HH4 and static IP addresses on home network

[ceperman]

I want to assign a static IP outside the DHCP range to a server on my home network. I know I've done this in the past as I already have another server on the network which the HH4 recognises as having a static IP (and not in the DHCP range) but I can't for the life of me remember how to do it now.

I do recall that it wasn't obvious last time, but I've looked repeatedly through the HH config options and can't find it. The only place that looks likely is the Device Information page, where if "IP address assignment" is DHCP then you can select "Always use this IP address" and type an IP address, but only addresses within the DHCP range are accepted (this is reasonable). But there seems no way to provide a non-DHCP address.

I've read elsewhere that I should allocate the static IP on the device itself, but this doesn't work - while the device is able to connect to the LAN and can ping/can be pinged by other devices, the HH doesn't recognise the device and it's unable to connect to the internet.

I've constantly been frustrated by the non-standard interface of the HH4, and the fact that BT will provide little information on how to configure it (no manual is available). I called BT just hours ago to ask their tech support the same question I'm asking here, and their response was that "they don't have that information". When I said I was amazed that they don't know how to support their own hardware, they replied that it came ready configured and I shouldn't need to change it. Unbelievable. I was invited to subscribe to their tech expert support for £8 per month to get the answer, so I suspect that the claimed ignorance is just a revenue-earning opportunity.

Anyhow, any help will be very welcome.

[licquorice]

Set the static IP on the device but you also need to set the gateway address on  the device as 192.168.1.254

[ceperman]

...or in my case, 192.168.0.254. But this doesn't work - it's already configured and I still don't connect to the internet.

Even so, it doesn't explain why the HH4 doesn't see this computer as a device. As I explained, I already have a device on my network configured in the way I want this one. The HH4 sees it as static, with an IP address outside the DHCP range. I'm sure I configured it using the HH4 but I just don't remember how and I can't find out.

It seems that unless the router recognises this computer as a device, it won't let it connect to the internet. For sure it needs the cooperation of the router as a gateway, and it seems it's not getting it.

[Keith_Beddoe]

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@ceperman wrote:

...or in my case, 192.168.0.254. But this doesn't work - it's already configured and I still don't connect to the internet.

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Because its not in the same subnet as the home hub, so will not be able to route.

The subnet of the home hub is 192.168.1.xxx

So anything in the subnet 192.168.0.xxx is not going anywhere.

[ceperman]

I meant what I said, in my case 192.168.0.254. I have changed the subnet to 192.168.0.xxx - this makes it consistent with previous routers I've had. This all works, and has been for the best part of a year. My existing server machine has a static IP address of 192.168.0.2, and shows in the HH4 devices as such (i.e. in the Device Information page shows as "IP address assignment: Static"). This is outside the DHCP range which is 192.168.0.10 - 192.168.0.39. But I can no longer find how to define a device in this way, and I'm beginning to tear my hair out, which I can ill afford to do.

[TimCurtis]

Really shouldn't be an issue.

On the servers' network adapter for TCP/ipv4 the subnet mask must be set 255.255.255.0 & the default gateway set to 192.168.0.254 and set your own iP address.

In the router the subnet mask should also be 255.255.255.0 .

That's how I've always set my network up.

[ceperman]

First, mea culpa - I forgot to set the DNS address to the same as the gateway on my device, which is why it couldn't resolve URLs. I now can get to the internet. So far so good. To continue... You're right, it turns out not to be a real issue for me - it's just frustrating that I can't get the HH to allocate a static non-DHCP address as it was doing previously. In my view It would be better and safer to have the router perform all address allocations, so it's all managed from one place. All routers I've previously used can do this. And because the HH cannot see static allocations done externally, I've got no one place I can see all addresses in use. Unsatisfactory. However, it *would* be an issue if I wanted to do port-forwarding, quite reasonably for a static server. From what I can see, this can only be done for devices known to the HH. If I needed to do this I think I would be sunk. Or am I still missing something?

[licquorice · Accepted solution]

Hmm, as far as I'm concerned the only 'true' static address is one configured on the device itself. Anything else is a non-changing dynamic address which is still at the mercy of the router dishing it out correctly.

[ceperman]

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@licquorice wrote:

Hmm, as far as I'm concerned the only 'true' static address is one configured on the device itself. Anything else is a non-changing dynamic address which is still at the mercy of the router dishing it out correctly.

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That's a fair point. Perhaps I'm not used to routers (or just never used the feature) that allow "sticky" allocations within the DHCP range. So I see (saw?) DHCP and non-DHCP addresses as different.

However, I have to admit to feel a bit stupid at this point. I've just looked at the HH display and now I can see my device in all its static glory! This is after a number of days of testing and experimentation and getting nowhere (and before you ask, yes, regular refreshing). It's puzzling - perhaps it takes time for the HH to pick up a static allocation and I just didn't give it long enough.

So it does appear to be working now. I can confirm that your advice of just defining the address on the device is the way to go, and eventually the HH will recognise it.

Thanks to all for your patience!

[licquorice]

Glad you got it sorted.