Disabling DHCP causes DNS issues

[leenowell]

Hi All,

I am having issues with sporadic massive ping times so because I had an old Brightbox router, EE sent me a new Brightbox 1 hoping it will fix the problem.

On the new router, if I disable DHCP I can ping an external IP address fine (e.g. 8.8.8.8) but get name resolution errors when I ping by name (e.g. www.bbc.co.uk ).  Doing nothing else other than switching DHCP back on resolves the issue.  DNS is set to "get from ISP" but have also tried manually putting in Google's DNS servers and EE's DNS servers and it still doesn;t work.

The interface of the old and new router is the same but the old one works as expected and the new one has this DNS issue.

Only other thing to add is that when I got the router the wireless light was off (and I couldn't see the SSID) however the EE call centre person remotely connected to the router and it said it was on.  A factory reset solved the problem.  Also, when I change settings, sometimes it seems to kill the webserver on the router as I can no longer connect to the admin site.  Rebooting the router seems to fix it.  I wonder if somehow the firmware is messed up on the router they shipped me?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Lee.

[XRaySpeX]

Email notifications are still sent out even when a thread is closed. Always best to look at your Notification Feed (the white no. next to the yellow envelope at top L).

Yes, as I thought EE has replaced the old Brightbox 1 by the newer Brightbox 1(R) for ADSL connections.

My Brightbox 1 firmware is:

Runtime Code Version	v1.00.10.0001-OT (Thu Dec 11 18:40:57 2014)
Boot Code Version	v1.00.10.0002-OT (Fri Aug 17 16:30:07 2012)
DSL Modem Code Version	A2pD035b.d23i
Hardware Version	1

but It hasn't been connected to the Net for years. I've never had a 1R.

This confirms that this behaviour is due to the change from a Brightbox 1 to a Brightbox 1R.

[leenowell]

Thanks very much @XRaySpeX - top tip re: the yellow envelope 🙂

The firmware details I sent were from the new one (BB 1R?).  My BB 1 I got years ago I think the engineer said around 6 years or so but should be on the latest firmware for it as it has been connected until the last few days.  The BB 1R I got a few weeks ago.  So looks like it is a "feature" of BB 1R or at least a firmware update at some point has killed it.  Is the BB 2 the fibre equivalent of the BB1R?

[XRaySpeX]

You don't have a BB 1R from all you said.

1. The BB 1R is an upright router, as I posted a pic in my post, while the BB 1 is a flat router.
2. The 2 pix you posted are of flat routers, the BB 1.

[leenowell]

Hi @XRaySpeX 

Sorry which post did you send the photo of the BB 1R in as I can't seem to locate it.  My new one is an upright one that looks the same as the one in the first link I sent above (https://shop.ee.co.uk/broadband/ee-bright-box-router).  On the box it refers to it being a Bright Box 1.

The old one is the flat one as seen in the second link I sent (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25809208)

Thanks

Lee.

[XRaySpeX]

Sorry, I'm mixing up my routers. Only read the title of your 1st image, not looking at the pic. EE wrongly entitled it as Brightbox 1 not Brightbox 1(R).

You do now have the Brightbox 1R.

[leenowell]

Hi @XRaySpeX @mikeliuk 

Any recommendations on next steps on this?  Wonder if it is worth me starting a different thread seeing if anyone out there has a BB 1R and willing to run the test for me?   I assume they are likely to be on the same firmware version if it is in current use so would have to be an old one although I guess they just need to connect a PC to it and run @mikeliuk 's test for the DNS port when DHCP is disabled?

I could go back to EE and ask them if they will send me a BB 2 instead but suspect they will want proof it is a general issue with BB 1R first?

thanks

Lee.

[XRaySpeX]

A BB 2 won't do you any good; it's the same as the BB 1R. Only the BB 1 doesn't exhibit this issue.

[pip11]

Wouldn't an Openreach VDSL modem solve this issue?

[XRaySpeX]

Can't see how. It's a DHCP/DNS issue, i.e. in the router.

[leenowell]

Hi @XRaySpeX 

Sorry had mis-remembered your testing of the BB 1 vs the BB2 thought you had established the BB 2 worked same as BB 1.  Sounds like no viable option for EE to sort this for me other than somehow raising a bug on both routers.  Given they both do the same I sense they will claim it is correct even though IMHO it doesn't make any sense.

thanks

Lee.