Connected device not shown on "Network Map" -> Clients list

[StR]

RT-AC86U running Asuswrt-Merlin 386.2_2.

I have noticed that one of the devices that is definitely connected to the router, is not listed among the connected clients on the first (Network Map) page.
It does show in the logs:

May 25 05:22:30 dnsmasq-dhcp[30212]: DHCPREQUEST(br0) 192.168.50.49 32:79:35:2a:ce:f5
May 25 05:22:30 dnsmasq-dhcp[30212]: DHCPACK(br0) 192.168.50.49 32:79:35:2a:ce:f5 Galaxy-S9

Furthermore, when I go to LAN-> DHCP Server configuration page, this MAC address does not show among either active or offline clients.

I have noticed that this MAC address was different from the actual MAC address of the phone. I've found that the phone was using random MAC addresses for Wi-Fi connections, so, I disabled it for my network. AFter that the router logs started showing the correct MAC addresss in the lines similar to the those above. But the rest remained the same: this MAC Address and associated IP didn't show in either of the two aforementioned places of the router webpage.

After this, I have powered up yet a different device, a tablet. It connected to the network, and I see the corresponding lines in the router logs, but it does not show in the clients list in Network Map. On the DHCP page, this device (it has a manually assigned IP address) shows as being offline (in the pull-down menu under "Client name").

Somehow, the router web-interface does not show all connected devices.

I could not find this issues discussed on this forum, but @zahroc has recently mentioned something similar in a thread on a different topic: http://www.snbforums.com/threads/dnsmasq-issues-10953.72705/post-690802

Do other people see this strange behavior?
I do not know if it specific to 2_2 or 386.x. I do not see this bug listed as being fixed in 386.2_4, and, I did not notice this behavior on the 2_1 version, but I might have missed it.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Problems associated with the Network Map have been known about and discussed for years. As that component is closed source only Asus can fix any problems with it. That said, clicking Refresh on the Client Status list should repopulate it with the devices that are currently online (i.e. not in sleep mode).

 

[StR]

I do not see "refresh" button (did you mean page reload in the browser?) - but maybe you meant a different page by "Client Status list"?
Refreshing pages, logging in and out of the web-interface - nothing helps revealing those two "obscure" devices.
I didn't try rebooting the router yet - to test if that clears the problem.

Thank you, I was able to find some earlier threads (e.g. this one) on this issue, - but only by searching in google. Somehow, those threads did not show up when I tried to search using the forum search, or maybe I searched it incorrectly.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Yeah, the search facility isn't very good. The "Better Search" at the top of the page is... er, better.

This is what I was referring to:

 

[sbsnb]

I think people are often misled by sleeping phones that turn off their WiFi to conserve energy.

 

[StR]

Yeah, the search facility isn't very good. The "Better Search" at the top of the page is... er, better.

This is what I was referring to:

View attachment 34023

Ghm, I don't have that. I am suspecting you have the ASUS' stock firmware - as remember seeing the panel on the right.

I think people are often misled by sleeping phones that turn off their WiFi to conserve energy.

It could be happening in some cases, - but it is not the reason in my case:
1. It would have shown the device as "offline" on the DHCP server page (pull-down form to add the MAC address). The phone in question is completely missing from that list.

2. I was actively using both devices while watching the list. The tablet was actively downloading and updating apps from Play Store.
In addition, at some point, I was connecting and disconnecting to the Wi-Fi a few times, - to confirm the log entry. I think that activity should have shown the device as being active.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Ghm, I don't have that. I am suspecting you have the ASUS' stock firmware - as remember seeing the panel on the right.

I use John's firmware. Make sure you've clicked on the button-thing above "Clients:" to bring up the Client Status tab on the right.

In addition, at some point, I was connecting and disconnecting to the Wi-Fi a few times, - to confirm the log entry. I think that activity should have shown the device as being active.

If you're connecting and disconnecting you should at least see DHCP activity in the router's syslog. Although the client might not show up immediately in the drop down lists.

 

[StR]

I use John's firmware. Make sure you've clicked on the button-thing above "Clients:" to bring up the Client Status tab on the right.

Oh, yes, I keep forgetting about that. I suspect, it is the same as what shows up under the the "clients list" on the same page. But in any case, - the "incognito" devices in questions still do not show there.

If you're connecting and disconnecting you should at least see DHCP activity in the router's syslog. Although the client might not show up immediately in the drop down lists.

That's exactly what I do see in the router log - as I wrote in the original message. And that's why I was turning the Wi-Fi on and off on the devices, - to generate the syslog-bound activity.
And these devices also show under "DHCP leases" and "Wireless log" tabs of the "System Log" page. There are also "ESTABLISHED" TCP connections for these devices listed in the last, "Connections" tab of that page.

 

[Atwellus]

@StR were you able to get a resolution to this issue?

I am having the same exact issue, after upgrading Merlin to the 386 release branch. The client list is empty but there are multiple clients connected to the Wi-Fi and in active use. And like you found, they do show up under "System Logs > DHCP leases" and "System Logs > Wireless log".

 

[brec]

That said, clicking Refresh on the Client Status list should repopulate it with the devices that are currently online (i.e. not in sleep mode).

Refresh doesn't work for me -- yesterday I switched my phone from my 2.4G to 5G interface and the client list is still showing it as 2.4G, with wrong IP and MAC. I know the phone is currently online -- it's in my lap showing the current weather as I type this. Meanwhile, System Log - DHCP leases is up to date.

I don't know how old this problem is on this router, as I don't look at the client list often and may have previously looked but been unware I was seeing obsolete data.

