DHCP malfunction on AirPort base station? - Mac Applications & Software

[Anno Siegel]

Using the DHCP server integrated in an AirPort base station (Extreme,
firmware level 5.1) to configure a small LAN, I find that on each
reboot of the base station all machines are given new IP addresses.
This is not how DHCP is supposed to work -- the specification states
expressly that DHCP leases must survive a reboot of the server.

Since AirPort reboots can't be avoided altogether this is a major
nuisance (the NetInfo "machines" entries must be updated to reflect
the new IP addresses).

Is this a known issue? Is there a workaround?

Anno

[Neill Massello]

Anno Siegel <anno4000lublin.zrz.tu-berlin.de> wrote:

> Using the DHCP server integrated in an AirPort base station (Extreme,
> firmware level 5.1) to configure a small LAN, I find that on each
> reboot of the base station all machines are given new IP addresses.
> This is not how DHCP is supposed to work -- the specification states
> expressly that DHCP leases must survive a reboot of the server.
>
> Since AirPort reboots can't be avoided altogether this is a major
> nuisance (the NetInfo "machines" entries must be updated to reflect
> the new IP addresses).
>
> Is this a known issue? Is there a workaround?

Use manual (static) addresses on the client machines. The Extreme Base
Station will still do NAT for the machines on its subnet that use it as
a router, even if those machines don't use the base station as a DHCP
server.

[Anno Siegel]

Neill Massello <nmasselloearthlink.net> wrote in comp.sys.mac.system:

> Anno Siegel <anno4000lublin.zrz.tu-berlin.de> wrote:
>

> > Using the DHCP server integrated in an AirPort base station (Extreme,
> > firmware level 5.1) to configure a small LAN, I find that on each
> > reboot of the base station all machines are given new IP addresses.
> > This is not how DHCP is supposed to work -- the specification states
> > expressly that DHCP leases must survive a reboot of the server.
> >
> > Since AirPort reboots can't be avoided altogether this is a major
> > nuisance (the NetInfo "machines" entries must be updated to reflect
> > the new IP addresses).
> >
> > Is this a known issue? Is there a workaround?

>
> Use manual (static) addresses on the client machines. The Extreme Base
> Station will still do NAT for the machines on its subnet that use it as
> a router, even if those machines don't use the base station as a DHCP
> server.

Ah, that's good to know. When I tried static addressing I could configure
my LAN just fine, but couldn't get "out" on the Internet. "No NAT", I
shrugged... But that was an upgrade or two ago. It works now, I'm using
the setup as I type. Thanks for pointing it out.

I admit I'd prefer DHCP (not the least of the reasons being "because
it's cool"), but manual configuration is much preferable to being dealt
a new hand of IP numbers each time the AirPort boots. My LAN is in no
immediate danger of uncontrollable growth...

Thanks again,

Anno