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identifying wireless client

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henry8866

Occasional Visitor
I'm in the process of assigning static ip for all known wireless clients. Many of them are easy with some sort of hint from the "client name".

However there are about 10+ wireless clients only showing their MAC address and don't know what device it belongs to. One dumb way I think is to block that MAC address and see which device stops working, this needs to do one by one and takes time. Is there any quick tip to identify them out which MAC is for which wireless device?
 
Easier: unplug them all. Reboot the router, plug them back in singly and then refresh the View List on Network Map.

Hint: rather than doing this in LAN > DHCP Server and taking up NVRAM, create the assignments in /jffs/configs/dnsmasq.conf.add to save the NVRAM. Format is
Code:
dhcp-host=60:A4:4C:XX:XX:XX,10.1.1.10,RT-N66U-Extender

Note: if a device has an IP assigned, I have observed that the dnsmasq.conf.add assigned value won't show up until the next IP renewal, so don't be concerned if it doesn't map correctly immediately (even after a reboot).
 
Get the mac address of the wireless clients and run it through https://www.wireshark.org/tools/oui-lookup.html
should get back the vendor of the mac address and it might help you to identify the wireless client for its mac address based on its vendor
Hope it helps. :)
 
Easier: unplug them all. Reboot the router, plug them back in singly and then refresh the View List on Network Map.

Hint: rather than doing this in LAN > DHCP Server and taking up NVRAM, create the assignments in /jffs/configs/dnsmasq.conf.add to save the NVRAM. Format is
Code:
dhcp-host=60:A4:4C:XX:XX:XX,10.1.1.10,RT-N66U-Extender

Note: if a device has an IP assigned, I have observed that the dnsmasq.conf.add assigned value won't show up until the next IP renewal, so don't be concerned if it doesn't map correctly immediately (even after a reboot).

Thanks! Do I just use text editor to edit that file and save?
 
Thanks! Do I just use text editor to edit that file and save?
If you're using Windows, download WinSCP, connect and use the built-in editor. It will be *nix compliant (the right line breaks, etc). Don't use regular Win programs.

If you're on *nix (or you edit through the SSH on the router), use the editor of choice. I am personally a fan of nano, but vi or vim also work.

Anyone know what this is?
A4:dA:22 IEEE Registration Authority
Wyze camera? See: https://forums.wyzecam.com/t/mac-address-changed/21232?page=2

Otherwise, the MAC is a generic one from the network card manufacturer, not specific to the device. For example, all of our Thinkpads have Intel corporate MACs, one of the drivers for setting static assignments.
 
If you're using Windows, download WinSCP, connect and use the built-in editor. It will be *nix compliant (the right line breaks, etc). Don't use regular Win programs.

If you're on *nix (or you edit through the SSH on the router), use the editor of choice. I am personally a fan of nano, but vi or vim also work.


Wyze camera? See: https://forums.wyzecam.com/t/mac-address-changed/21232?page=2

Otherwise, the MAC is a generic one from the network card manufacturer, not specific to the device. For example, all of our Thinkpads have Intel corporate MACs, one of the drivers for setting static assignments.

Using this file for IP will be much easier and best thing I can easily back it up!

Yes it is Wyze. I have a few, but only this one has this strange MAC address.

Thanks!
 
If you're using Windows, download WinSCP, connect and use the built-in editor. It will be *nix compliant (the right line breaks, etc). Don't use regular Win programs.

If you're on *nix (or you edit through the SSH on the router), use the editor of choice. I am personally a fan of nano, but vi or vim also work.

once the file is created, do I need some command to "apply" it? or it will be picked up automatically, just wait until next renewal? is there any limit I should be aware regarding the length of the hostname? up to 30 characters?
 
once the file is created, do I need some command to "apply" it? or it will be picked up automatically, just wait until next renewal? is there any limit I should be aware regarding the length of the hostname? up to 30 characters?
You need to restart DNSmasq (DHCP server). Reboot the router or use SCMerlin through AMTM (j3 > 1). Or see this: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/is-there-a-way-to-end-a-dhcp-lease-from-router.61300/#post-542671

EDIT: this indicates the path may vary: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/is-there-a-way-to-end-a-dhcp-lease-from-router.61300/#post-579763

I am not aware of any limitation, but I tend to restrict the description to something like "Device Type_short description" (e.g., Mobile_Sam-iPh8). That way I can sort on the device types too.
 
