the LAN address of your router, seen from inside your network, again no brackets]

        dns-nameservers [put at least one nameserver IP address here, again no brackets -- you can get it from your existing config or the router]

        post-up /etc/init.d/S49ntp restart >/dev/null 2>&1

Save the file and reboot. If your B2 doesn't get the address you have chosen, or can't be reached on the network, shut it down and swap the original card back in. Which is why it's always best to work with a copy.

[PMB]

Hi Dick,

I know this suggestion involves spending money but may give you a solution - 

Buy a TP Link TL-WR702N (circa £20) or similar and connect it to the BT router using an Ethernet cable. Then connect the B2 to the TP-Link's WiFi.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Dick Cooper]

Paul, I'll have a look at that TPLink but I wonder if the signal will be strong enough - the BT router's isn't and needs an extender - any thoughts on that before I decide? It certainly sounds simpler than updating the SD card.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi Dick,

Just a thought, but does the "extender" you are using have an ethernet port on it. If it does the TPLink could plug in there rather than at the main router. That may be closer to your B2.

Fred

[Dick Cooper]

Mark, I'll have a look to see what spare (micro I presume) SD cards I've got - the tetchy, sorry techy, page of the website says 8G should be enough and I think I've got some spare 16Gs somewhere maybe in an old phone. Two questions, (1) what is dns-nameserver? my router gives me a Primary DNS and Secondary DNS but nothing about "nameservers" and for "gateway" it reports a "Default Gateway" - is that the same thing? (2) the address pool is from 64-256 - do you know if I can use addresses below 64 in the B2 or will I need to make a pool that's smaller and disconnect anything that's outside the new pool? Thanks for the tech. (but whyever we can't address the code across the network or at least take out the SD card from a slot without dismantling beggars belief - the B2 didn't need to be so small that it can't support an ethernet and SD card slot - broken as designed).

[Dick Cooper]

Fred, Yes it has an ethernet port on it so that's a possibility. Waiting to find out from seller whether the TP Link on ebay has a power supply before going ahead. Thanks

[Mark Fishman]

Elsewhere on this forum, in another thread, Peter Lowham has pointed out that the BT Smart Hub used in *his* home network does honor the "Always assign ..." setting, so there's a question about the firmware version in the Hubs that don't seem to honor that setting. His Smart Hub is from late 2019; is yours older? And if you can find the revision # of the router firmware maybe that will help with additional diagnosis.

Meanwhile, your questions:

 - DNS stands for "Domain Name System" -- the computer servers that respond with an IP address when a name is queried are called nameservers. Since you can't look up the nameservers by name until you know where to send the requests, the primary DNS and secondary DNS (only used if the primary fails to respond in a specific time) are specified as IP addresses. Those are the nameservers used by your home network. In the particular file I mentioned, apparently the label used to identify them is "dns-nameserver".
 - Your B2 is on the LAN [Local Area Network] side of your router. The B2 sends network traffic to the router, which also knows about the other devices on your LAN, your home network. So the gateway address that the B2 and other computers inside your home network use is the inside-your-home address of the router. The router itself also sits on a WAN [Wide Area Network], i.e., your ISP's network. It has an IP address on that network, and it sends its traffic to a router somewhere outside your home. So the router itself has a default gateway on the WAN. That is probably what your router is telling you. For example, the router I have says its Gateway is 216.15.114.1, which is reported on the WAN tab of the router web pages, but my Windows computer tells me (ipconfig /all) that its Default Gateway is 192.168.0.1, which is the LAN address of my router.

 - According to what I've read on the web, you should have no trouble using addresses between 2-63.

I've been thinking about how one might access the Raspberry Pi computer insidethe B2 if it's not on a network. I'll have to test this, but it seems to me that if one connects a TV or monitor to the HDMI port, and a keyboard to one of the USB jacks, before powering up, the underlying Linux OS in the Pi should find them and just give you an old-fashioned text console. As long as you've saved a backup copy of the /etc/network/interfaces file under another name, you could put it back even without being able to get on the network. I need to test that.

