Smart Hub DHCP reservations

[johnu]

Hi, I've spent about half an hour search through older posts about DHCP on BT Hubs, so I apologise in advance if this has previously been asked and answered.

I've just installed a new Smart Hub. I've previously used 3rd party routers, and find it convenient to reserve specific IP addresses to various devices, but would prefer not to set static IP addresses - it's impossible to manage on mobile devices, and also seems to make it harder to use the router's .home DNS suffix for local hosts.

The Smart Hub seems to allow setting DHCP reservations via the "Always Use This Address" option. However this also changes the Address Assignment mode from "DHCP" to "Static". However once I click save, it reverts to showing the device as set to DHCP. Is this IP address now reserved? Or has it completely gone back to DHCP, and the lease will expire if I don't use the device within the defined period?

I'm not sure if this is just because BT have simplified the terminology for non-technical users, but a "static" address has a very specific meaning in my mind, i.e. an address configured directly on the client, which is very different to a reservation. What I want is a "fixed" address that's managed by the DHCP server, with the client set to DHCP mode.

I'm finding that the Smart Hub is generally much better than the last HH I used years ago, and my connection speed seems to have improved, so I'd prefer to keep using it. I can live without most of the features I used to tweak and play with in previous routers, but would really like reserved IP addresses.

Thanks in advance.

[kncowans]

Hello

I am not able to offer you an answer, however I can say that I am having the same issue as you.

Unfortunately, no answer has been provided yet so we will have to wait and see if anyone offers an explanation.

Is anyone else having this issue?

Thanks in advance

Kevin

[oldgeek42]

Hi,

I'm having the same problem - I just want to reserve an IP address for one device, but when I set 'Always use this IP address' to 'Yes' and change 'DHCPO' to 'static',  the page claims to save the changes, but doesn't.

I guess it's a bug, a firmware update wuould be helpful...

[borealis]

Same here.  Wasted an hour or so setting the IP addresses as they were on the network when we had the Home Hub 3.   As soon as my back was turned, they're all back to DHCP.  

Anyone from BT technical read these posts?

[marshall-stephens]

I've recently joined BT, services went live yesterday, absolutely regretting my decision to move from my previous provider!

I have the latest BT Smart Hub (aka BT Hub 6) and I'm having exactly the same issues trying to get the Hub to assign a reserved IP address to a device - it's a freakin' nightmare - and I have a background in IT Support so this should be child's play for me.

So far I've wasted three hours talking to multiple 'overseas' advisors that do not understand the English language, do not grasp the concept of a reserved IP address (they keep referring to a static IP and tell me I need BT Business broadband), are unable to think outside the script they are reading from, and are unable/unwilling to escalate this to as a complaint.

The broadband department say they are unable to transfer me to a technical support department and therefore I must contact BT Expert at my expense, then I get through to a technical support department who tell me they anything outside of resolving an Internet connection is beyong their knowledge and again I must contact BT Expert at my expense.

I finally get through (at my request) to a native English speaking representative of the UK within the complaints department, who cannot grasp the nature of the issue nor do they log a complaint, instead I get trasnferred to a technical suport department in the UK (which turns out to be 'overseas') and the phone gets put down on me after I tell them I've be transferred by the complaints department.

I go through the houses to get back to the complaints department and someone actually takes the time to listen and logs this as a complaint, they also put me through to the technical support department in the UK (but actually 'overseas') and there is again difficulty understanding the nature of the issue but at least they did run some checks on my Hub which shows that is is working correctly (in their eyes), so I get transferred to a BT Expert directly.

Well I'm suprised because it's actually based in the UK and the people that answer know what they're talking about, that said, they could only suggest that the Hub has faulty software and are sending a replacement which will no doubt have the same issue, but what a freakin' palava!

[Liam_]

I don't use Hubs myself as they very rarely seem to work as one expects.  However the router can not assign a 'Static' IP address.  A static address must be set on the individual device then the device will not request an IP from DHCP.  If you set the router to Always use this IP address then if the router is of good quality it will always assign the same IP to each device upon request.  Still using DHCP though.

[BionicJohn]

Not quite - it depends on the router.

It is easy to assign an address on a Billion or Netgear but a Homehub requires the device (e g printer, PC) to have the IP Address pre-set internally. The Homehub will then find and use it.

[licquorice]

You appear to be confusing address reservation which is accomplished using a router and DHCP to always give a device the same IP address (which is often erroneously called a 'static' IP address) and static IP addresses which are configured on a device itself.

[Liam_]

@BionicJohn

Not sure I catch your drift here.  Could you elaborate on what you mean by the whole statement, please.

[BionicJohn]

No confusion.

The BT Homehub for some reason "hides" addresses from 192.168.1.1 to about 192 168.1.63.

Set the address on your (network) printer or PC or other device to an address within this range.

It is fixed and the Homehub will find and use it.

Another option is to allow the Homehub's DHCP to allocate an address. This can become a preferred address but may change if the router is reset.

With a Netgear or Billion, it can all be set from the router and saved by backing up the settings.

As someone who sets up domestic security camera systems, BT Homehubs are the most problematic.