Get the mac address of the wireless clients and run it through https://www.wireshark.org/tools/oui-lookup.html
should get back the vendor of the mac address and it might help you to identify the wireless client for its mac address based on its vendor
Hope it helps. :)
Sometimes I have gotten a mac address that isn't in the OUI database.

Here's an example. I have a Google Pixel 3; I also have an AP at one end of the house wired to an 86U at the other end. When the phone connected over the 5G band of the 86U, it picked up my DHCP reservation with its MAC address. When it connected to the AP, it picked up a different, unreserved IP with a different MAC address that didn't appear in the OUI database. It took me forever to identify the device that was appearing out of nowhere. I finally reserved the address. When I did, the icon setting identified it as the Pixel 3. Very weird.
 
You need to restart DNSmasq (DHCP server). Reboot the router or use SCMerlin through AMTM (j3 > 1). Or see this: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/is-there-a-way-to-end-a-dhcp-lease-from-router.61300/#post-542671

EDIT: this indicates the path may vary: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/is-there-a-way-to-end-a-dhcp-lease-from-router.61300/#post-579763

I am not aware of any limitation, but I tend to restrict the description to something like "Device Type_short description" (e.g., Mobile_Sam-iPh8). That way I can sort on the device types too.

I edited that file, removed all static ip from web ui, ran the three line commands from your link and rebooted the router as well. After almost a days, most of devices are refreshed and using the hostname I set. However there are still a couple of devices that showing the correct ip address, but not the hostname, and it is show "static" instead of "dhcp".

continue to wait and see...
 
I edited that file, removed all static ip from web ui, ran the three line commands from your link and rebooted the router as well. After almost a days, most of devices are refreshed and using the hostname I set. However there are still a couple of devices that showing the correct ip address, but not the hostname, and it is show "static" instead of "dhcp".

continue to wait and see...
Actually, I've noticed on occasion it's taken as long as a day before all devices are using the specified name. For example, my alarm panel takes almost 18 hours before it shows the custom name, but it does pick up the right IP address.

Some other thoughts, if you don't want to wait.

Do you have any entries in the LAN > DHCP Server > Manual assignments? If so, delete them (that may be what you mean above). Did you ever have any entries there? If so, these settings may not be completely erased from NVRAM. If so, try issuing "nvram unset dhcpd_static" from SSH when connected to the router.

What is your lease time? You could try setting that lower. Then reboot the router.
 
Actually, I've noticed on occasion it's taken as long as a day before all devices are using the specified name. For example, my alarm panel takes almost 18 hours before it shows the custom name, but it does pick up the right IP address.

Some other thoughts, if you don't want to wait.

Do you have any entries in the LAN > DHCP Server > Manual assignments? If so, delete them (that may be what you mean above). Did you ever have any entries there? If so, these settings may not be completely erased from NVRAM. If so, try issuing "nvram unset dhcpd_static" from SSH when connected to the router.

What is your lease time? You could try setting that lower. Then reboot the router.

Yes I was using the manual assignment before. But I've deleted all of them and using the file now. Yes I also tried to reduce the lease time to 10 minutes but no luck. Anyway I am not in hurry, will just wait :)
 
Yes I was using the manual assignment before. But I've deleted all of them and using the file now. Yes I also tried to reduce the lease time to 10 minutes but no luck. Anyway I am not in hurry, will just wait :)
I forgot to add: issue a "nvram commit" if you use the unset command above.
 
reporting back, not sure this is a feature or bug.

after about one day, all devices are showing up correctly both hostname and ip addresses. however after reboot, some of the devices are loosing the hostnames again, ip addresses are correct. then need another day of waiting to have all hostnames showing up correctly.
 
Shorten your lease period, either overall or per-device. You can append the lease period to the end of each entry in the file. I have found that it's at the renewal that all the specified names appear.

No idea why some devices show more or less immediately, while others take an expiry. But since reboots occur so infrequently in my setup, it really doesn't bother me.
 

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