[Dick Cooper]

OK, thanks for that. I'm not going to connect a TV (too heavy) and keyboard (I don't have one) to the B2 so don't try that on my account - but if you're just curious, don't let me stop you. I'll just have to take the SD card out.

[Mark Fishman]

Dick,

I've made the changes to /etc/network/interfaces on my B2, and I've uncovered one additional change you probably want to make. First the good news. Here's my "new" /etc/network/interfaces file (with the original lines commented out by inserting # and a space at the beginning of the lines, instead of just deleting them):

# Configure Loopback

auto lo

iface lo inet loopback

# Configure ethernet

iface eth0 inet dhcp

        post-up /etc/init.d/S49ntp restart >/dev/null 2>&1

# Configure wireless lan

# iface wlan0 inet dhcp

#       udhcpc_opts -t 5 -T 5 >/dev/null 2>&1

iface wlan0 inet static

        address 192.168.0.105

        netmask 255.255.255.0

        gateway 192.168.0.1

        dns-nameserver 208.59.247.45

        post-up /etc/init.d/S49ntp restart >/dev/null 2>&1

I left everything in the file that was there before, commenting out only the two lines referring to dhcp for wlan0. I put in the lines I described to you earlier (USING MY NETWORK'S INFO!), saved the file, and rebooted.

Hey! I now have a new IP address, and it's the one I specified! and my router shows it in the client list.

Now the bad news: my internet radio function could not look up the URLs of radio stations, because those are outside my LAN. Apparently the /etc/resolv.conf file (whihc containes the nameserver information also) is needed after boot for the B2 to resolv(e) hostnames outside the LAN. When you're using DHCP, a temporary file is created using the info supplied duringthe DHCP negotiation, /tmp/resolv.conf, and there's a symbolic link in /etc that points to it. The link uses the name /etc/resolv.conf.

So here's the fix (also tested): 

 cd /etc

 mv resolv.conf resolv.conf.dhcp

Now you have to create a new file named resolv.conf, and put the following lines in it:

nameserver [IP address of the primary DNS from your router's info]

nameserver [IP address of the secondary DNS from your router's info]

save the file. No need to reboot if you already did that but it won't hurt. And yay! Internet Radio works again.

Cheers -- m.

[Dick Cooper]

Paul

You suggest "Buy a TP Link TL-WR702N (circa £20) or similar and connect it to the BT router using an Ethernet cable. Then connect the B2 to the TP-Link's WiFi" as an option.

I've got the first part (buy) covered, I can do the second part (connect it to the router using an Ethernet cable), and I understand the third part (connect the B2).

There seems to be another step, implied the 175-page manual for the WR702, setting up the TP Link. Should I be using AP mode, router mode, repeater mode, bridge mode, or client mode? It looks like AP mode, which seems to be plug-and-play, but I'd welcome some advice before I make another expensive mistake.
Cheers

On Friday, 2 April 2021 at 10:52:20 UTC+1 PMB wrote:

[Mark Fishman]

If the DHCP server on the TL-WR702N is disabled in AP mode, then the B2 will (still) get its IP address from the BT router -- which is giving out a different IP address when the B2 wakes from standby.

How is this an improvement?

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 10:53:18 AM UTC-4 fred.w....@gmail.com wrote:

Hi Dick,

Yes AP mode thus

Your "Wired Network" would be plugging it into an ethernet port on your existing router system.

The TP Link will then set up a secondary house WiFi system that you will need to connect the B2 to.

Fred

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi Mark,

You are of cause correct, my suggestion was wrong, we need to have the TP Link's DHCP server "on" so that it can give the B2 a permanent IP.

So the correct mode would be

Giving this

Dick  will then need to log on to the TP Link's admin page and assign the B2 a fixed IP address there.

following this area of the manual

[Dick Cooper]

So, knowing very little about what this TP Link does, it seems that what happens is that the TP Link when plugged into the BT Extender will create a "new network" that I connect to with the B2 and any other devices (phone, laptops) on which I want to control the B2 using the GUI. Is that correct, or did I misunderstand?

