'Client Name' questions

[badbob001]

For the client list, the router defaults to showing the manufacturer of each client's network interface. But this makes it very hard to tell one device from another. Is there a way to make it get the names from DNS instead? I have a separate router (running tomato) that does dhcp and dns and I have assigned names to all static ip reservations, so a lookup of the ip address will return the correct dns name. Currently, I have to manually edit the names in the client list with more friendly and meaningful names.

Also, I will be getting a new ac86u soon to replace my ac68u. Is there a way to just migrate my client names, assuming the dns-lookup idea falls through? I'm guessing it's a NVRAM line that I need to copy over.

Thanks!

 

[ourcontact]

This is a very old question, with no reply, perhaps I should start a new thread but I have similar question(s) as I am attempting a switch from an OpenWRT environment to ASUS (stock, not merlin for now) and finding a lot of annoyances like this that were hard to find before I made my purchase.

- Can I tell ASUS to display DNS names in the GUI client list
if not
- Is there a way to update the client database through the command line updating the NVRAM database or editing a file so I can script the equivalent of a zone transfer, parsing my dnsmasq config on another device and assigning proper (local) names to each mac address instead of having to use the GUI to click and edit each one.

 

[drabisan]

Look in the config for custom_clientlist=
I'm not sure if this entry is not created AFTER you assign a name to a device. So first assign a name, then ssh and assign all the names you want.
There's another entry called client_info_tmp= where Asuswrt populates ip and mac and names it can find.

The format is fairly simple: custom_clientlist=<name>00:11:22:33:44:55>0>0>><name2>11:22:33:44:55:66>0>0>>

I never understood how it finds the names and why it can't find some while some it can...

Don't forget to save the config with nvram commit after you edit the list.

 

[bsdsource]

I too get annoyed by having to click and change the names.

Can I tell ASUS to display DNS names in the GUI client list

No there is no option for this

Is there a way to update the client database through the command line updating the NVRAM database or editing a file so I can script the equivalent of a zone transfer, parsing my dnsmasq config on another device and assigning proper (local) names to each mac address instead of having to use the GUI to click and edit each one.

As drabisan mentioned you can change the NVRAM variable custom_clientlist from the command line. So the sequence would be client name and mac address, client name and mac address etc. But the NVRAM variable needs to be set exactly as shown below of course with the name and mac address changes.

nvram set custom_clientlist=<name>00:11:22:33:44:55>0>0>><name2>11:22:33:44:55:66>0>0>>
nvram commit

 

[KevTech]

nvram set custom_clientlist=<name>00:11:22:33:44:55>0>0>><name2>11:22:33:44:55:66>0>0>>
nvram commit

You need to start and end it with quotation marks.

So using the above example:

nvram set custom_clientlist="<name>00:11:22:33:44:55>0>0>><name2>11:22:33:44:55:66>0>0>>"
nvram commit

 

[ourcontact]

Thank you, looks like this will work!

A couple follow up questions/comments

First - Is there a place I can RTFM on this so I don't have to ask questions here?
"Look in the config for custom_clientlist" - where is "config"

I see this is a list replacement, not an addition, is there a way to add instead of replace?
Is there a command to dump all the clientlist that shows up in GUI without custom names?
Tried these: (obviously I don't know what I am doing here...)

nvram get client_info_tmp
nvram get clientlist

 

[bsdsource]

First - Is there a place I can RTFM on this so I don't have to ask questions here?

Not really. This is where you will get most of your questions answered reference ASUS Firmware. More information here, although most is related to RMerlin Firmware.

"Look in the config for custom_clientlist" - where is "config"

The config file you can export from Administration->Restore/Save/Upload Setting from the webgui. When you select save setting it wil save (export) a .cfg file containing NVRAM settings. You can view the .cfg file using the wrtsettings utility. After you look at your NVRAM settting it will reveal a lot of locations where specific settings are stored.

I see this is a list replacement, not an addition, is there a way to add instead of replace?

I'm not aware of another NVRAM location.

Is there a command to dump all the clientlist that shows up in GUI without custom names?

I'm using OpenBSD for DHCP purposes so I'm not certain if the clients are stored in other NVRAM locations. But from what I've seen in the past with ASUS and dnsmasq the leases should be stored in /var/lib/misc/dnsmasq.leases.

 

[ourcontact]

Not really. This is where you will get most of your questions answered reference ASUS Firmware. More information here, although most is related to RMerlin Firmware.


The config file you can export from Administration->Restore/Save/Upload Setting from the webgui. When you select save setting it wil save (export) a .cfg file containing NVRAM settings. You can view the .cfg file using the wrtsettings utility. After you look at your NVRAM settting it will reveal a lot of locations where specific settings are stored.


I'm not aware of another NVRAM location.


I'm using OpenBSD for DHCP purposes so I'm not certain if the clients are stored in other NVRAM locations. But from what I've seen in the past with ASUS and dnsmasq the leases should be stored in /var/lib/misc/dnsmasq.leases.

Thanks again,

To explain better...
I am using a small, cheap, OpenWrt device for dhcp/dnsmasq, I can configure it exactly like I want, cheap enough I have a backup, all configured backed up on mounted usb, etc.

I am trying to push names into Asus so the traffic reports and such are meaningful.

I had been using a very old TP-Link with OpenWrt, my main custom need was asymmetric multi-wan to manage data cap on high speed, unlimited on low speed. I thought Asus was an ideal replacement as I had struggled with traffic monitoring. Love the analysis on Asus but grrr, the multi-wan load balance kills that so I have on failover for now.

The TP-Link was terrible on AC and sketchy on N connection speed for some devices. So I decided to buy into this eco system based on - not enough - research.

Merlin apparently doesn’t support aimesh yet and I think I like aimesh.

Not sure where I will end up but right now
OpenWrt for dhcp/dnsmasq will probably stay as I have lots of customization I am very happy with
68u ( was personal cell model ) as multi wan primary
Blue cave (doesn’t support multi-wan) for second floor via aimesh

 

[bsdsource]

I'm in a similar situation. I like the traffic monitoring that ASUS firmware provides but I'm unable to use it since I only use my ASUS router as an access point. I used OpenWRT when I owned an RT-N16. Built my own firmware using their source code which came out to around 1.5 mbs. Limited processes running in the background etc which is what I liked. Small and not resource hungry. Anyways, good luck to you.

 

[ourcontact]

Quick script without error checking to add a single entry to custom_clientlist
Includes check to see if mac is in list already, convert mac to all caps as needed, other ideas?

#add-client <host> <mac>
host=$1
mac=`echo "$2"|awk '{print toupper($0)}'`
if /usr/sbin/nvram get custom_clientlist |grep -q "$mac"; then
echo "Mac $mac exists in custom_clientlist"
else
ClientList=`/usr/sbin/nvram get custom_clientlist`
NewClientList="$ClientList<$host>$mac>0>0>>"
/usr/sbin/nvram set custom_clientlist="$NewClientList"
/usr/sbin/nvram commit
fi

 

[First Last]

Ok, this is all good, except for one thing. It doesn't effect dns. When I do an nslookup for an ipaddress, it still shows whatever the device is set as. It would really be nice to add manual dns entries in any form!