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Asus router IP Address location

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Matikitorch

New Around Here
Hello all, this is my first time here, I am in some desperate need of help, I do not know where or who to turn to. I'm pretty proficient with Ethernet and networking at a embedded systems level, almost complete illiterate at a higher conceptual level, when we start talking VPN, WAN, firewalls, etc. I know their purpose, but the terminology throws me off. I purchased a new AC RT66U router and am having difficulties with something... I do not know exactly what is the source of the problem.

I have a Roku device wired directly onto the RT66 router and whenever I launch the Sling TV app, it spins forever and doesn't load. If I connect the Roku to the modem directly, it all works, so this tells me it's a router issue. Going back to when I had the Roku plugged in to the router, I kept getting a 10-610 error message from Sling and when I tried Googling that and going directly to Sling's website the webpage doesn't load and I get a giant error message saying "We're sorry. Sling TV is only available inside the US. Thank you for your interest." I am believing that the Asus router IP address is putting me somewhere outside the US? I checked the router's settings and VPN is off (VPN is one of the few things that I know :D). Can anyone advise me here please? I'm assuming that the Sling TV app doesn't load is because of the same issue, it thinks I'm somewhere outside the US however it's incapable of providing some error code relating to this, so it just spins forever...

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
 
Can you confirm some basic information.

1. You are indeed located within the US.
2. What type of internet service do you have? e.g. cable modem, ADSL, cellular, wireless, etc.
3. What is the real model number of your Asus router? "RT66" is not a valid model. Is it an RT-AC66U_B1, or possibly the older RT-AC66U?
4. In the router GUI go to Network Map and look for the WAN IP address under Internet Status. What are the first two octects of the address, e.g. 123.99.x.x?
 
These content providers have taken recently to also checking your DNS server to detect if you're using a VPN (even if you're not). And given that process is inexact, it might be wrongly detecting the DNS server(s) is outside the country. OTOH, I would normally expect the same DNS servers to be provided by the ISP, regardless whether connected directly to the modem or through the router. Not unless the router was perhaps configured to use one of the DNS alternatives (DoH, DoT, Stubby, etc.). If so, try disabling that feature and use the plain ol' DNS provided by the ISP.
 
Thank you for your replies.

1. Yes I am within the US.
2. Cable modem
3. RT-AC66U B1
4. 67.149...

@eibgrad The router is using the out of the box configurations, I usually do not touch these as the terminology and names confuse me. Inside the router, I believe it is using the plain DNS (the attached picture is where I'm looking at).
 

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That all looks OK.

To test eibgrad's theory about DNS you can try temporarily changing "Connect to DNS server automatically" to No and manually entering 8.8.8.8 (Google's DNS server). See if that makes any difference.
 
There were 2 DNS fields, first one is 8.8.8.8 and second one is empty. Rebooted router and still can't load the Sling TV app or open that website link.
 
Sorry for the confusion. No, I can go to the main home page and it all works. I can also navigate through most of the website without any problem. However, out of the main homepage if I go to the very bottom in the 'About Us' category and select 'Help Center', then I get that I must be inside the US error message and the page doesn't load.
 
OK. Interestingly that Help link at the bottom of the page goes to a third party support site freshworks.com. But using my VPN to route through the US I don't see that message.

It sounds like Sling has mis-categorised your WAN IP address as being outside the US. Your IP address would have changed when you plugged the Roku directly into the cable modem.

So if you go to you router's WAN settings and hit the "MAC Clone" button it should insert the MAC address of the PC you are using. You might as well change you DNS server back to automatic while you're here. Apply that change and the router should reboot.

After it has rebooted, just to be doubly sure, I would power off the router and modem. Wait 30 seconds before turning on the modem. Wait for it to fully boot (a couple of minutes) before powering on the router. Your router should now have been assigned a new IP address (check on the router's Network Map page). Does Sling TV now work?
 
That worked! The Sling TV app loaded right away and I was also able to load the 'Help Center' link in the Sling's website. So your theory is that Sling miscategorized my WAN IP address as being outside the US? The WAN IP is now 69.14.x.x. I guess I don't fully understand how changing the MAC address changes the IP address.

Is this a permanent solution? I thought every MAC address must be unique within a local network. At this moment my PCs wireless LAN card and (what exactly?) have the same MAC address.
 
Is this a permanent solution? I thought every MAC address must be unique within a local network. At this moment my PCs wireless LAN card and (what exactly?) have the same MAC address.
Yes it is a permanent solution.

You are correct about MAC addresses having to be unique on the local network. However, this solution works because you are changing the MAC address of the router's WAN interface. The WAN and LAN are two different networks. The WAN interface is part of the WAN network, not the LAN network where your PC is. It's counterintuitive but it works.
 

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