Need help. Main router looses connection when 2nd router in AP mode reboots

[stylish_me]

Hello. I have Rt-n66 running latest Merlin as a router and rt-n16 and rt-n18 running asus latest firmwares in AP mode connected via wire to rt-n66.
When i reboot rt-n18 manually - rt-n6looses connection and i see following lines:

Jul 14 17:58:34 stop_nat_rules: apply the redirect_rules!
Jul 14 17:58:40 WAN(0)_Connection: WAN was exceptionally disconnected.
Jul 14 17:59:00 rc_service: wanduck 275:notify_rc restart_wan_if 0
Jul 14 17:59:00 miniupnpd[16805]: ioctl(s, SIOCGIFADDR, ...): Cannot assign requested address
Jul 14 17:59:00 miniupnpd[16805]: Failed to get IP for interface vlan2
Jul 14 17:59:00 miniupnpd[16805]: SendNATPMPPublicAddressChangeNotification: cannot get public IP address, stopping
Jul 14 17:59:00 miniupnpd[16805]: ioctl(s, SIOCGIFADDR, ...): Cannot assign requested address
Jul 14 17:59:00 miniupnpd[16805]: ioctl(s, SIOCGIFADDR, ...): Cannot assign requested address

When i reboot rt-n16 - everything works ok. And there are no new lines in log file.

I tried to reset rt-n18, flash latest firmware and so on. But still the same problem.

May be someone knows what is the problem?

Thank you!

 

[CaptainSTX]

Hello. I have Rt-n66 running latest Merlin as a router and rt-n16 and rt-n18 running asus latest firmwares in AP mode connected via wire to rt-n66.
When i reboot rt-n18 manually - rt-n6looses connection and i see following lines:

Jul 14 17:58:34 stop_nat_rules: apply the redirect_rules!
Jul 14 17:58:40 WAN(0)_Connection: WAN was exceptionally disconnected.
Jul 14 17:59:00 rc_service: wanduck 275:notify_rc restart_wan_if 0
Jul 14 17:59:00 miniupnpd[16805]: ioctl(s, SIOCGIFADDR, ...): Cannot assign requested address
Jul 14 17:59:00 miniupnpd[16805]: Failed to get IP for interface vlan2
Jul 14 17:59:00 miniupnpd[16805]: SendNATPMPPublicAddressChangeNotification: cannot get public IP address, stopping
Jul 14 17:59:00 miniupnpd[16805]: ioctl(s, SIOCGIFADDR, ...): Cannot assign requested address
Jul 14 17:59:00 miniupnpd[16805]: ioctl(s, SIOCGIFADDR, ...): Cannot assign requested address

When i reboot rt-n16 - everything works ok. And there are no new lines in log file.

I tried to reset rt-n18, flash latest firmware and so on. But still the same problem.

May be someone knows what is the problem?

Thank you!

If you have setup the N18 in the AP mode try setting the LAN on the N18 to get an IP automatically. If you aren't running in the AP mode check that get WAN IP is automatic, DHCP server is off and see that cable from N66 is plugged into a LAN port if you currently plugged into the WAN port. If this eleiminates the problem you can then set a static LAN IP if you want and move the cable from the N66 back to the WAN port if you need all four LAN ports on the N18.

 

[stylish_me]

Full

If you have setup the N18 in the AP mode try setting the LAN on the N18 to get an IP automatically. If you aren't running in the AP mode check that get WAN IP is automatic, DHCP server is off and see that cable from N66 is plugged into a LAN port if you currently plugged into the WAN port. If this eleiminates the problem you can then set a static LAN IP if you want and move the cable from the N66 back to the WAN port if you need all four LAN ports on the N18.

Thanx for your reply!
n18 is in AP mode - so dhcp is disabled by default. And it gets ip automatically from n66, double checked this setting. Fixed ip is assigned to n18 on n66's side.
Cable from n66 is plugged into n18's WAN port and into n16's WAN port. N16's reboot doesnt effect n66, but each time i reboot n18 - n66 says "WAN was exceptionally disconnected." - twice.
Even more - both n16 and n18 have absolutely the same settings (different ip's for sure). Internet works ok, but dual wan is not working on n66 and i get this double offline every time n18 reboots.

The only possible problem source that i see is that i haven't done factory reset on my n66 for over a year. I have too many clients with manually assigned names and ip's on n66's side - and i see no option to backup this only data.

Thanx again!

 

[PolarBear]

i haven't done factory reset on my n66 for over a year. I have too many clients with manually assigned names and ip's on n66's side - and i see no option to backup this only data.

It can take a long time to document all the settings, do a factory reset and then enter all the settings again. As you have found, this is quite a discouragement to performing a factory reset, even when it's needed.

But what really really helps in this regard is the NVRAM save/restore tool developed by John9527. I have used this several times and it really does ease the pain of a factory reset.

All the settings can be restored to a file before the reset, and the file can then be restored after the reset. Included in the restore will be your manually assigned client names and IP addresses.

Link here:
https://www.snbforums.com/threads/user-nvram-save-restore-utility-r24a.19521/

Hope this helps

 

[stylish_me]

NVRAM save/restore tool developed by John9527.