Then I connect to this new network on my laptop and log on to the TP Link and go through the steps outlined in the manual for setting up the TP Link in Router mode and tell it to reserve an address for the B2, and it will honour this, unlike the BT Smarthub.

Then the B2 whenever is turned on will automatically remember to connect to the TP Link rather than the Smarthub, but other users of my home network can take their chances with the Smarthub or use the TP-Link as they prefer. It sounds easy, a bit like putting a man on the moon or creating a covid vaccine.

Is it that easy?

[Mark Fishman]

Well, as I read the descriptions of access point vs. router vs bridge, and so on, you don't want to have two routers or two DHCP servers on the same network, so it *might* be safer to see if your SmartHub can at least have wireless disabled, and maybe have DHCP turned off, so it's just used as a cable modem, and have everything connect to the TP Link. I could be wrong about that.

Maybe a COVID vaccine is easier.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi Dick

Yes the TP Link will create a new, additional WiFi network in your house. It will be entirely separate from your BT routers WiFi network and the TP Link will treat your ethernet connection into the back of your BT router as its ISP connection. 

Just as your neighbors' WiFi/router has its own SSID and password which keeps it separate from your WiFi/router setup, so will the TP link. Just as your and your neighbors' WiFi/Router  run their own DHCP service, so will your TP link, they wont get confused. 

You will need to know/set the TP Links SSID and WiFi Password. (this may be written on the device)

You will also need to know how to get into the setup pages for the TP Link router, I believe it will be on 192.168.0.254 (this may be written on the device) - going to this IP when connected to your TP Link should get you to the setup pages.

Fred

[PMB]

Hi Dick,

Apologies I just passed this bit of info on without having tried it myself - it sounded simple on the Troubleshooting page and other's I have suggested it to made it work.

Hopefully the suggestions from Fred and others will get you up and running.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Dick Cooper]

Fred, thanks for that, just as I hoped. The SSID and password is helpfully printed on the device. I'll have a go today.

Dick

[Dick Cooper]

First attempt unsuccessful - I can connect the TP Link to the Smarthub and connect my laptop to the TP Link's network and set it up as a router, but when I ask the B2 set up wifi it doesn't see the TP Link's network, just the usual list of my smarthub, an extender, BT Wifi, and a phantom network with no name. I will explore some more later on. I probably misunderstood something in the instructions. Maybe I should try translating " 2.3.2 Router Mode: As a wireless router, TL-WR702N enables multi-user to share Internet via DSL/Cable Modem. On this mode, the only wired port works as WAN, which can be connected to DSL Modem with an Ethernet cable. Computers could connect to the device by only wireless way. DHCP server is default opened and it is recommended that the IP address and DNS server address obtained automatically" into Mandarin and back to see if it's any clearer.

At least I only spent £15 on the TP Link.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi Dick,

It very hard to help when you aren't there to see what is going on so to help me understand progress

I can connect the TP Link to the Smarthub and connect my laptop to the TP Link's network and set it up as a router,

I understand by this that you have connected the TP Link (TP) to the BT Smarthub using a wired ethernet cable.

That your Laptop was able to connect to TP  and once connected you found your way to the TP's Admin pages OK.

That you set up the TP into "Router mode". and then rebooted it.

If you did manage this then your TP should now be accessible from your Laptop using the TP's WiFi (using the SSID and password helpfully printed on the device) and when connected from your Laptop you should be able to see the internet.

If indeed the laptop's "Internet Access" can see the TP's SSID and connect to it then so should your B2.

However

"but when I ask the B2 set up wifi it doesn't see the TP Link's network, just the usual list of my smarthub, an extender, BT Wifi, and a phantom network with no name"

This does not seem to be the case for you.

So IF YOUR AT THE STAGE WHERE YOUR LAPTOP DID CONNECT TO THE TP, lets kick the B2!