RT-AC86U, 386.2_4

 

[C3S4RM3W]

I had this issue yesterday, I even factory reset my AC66UB1 and started from scratch and this keeps happening out of the blue, it worked fine for 2 years, and I've updated to 386.2_6 the day it came out. Also, some devices fail to obtain IP Addresses on connection to the Wi-Fi networks, I don't know if it's related tho.

 

[geeyc5113]

My router not even show up any wireless client. Previously it was. after upgrade, no longer display. And the Wired tab will sometimes suddenly disappear and appear. Anyone know how to make the wireless tab display again?

 

[StR]

@StR were you able to get a resolution to this issue?

Not really. It soundss like it just happens, and nobody has any idea - why.
After some initial investigation, I have not been playing with it much,

 

[Wychwood]

I think Apple implemented a new feature in their i-devices called 'Private Address'. I was not sure which IOS it was implemented with, but 14.8 and 15.1 both have it. A quick google search found this website which discusses it:

New 'Private Address' iPhone feature could severely impact the Wi-Fi industry, expert says

MAC randomization no doubt means more privacy for Apple Wi-Fi users but may not be exactly what the Wi-Fi industry ordered. Here's more.

wifinowglobal.com

According to that article, it was added with IOS 14. This had the effect on my Asus RT-AC68U of not assigning my DHCP reserved IP addresses to the iPhones in my home, chewing up random IP addresses faster than my DHCP lease renewal rate (1 week). [Perhaps this is why I implemented a daily reboot of my router sometime last year ? Dunno. ]

Regardless of the DHCP issue, the router could not map the MAC address to a known device or resolve the device name, showing it as * or unknown device. Turning off this new feature on each IOS device for both of my wireless networks (2.4Ghz/5GHz) seems to have resolved the odd behaviour.
from what I saw on my buddies RT-AC86U today, it seems to be the same issue and use an almost identical the same interface. We both updated our routers a couple of days ago.
Mine is firmware 3.0.0.4.386_45934-gb23bdac
His is likely firmware 3.0.0.4.386.45956

HTH

 

[Wychwood]

Follow up.... I stopped my daily router reboot and made it a weekly activity. There are less random unknown devices and more known Apple i-devices on my router, but there are still devices missing. for example, my battery backup sump-pump is connected to a wireless bridge, which is LAN connected using cat6 cable to the slave mesh node. There's no reason is should not be on the device list since it's 24/7/365. sometimes it's listed, sometimes not. I have changed my DHCP lease time to 3 days now in the hopes that helps with reporting somehow.

 

[TheLev]

Does 386.2_4 contain any fixes from Asus that help this? I’ve got a friend using an AX-58 where the two Vizio (yuck!) televisions connected via Ethernet vanish from the
Network Map and require a router reboot to reappear.

 

[sfx2000]

Just note that with Apple's MAC private MAC address randomization...

Once the device is paired to a wifi network (based on the BSSID), the address will remain constant unless the device network settings is reset.

MAC addresses for networks that the device has not paired to, then the MAC addr will change every 24 hours...

This is a good thing, as it limits the amount of MAC address "finger printing" that can be used to track the device.

(there is a reason why at airports, before I get off the plane, I turn WiFi and Bluetooth off...)

Also note that it can be disabled in Settings...

 

[TheLev]

Does 386.2_4 contain any fixes from Asus that help this? I’ve got a friend using an AX-58 where the two Vizio (yuck!) televisions connected via Ethernet vanish from the
Network Map and require a router reboot to reappear.

Nope. No change. the two Ethernet connected Vizio TVs drop connection at the same time and revert to WiFi.

 

[john9527]

Nope. No change. the two Ethernet connected Vizio TVs drop connection at the same time and revert to WiFi.

Vizio TVs will only activate the wifi if there is physically no ethernet connection.....double check the cables/sockets or any switch they are plugged into.

 

[robint]

RT-AC86U running Asuswrt-Merlin 386.2_2.

I have noticed that one of the devices that is definitely connected to the router, is not listed among the connected clients on the first (Network Map) page.
It does show in the logs:

May 25 05:22:30 dnsmasq-dhcp[30212]: DHCPREQUEST(br0) 192.168.50.49 32:79:35:2a:ce:f5
May 25 05:22:30 dnsmasq-dhcp[30212]: DHCPACK(br0) 192.168.50.49 32:79:35:2a:ce:f5 Galaxy-S9

Furthermore, when I go to LAN-> DHCP Server configuration page, this MAC address does not show among either active or offline clients.

I have noticed that this MAC address was different from the actual MAC address of the phone. I've found that the phone was using random MAC addresses for Wi-Fi connections, so, I disabled it for my network. AFter that the router logs started showing the correct MAC addresss in the lines similar to the those above. But the rest remained the same: this MAC Address and associated IP didn't show in either of the two aforementioned places of the router webpage.

After this, I have powered up yet a different device, a tablet. It connected to the network, and I see the corresponding lines in the router logs, but it does not show in the clients list in Network Map. On the DHCP page, this device (it has a manually assigned IP address) shows as being offline (in the pull-down menu under "Client name").

Somehow, the router web-interface does not show all connected devices.

I could not find this issues discussed on this forum, but @zahroc has recently mentioned something similar in a thread on a different topic: http://www.snbforums.com/threads/dnsmasq-issues-10953.72705/post-690802

Do other people see this strange behavior?
I do not know if it specific to 2_2 or 386.x. I do not see this bug listed as being fixed in 386.2_4, and, I did not notice this behavior on the 2_1 version, but I might have missed it.

In fact as the OP said below
And these devices also show under "DHCP leases" and "Wireless log" tabs of the "System Log" page. There are also "ESTABLISHED" TCP connections for these devices listed in the last, "Connections" tab of that page.

it appears these sources in the sys log are the reliable one and mostly ignore what the drop down client list says, as it may get updated WHEN? This bug has wasted a lot of my time, thnx 10^6