Smart Hub plus 7 - Always use this IP address Issue

[jsviper77]

Hi all, 

I have just switched from Sky to EE. 

I have the new Smart Hub 7 Plus and although most of it works, i have a couple of issues. 

1. When i try to turn on "Always use this ip address" for devices on my LAN it won't toggle. Therefore i cannot set fixed LAN addresses for smart devices etc around the home.   (I changed the DHCP Range/Router IP to match Sky's)

2. Port forwarding, although works, creates two entries every time.

Frustrating for the most simplest of functions.

Anyone have the same issue or can help shed some light on what might be the cause.

Is it a bug in the firmware, as i can see previous models had this working ok.

[JimM11]

@sedling See attached screen capture when approved for viewing.

Asus DHCP Static Lan assigned.

[sedling]

Thanks Bob/Jim, you can sense my frustration !

I set up the pc to auto IP from DHCP and it should just connect, but no I get duplicates and APIPA generated addresses most of the time, then the router thinks it is all OK but the PC cannot connect with that IP again.

I can assure you I have tried all avenues, I will crack on tomorrow with a factory reset to try and start again from scratch.

The *really* frustrating thing is both sides (router and PC) look like they are set up OK but when the handshake occurs, they both miss each other. I have had working chunks where all seemed to be great, but then a connection drop and we are back to 'duplicate' status on the PC adapter.

What Jim said strikes a chord, the router seems to 'remember' all these leases and gradually the problem gets worse and worse as the address given by DHCP cannot be used as the router then thinks the PC (although its adapter has the same unique MAC address) can use it. But The PC seems to think the address is already in use... 

[JimM11]

@sedling Also one EE attached but as i say was 6+ at the time. Has to be approved also before you can see it.

EE 6+ 18 months ago.

[sedling]

Thanks Jim, 

do you run the Asus ZenWifi AX on your ee fibre connection?

I may go that way if you recommend..

[JimM11]

@sedling Yes it was on it before EE messed up the FW update to the Hub late Feb2025, up and gone Early Mar2025 after that debacle. But the Asus running direct on the FF ONT connection is zero issues. Been EE/Sky/ and now on VF as the ISP's.

You only have to consider if EE DV Landline is in play and required to be kept, that decides which way you have to connect, for me EE was up front and i Routed all the Asus as DHCP Wan/Lan. Similar on sky but just swapped the hub in for testing when sky user's on the sky Forum had problems, VF on only at the start just bad timing to swap over, and they dropped the landline that has taken 3months and 2 weeks to sort out, lost the number but they say sugar happens, anyway line up and working now, VF hub back in it's box and Asus back on the ONT again. 

Asus is good but they are expensive, just work and never ever any additional needed from them, my units are all wifi 6 but 5 years old now.

[sedling]

@JimM11 thanks for the info.

I have factory reset this morning and am very carefully setting up again. I have both ethernet PC connections up and running as DHCP, and have then set to static/always use this address in the router address table, OK so far.

Just about to turn wifi on for the rest of the devices in the house... 

Your software to scan the ip network was interesting, it looked like a device was issuing/reserving many many ips in the router range which 'may' have contributed to the router address table management issues. 

The device was my iPad/iPhone ! I had a personal hotspot set up from when I was away from home and had no wifi or mobile access on the iPad, so I allowed the iPad to connect through tghe phone via the mobile network. It was autoconnecting if the wifi was off during the troubleshooting here and spamming lots of ip addresses on the network.

[JimM11]

@sedling Sounds like you iPad is the issue, you may just have to go fix the securities on that device, especially in your home network. Will be the feature for revolving mac address on apple. Only daughter has iPhone so no nothing about them at all, just not interested, but she does use and that one Jumps IP but Asus clamps it pretty well so i don't worry about it at all.