Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers

Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by lordnacho on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @04:49PM (#29642555)

I had a related problem with their PowerLine TPA-4220 devices yesterday. It turns out there's a DHCP server on it that you can't turn off! It's supposed to be smart and know when there's another DHCP server on the network, but it appears that this sometimes doesn't work. So I found that my laptop sometimes ends up configured on the wrong subnet, which of course kills the internet connection. The thing is, the web interface does not have a setting to shut off the rogue server.

If I hadn't done a CCNA I don't think I would have ever figured this out. I don't know what ordinary people do when this happens to them.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by fomine3 on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @05:57PM (#29643129)

This feature is stupid. I never buy TP-link products because I can't believe people who ship like this. ref: https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/160293

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by 3np on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @06:57PM (#29643655)

THANK YOU for that link, I didn’t realize that our self-hosted DHCP was facing attacks not only from the shitty ISP cable modem but also from the TP-Link APs. Hopefully an upgrade will fix that. It really says something about their attitude:

> And there seemed to be some misleading about "smart DHCP". This feature would not be enabled for no reason.

It took >2y and >100 forum posts on the issue before they even acknowledged that even in “AP mode” it silently enables a DHCP server as long as it doesn’t get a DHCP reply within 60s from boot.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by BenjiWiebe on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @07:12PM (#29643794)

I see. So that's why our network broke when the power failed. My Linux router is slow to boot, and the tp-link's in AP mode ran out of patience.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by genewitch on Wednesday December 22, 2021 @03:02AM (#29646648)

Tenda devices do this as well, and some other thing I have, maybe a gl.inet. if my main connection dies for more than 15 minutes, it's anyone's guess which device will win the race to break dhcp.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by 3np on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @07:03PM (#29643717)

THANK YOU for that link, I didn’t realize that our self-hosted DHCP was facing attacks not only from the shitty ISP cable modem bit also from the TP-Link APs. Hopefully an upgrade will fix that. It really says something about their attitude:

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by ceejayoz on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @04:54PM (#29642589)

I had a similar experience with my Netgear Orbi; they have a dual 2.4/5 GHz network on the same SSID, but certain devices just cannot handle it (including apparently Facebook's Oculus and quite a few smart home devices).

Turns out you can split them up into separate SSIDs, but only by telnetting into your base station and each satellite and running some cryptic commands on each. It used to be possible via the web UI, but they just... dropped it.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by reaperducer on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @06:58PM (#29643660)

they have a dual 2.4/5 GHz network on the same SSID, but certain devices just cannot handle it

My Canon wireless printer is one of those devices that can't handle it. If they both have different SSIDs, then it will connect fine. But if there are two with the same SSID, during setup if fails to ask the user for a password and therefore cannot connect.

Meanwhile, Amazon's eero has removed the option to have different SSIDs for each network. The two mistakes combined (Canon's and eero's) mean it's not possible to use the Canon on an eero network. Unless...

What I ended up doing was unplugging the eero, and setting up an Airport Express I used to use for traveling with the SSID I want for the eero. Hook the Canon up through the Airport. Unplug the Airport and turn the eero back on and it connects. A stupid workaround.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by brewdad on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @07:10PM (#29643769)

I ended up naming my SSIDs SSIDNAME and SSIDNAME2.4 for just this reason. I had all kinds of problems getting my 2.4GHz devices onto my network when they shared the same name. PCs and tablets did fine but anything more obscure (smart switches for instance) was a mess.

I did not know that about the eero devices. Really glad I didn't "upgrade" to the newest Ring base station with eero built-in.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by easton on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @06:24PM (#29643365)

Our network at home has both 2.4 and 5 on the same SSID, with no issues (and I have an oculus). Is this just a Netgear thing?

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by ceejayoz on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @09:26PM (#29644874)

No clue. Very possible it's specific to the Orbi, or possibly the spots in our house the Oculus and LG washer/dryer are located - perhaps the signal strength is just iffy enough they hop between the two frequencies sometimes. A full restart of the devices helps, but usually only for 15-30 mins.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by icebergonfire on Wednesday December 22, 2021 @02:33AM (#29646465)

> A full restart of the devices helps, but usually only for 15-30 mins.

This rings a bell. Do you have an Orbi mesh by any chance? I used to experience this with specific cheap IoT devices that were constantly hopping to different Orbi satellites.

There is an option somewhere in the UI to bind a device to one specific access point, and you can tag a device as IoT or smart speakers which (based on feeling) seems to change the steering heuristics to something that stops this from happening.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by ceejayoz on Wednesday December 22, 2021 @08:50AM (#29649247)

Yeah, we use the Orbi mesh network, but they don't mind hopping between satellites if 2.4 and 5 are split. Given the way my kids move the Oculus around a lot between rooms, being able to hop is important.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by datameta on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @10:12PM (#29645194)

Yep, smart bulbs from most manufacturers need 2.4GHz. Had to go back to owning my own router (thankfully) after a brief stint with the standard Spectrum one.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by 35mm on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @04:55PM (#29642603)

Perhaps they would buy a new router, then replace other things randomly until it worked again. This approach might even be quicker. Much more wasteful however.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by jck on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @06:08PM (#29643232)

My TP Link wifi router loses the ability to list connected clients if you switch it to access point mode.

I discovered that this problem affects many models and people have been posting about it in the tp link forums for many years and have only received annoying "we'll look into it" customer service responses.

I will never buy a router I can't put openwrt on again.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by bserge on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @10:04PM (#29645120)

Ironically, TP-Link is often the best choice for OpenWRT.

Cheap, good hardware and most importantly, a supported chipset.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by javiercr on Wednesday December 22, 2021 @05:53AM (#29647708)

I've been suffering this for years with a TL-WPA8630P v2.0 and so far the only solution from TP Link [1] is a firmware update that disables DHCP only until you reboot it (or the power goes out). It's ridiculous.

[1] https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/265692

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by mpalczewski on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @07:00PM (#29643687)

They do what I kept on doing with these devices, unplug them and then plug them back in again.

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by Terry_Roll on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @07:24PM (#29643909)

You can use wireshark to access the server on the device, its what they use when they update firmware, but have you used a modded powerline adaptor to access engineering settings in white goods like modern fridge freezers because alot of them have a cpu controlling everything and you access it using the mains plug?

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Re:Hidden Networks in TP-Link Routers by dddddddan on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @08:00PM (#29644206)

What? Do you have any proof of that?

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