AX86U - Logins intermittently blocked

[Patrick9876]

I just switched from using an RT-AC86U to an RT-AX86U (not Pro) running Merlin 3004.388.5. I've been making lots of configuration, some of which break the connection to the HTTP server. Several times, instead of being presented with the login screen, I've been presented with a display saying I have log out a user before I can log another one in. (Sorry, I don't remember the exact wording.) Luckily this clears up in a few seconds. (15, 20 , 30 seconds? Feels like an hour if I've just made a dubious configuration change.)

I have never seen this before in the 3-4 years I've been running Merlin firmware, and it's not at all clear how I can avoid it. It's not like I can get back to the interrupted connection and log off. I suppose I could bring up an SSH connection but I don't know what I'd do if I did.

Is this a bug? The result of some option I've set wrong? Just bad luck?

 

[Ripshod]

Are you running IPv6?

 

[glens]

I've seen this a couple times. I believe that simply trying the main page again, directly from the browser (instead of relying on whatever page's redirect) succeeds.

 

[FLA_NL]

If you make changes that change your local IP address, then you could have messages that you first have to log out another user. Make sure your local IP is static from which you are configuring the router.

 

[Patrick9876]

Are you running IPv6?

Turning on IPv6 was one of the many changes I made. I believe the problem happened at least once before that change but I can't be sure.

I've seen this a couple times. I believe that simply trying the main page again, directly from the browser (instead of relying on whatever page's redirect) succeeds.

At least one time I closed the browser window and re-opened it, and restarted the connection to the router's main page with no luck.

If you make changes that change your local IP address, then you could have messages that you first have to log out another user. Make sure your local IP is static from which you are configuring the router.

Hmm. I don't use static addresses so that could be the cause, but I seem to be constantly getting the same IP addresses after each reboot of the router.

Just to prove to me that I don't understand DHCP at all - 8 devices on my LAN have the same IP v4 addresses that they were given by my AC86U before I switched to the AX86U. If its DHCP lease has not expired, does a device continue using it's previous IP address even if it suddenly has a new DHCP server (assuming the same subnet is being used)? I assumed a DHCP server just gave out addresses as needed, but it must also determine what addresses are already in use so it doesn't give them out again.

 

[FLA_NL]

Normally it does, but I think it is also cliënt depended how leases are handled. I can imagine that when the dhcp service has to be restarted due to configuration changes, clashes could occur and IP's can change. When setting up static IP's I've noticed that some devices just need to reconnect to get there new IP and some stick to there old one. But the login issue that you are describing normally occurs when a device with another IP is still logged on (or the router think it is).

 

[Patrick9876]

... But the login issue that you are describing normally occurs when a device with another IP is still logged on (or the router think it is).

And it made perfect sense until I noticed that the PC had the same IP address it had earlier (as did another computer, 2 laptops, a tablet, 3 NAS devices, and a printer).

 

[Ripshod]

And it made perfect sense until I noticed that the PC had the same IP address it had earlier (as did another computer, 2 laptops, a tablet, 3 NAS devices, and a printer).

And what about the IPv6 address. I hate to drone on about this but IPv6 is highly dynamic. Just disable it and see how you get on.

 

[glens]

No IPV6 in my locale. The occurrence is weird because I can be "in" the web server from two clients simultaneously without getting such notice on the second...

Have only ever seen it after a setting change, but haven't noticed which in particular is the/a culprit.

 

[Patrick9876]

And what about the IPv6 address. I hate to drone on about this but IPv6 is highly dynamic. Just disable it and see how you get on.

You could be right. I don't particularly want to disable IPv6 - I doubt I access any IPv6-only sites, but I don't want chance it - but I will watch this. I see that NSLOOKUP for my router name returns both an IPv4 and IPv6 address. Maybe my browser sometimes gets an IPv4 connection and sometimes an IP v6 connection with the router's HTTP server. That would cause the symptom I see. I would suspect others would see that, too, though. I can't be the only one using IPv6.

 

[Ripshod]

I see it occasionally, but because I understand it it doesn't worry me. It can be inconvenient sometimes though.

 

[TheLyppardMan]

I just switched from using an RT-AC86U to an RT-AX86U (not Pro) running Merlin 3004.388.5. I've been making lots of configuration, some of which break the connection to the HTTP server. Several times, instead of being presented with the login screen, I've been presented with a display saying I have log out a user before I can log another one in. (Sorry, I don't remember the exact wording.) Luckily this clears up in a few seconds. (15, 20 , 30 seconds? Feels like an hour if I've just made a dubious configuration change.)

I have never seen this before in the 3-4 years I've been running Merlin firmware, and it's not at all clear how I can avoid it. It's not like I can get back to the interrupted connection and log off. I suppose I could bring up an SSH connection but I don't know what I'd do if I did.

Is this a bug? The result of some option I've set wrong? Just bad luck?

I've had this problem a couple of times myself and I resolved it by rebooting the router.

 

[Morris]

If you enable ssh you can then ssh into your router and issue:
service restart_httpd

 

[sfx2000]

With HTTPS, it's likely a browser issue - most of the major browser players are a lot more strict on TLS connections these days, so for example, if the httpd process restarts, this actually also resets the https connection...