How to set up DSL-AC68U without its DHCP server running?

[chrisisbd]

I have a DSL-AC68U which I want to configure (initially at least) without its DHCP server running but there seems to be no way to set the default gateway and the DNS server to use.

I've set them in the DHCP Server settings but since the DHCP server isn't running I don't think the settings are having any effect.

I can't even see where I could tell the router to acquire its settings from another DHCP server (which would work OK, just not give the DSL-AC68U a fixed address).

The DSL-AC68U runs but I can't do much because it can't see things like an NTP server which I need before I can run amtm.

 

[ColinTaylor]

I have a DSL-AC68U which I want to configure (initially at least) without its DHCP server running but there seems to be no way to set the default gateway and the DNS server to use.

I'm confused. You seem to be talking about two different things. The LAN DHCP server can be disabled in the LAN settings.

You talk about the gateway and the DNS server. Are you referring to what the router will use for itself (i.e. to get to the internet). That would be the DHCP client running on the WAN interface. The "WAN Connection Type" can be changed from Automatic (DHCP) to Static. But in either case the WAN DNS servers can be set manually.

 

[chrisisbd]

I'm confused. You seem to be talking about two different things. The LAN DHCP server can be disabled in the LAN settings.

Yes, I've disabled the DHCP server.

You talk about the gateway and the DNS server. Are you referring to what the router will use for itself (i.e. to get to the internet).

Yes, I want the DSL-AC68U to use another DHCP server that is on my LAN.

That would be the DHCP client running on the WAN interface. The "WAN Connection Type" can be changed from Automatic (DHCP) to Static. But in either case the WAN DNS servers can be set manually.

Ah, but I don't want to use the WAN interface, I want the DSL-AC68U to connect via my LAN. I need to do quite a lot of configuration and testing of the DSL-AC68U before it takes over from my existing Draytek 2860n so I have configured the DSL-AC68U to have a fixed IP of 192.168.1.21. The DNS server is at 192.168.1.2 and the default route (the 2860n) is 192.168.1.1.

As it is the DSL-AC68U can only connect to other devices on my LAN and even those I have to use numeric addresses.

The real problem is that I want to run amtm and that fails because the DSL-AC68U can't see an NTP server.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Ah, but I don't want to use the WAN interface, I want the DSL-AC68U to connect via my LAN.

That's not a valid configuration as far as the Asus is concerned. In router mode it expects to have an upstream network connected to the WAN interface. That said people have had some success by manually setting the default gateway from the router's SSH prompt. It depends on what exactly you've done with the WAN interface, e.g. disabled, static, DHCP, etc.

 

[chrisisbd]

OK, thanks, so it looks as if I will have to do some fairly low level command line stuff with 'route' and such. I can cope with that OK.

I don't really understand why amtm insists on the router knowing the right time though!

 

[chrisisbd]

Yes! Thanks for all the help. All that was needed was a simple 'route add gw 192.168.1.1' and editing /etc/resolv.conf to point at my local DNS.

I have amtm working now so I can install entware which was the basic object of the exercise.

 

[RMerlin]

I don't really understand why amtm insists on the router knowing the right time though!

Because AMTM needs to download files over HTTPS, and HTTPS requires an accurate clock, otherwise the certificate will be considered invalid.