Please use the from the Maintenance Menu "Reset WiFi" (Resets WiFi to factory settings) on the B2

Then from the Settings Menu " Setup Wifi" 

The TP's SSID should appear as one of the options to connect to. If it does then connect 

If not then does the phantom network with no name still appear, if so try from the maintenance menu "Hidden WiFi" option (Special setup for WiFi networks that don't broadcast their SSID) and try using the TP's SSID and password.

If this works we need to go into the TP's admin pages and "turn on SSID broadcast" - but this is mad because you laptop could "see" it!!. so it can't be hidden.

If all this works we can come back to "fixing" the B2's IP on the TP.

Fred

 but when I ask the B2 set up wifi it doesn't see the TP Link's network, just the usual list of my smarthub, an extender, BT Wifi, and a phantom network with no name.

[Dick Cooper]

Fred,  I misspoke when I said

"I can connect the TP Link to the Smarthub and connect my laptop to the TP Link's network and set it up as a router",

(what I really meant was I can connect the TP Link to the Smartbub by plugging it in to an Extender - this Extender I use to connect my Cocktail X10 to the network works every time no problems)

I could try connecting to the BT Smarthub using a wired ethernet cable but this is harder as the Smarthub is farther away and I had all the rest of the gear on my desk.

Nevertheless - everything else you say is correct so I'll try Reset Wifi on the B2 - next time I have all the kit on my desk at the same time (I've disconnected the TP Link while I was doing something else). That seems to be the obvious next step, which may be why I didn't think of it.

Thanks for all the help, I'll come back when I've tried resetting the B2.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi Dick,

The Extender should be fine - the TP just needs an ethernet port that is connected to the WAN/Internet.

Fred

[jeff...@googlemail.com]

I bought a Tenda W150M years ago, for Sky plus. Just connected it up, as a wireless router. My B2 picked it up straight away. this unit is from before the TP link i think. And is the same sort of device!

[Dick Cooper]

Fred

Thanks again for trying to help, but I'm giving up on this for now. However, purely for information:

What I've found is that if I plug the TP Link into the extender that I have set up for the B2, then I can see TP Link on the Smarthub network, connect to it from my laptop on 192.168.1.110 and then set it to Router mode but it won't give me a stable internet connection.

When I set it to router mode the TP Link gives the nonsense message "The change of wireless working mode will lead device reboots. On wireless router mode,wire port works as WAN, and DHCP server default open, sure?"
I click OK anyway. Get message "Configuration Saved Successfully! Restarting..." then get message "Configuration Saved Successfully! Completed! 100% Please wait a moment, if the browser does not refresh automatically, click Refresh on the top of your browser."
Browser is redirected to http://192.168.0.254/ and gets message "Problem loading page. The connection has timed out" (perhaps because m laptop is still logged on to Smartub)
If I check Network & Internet settings, I can see the TP-LINK_xxxxxx network. Try to connect, first attempt fails, so I ask Network & Inernet settings to forget the network, on second attempt enter network key OK and set discoverable to Yes but get "can't connect to this network", retry, this time connects but internet drops out. From this point I can connect B2 to the TP Link's network but internet always drops out again. I can see the TP Link network on the B2 but don't bother trying to connect because can't get network connection on laptop to control it.

.... I think this is just another problem that the Smarthub is causing. Anway, too much time has been wasted on something that's really only a minor problem (having to check with the B2 to see what address it's really been given if the GUI fails to connect). I may spend some time thinking about this, but there are more important things to do like washing the dishes, tidying my garage, etc.

Thanks again everyone who tried to help.

On Wednesday, 7 April 2021 at 13:31:20 UTC+1 fred.w....@gmail.com wrote:

[PMB]

Hi Dick,

Have you tried the TP plugged into the main router rather than the extender?

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Dick Cooper]

not yet, but I will do next time I need to move the bedroom furniture to plug in a power supply - for now it's easier to walk over to the B2 and switch it on and off again to see what IP address it's got