Sounds great but as far as i understand - factory reset is made to clear all data from the router. And this tool copies all the data (mistakes, corrupted data and so on) back from the old router's settings.

 

[PolarBear]

Sounds great but as far as i understand - factory reset is made to clear all data from the router. And this tool copies all the data (mistakes, corrupted data and so on) back from the old router's settings.

The tools copies back a lot of variables. I'm not sure if these can contain invalid values, and so cause problems. Others more knowledgeable than me would be able to answer this.

But if you are worried about restoring corrupted data, you can edit the file before restoring it, to remove everything *except* the variables which hold the customised DHCP client names and IP addresses.

Just be sure to use an editor which writes the Unix end of line character (which is different from the one used in Windows). Notepad+ has been mentioned in other threads. I use TextPad which can also do this. There is also a built-in editor in Merlin called nano which you could use.

In this way you refresh everything, except the customised client details, which you mentioned are the main discouragement to performing a reset.

 

[stylish_me]

In this way you refresh everything, except the customised client details, which you mentioned are the main discouragement to performing a reset.

Great thank you very much for your help! I'll give it a try!

 

[CaptainSTX]

Full


Thanx for your reply!
n18 is in AP mode - so dhcp is disabled by default. And it gets ip automatically from n66, double checked this setting. Fixed ip is assigned to n18 on n66's side.
Cable from n66 is plugged into n18's WAN port and into n16's WAN port. N16's reboot doesnt effect n66, but each time i reboot n18 - n66 says "WAN was exceptionally disconnected." - twice.
Even more - both n16 and n18 have absolutely the same settings (different ip's for sure). Internet works ok, but dual wan is not working on n66 and i get this double offline every time n18 reboots.

The only possible problem source that i see is that i haven't done factory reset on my n66 for over a year. I have too many clients with manually assigned names and ip's on n66's side - and i see no option to backup this only data.

Thanx again!

You certainly appear to have everything set up correctly but since you don't want to reset the N66 try varying some settings as they apply to the N66/N18. Disable the static IP set on the N66 for the N18 and let the N66 assign an IP from its pool. Also just to eliminate a bad WAN port on the N18 causing an issue plug the cable from the N66 into a LAN port as a test and then try switching the LAN port on the N66 feeding the N18.

 

[stylish_me]

You certainly appear to have everything set up correctly but since you don't want to reset the N66 try varying some settings as they apply to the N66/N18. Disable the static IP set on the N66 for the N18 and let the N66 assign an IP from its pool. Also just to eliminate a bad WAN port on the N18 causing an issue plug the cable from the N66 into a LAN port as a test and then try switching the LAN port on the N66 feeding the N18.

I like this wan-lan port idea. I have a spare lan port on n18. So you say i can plug cable from n66 into lan port on n18 instead on wan port and everything will work the same? I'll give it a try.
But the more i think - the more i understand that i'll have to do factory reset on n66. Reset from the routers UI is enough or i need to do smth else? Thanx a lot!

 

[CaptainSTX]

I like this wan-lan port idea. I have a spare lan port on n18. So you say i can plug cable from n66 into lan port on n18 instead on wan port and everything will work the same? I'll give it a try.
But the more i think - the more i understand that i'll have to do factory reset on n66. Reset from the routers UI is enough or i need to do smth else? Thanx a lot!

Using a LAN port for the backhaul eliminates two potential problems; first that the firware setting that converts the WAN to a LAN port isn't malfunctioning, second that the WAN port is malfunctioning.

Lots of routers don't have the capability to be converted to APs using software settings so your setup is to connect to a LAN port and disable DHCP.

PS: Before doing a factory reset I would take the N18 and connect it directly to the N66 with a 3' jumper cable to eliminate the possibility that your back haul cable has gone bad.

 

[john9527]

The tools copies back a lot of variables. I'm not sure if these can contain invalid values, and so cause problems. Others more knowledgeable than me would be able to answer this.

The tool only copies the 'user' values (primarily those set through the gui) and not the hidden system values so the system values can be reset by a factory default.

If you do indeed have a corrupted 'user' value, it will indeed restore the bad value. So it's use is primarily in updating properly running systems for a new firmware. But, if you have a problem, you can try it to see if the 'system' values are the ones corrupted. If it still fails, then you need to reset and configure manually.

 

[stylish_me]

So factory reset from router's UI is enough or i need to do smth else to getr full factory reset?

 

[martinr]

So factory reset from router's UI is enough or i need to do smth else to getr full factory reset?

From Merlin at https://www.snbforums.com/threads/faq-nvram-and-factory-default-reset.22822/ (Well worth reading the whole page.)

"How do I do a factory default reset?
Multiple ways to do so, which will depend on your particular situation.

...

If the router is booting correctly, then you can use any of the following:

• While router is running, press the reset button for about 5 secs, then release it. Router will then reboot.
• From the webui, on the same page where you can save/restore saved settings, there is a button to restore factory default values.. "

 

[martinr]

I run a Linksys WRT54GL as an access point (running DD-WRT) connected to my main router (RT-AC68U) by a long ethernet cable.

The cable must be plugged into a LAN port on the AP. When, in my ignorance, I first plugged it into the AP's WAN port, it wouldn't work.