Saving the multiple DHCP Static Lists and Custom Client Lists from 3006 Routers with Guest Network Pro?

[jksmurf]

As noted a few times in various posts I’ve been using WinSCP and just saving several files from the router containing dhcp reservation details, then copying them back into /jffs/nvram, for many years, without issue.

For one fixed DHCP list (under the LAN, DHCP tab) that 3004 FW had, it worked fine for me (although I will admit @Tech9 noted some concerns).

There are currently (now) 4 methods I know of for saving just the DHCP Lists (excluding Backupmon which does a wholescale backup). These are:

1. Via SSH (putty etc.) using the nvram commands summarised in this post; credit to @ColinTaylor
2. Using WinSCP by just copying (drag and drop) the dhcp_staticlist and custom_clientlist files from /jffs/nvram across to a local drive (and back when you needed to); this was my preferred option, see attachment.
3. Via the YazDHCP Addon, which I do not use, so I have no idea how it works; I am loathe to install it just for the backup feature and as RMerlin noted here, Guest Network Pro adds Static Lists for Guest Networks, so YazDHCP is less relevant in that regard.
4. Via amendments to the dnsmasq.conf.add file that already exists in /jffs/config/ used by Jeffrey Young who references this source for format.
   
   Line format is:
   

   dhcp-host=[<hwaddr>][,id:<client_id>|*][,set:<tag>][,tag:<tag>][,<ipaddr>][,<hostname>][,<lease_time>][,ignore]

   
   Example from Jeffrey Young, with lease time:
   

   dhcp-host=00:90:A9:3B:5F:01,192.168.0.14,homecloud,3600

   
   Example from palo857 from thread here:
   

   # desktop
   dhcp-host=F8:4D:89:69:16:0A,id:*,bernhard,192.168.1.20
   dhcp-host=D0:11:E5:88:7D:9A,id:*,pminiz-wifi,192.168.1.22
   dhcp-host=E4:A4:71:B0:0D:B5,id:*,tpad-palo-wifi,192.168.1.26
   dhcp-host=98:90:96:BD:DF:E2,id:*,home-assistant,192.168.1.29

However with the advent of additional lists in Guest Network Pro VLANs (see attachments), albeit only 32# for each VLAN (think lots of IoT devices...), I am unsure where these additional lists are saved. I looked in the dhcp_staticlist and custom_clientlist files but they are not populated with Guest or IoT VLAN DHCP details. The original ones (for the Primary Network) remain unchanged however.

So, does anyone know:

(i) where these new lists are kept; and
(ii) can I download them or access them as before and upload replacements if I ever do a factory reset, without borking the entire system?

It's no good exporting the Client List from the Network Map (even though you can do this), because that is just a snapshot of what is online at any one time and you can't put it back anyway.

I am happy to input most setup details from screencaps, but the total 64# DHCP in the primary network PLUS now up to 32# (times five VLANs???) is a lot of IP Addresses and Custom Names to enter back by hand.

Ta.

[EDIT] To add the very useful and still reasonably simply dnsmasq.conf.add approach used by Jeffrey Young

 

[dave14305]

where these new lists are kept

It looks like there should be new nvram variables named dhcpres*_rl that are numbered with the sdn index.

 

[bennor]

Has anyone tried creating a /jffs/scripts/dnsmasq.postconf file to manually assign IP addresses to Asus-Merlin 3006.102_x Guest Network Pro clients? If it works, similar or the same as it does under the 3004 firmware (when using YazFi), it may provide another way to backup the GNP manual reservations (when "Use same subnet as main network" is disabled in GNP's settings).

Was waiting for the Asus-Merlin firmware to hit beta on the RT-AX86U Pro before trying to take a stab at a dnsmasq.postconf file for Guest Network Pro IP reservations.

 

[Jeffrey Young]

I have always used a dnsmasq.conf.add file to add my static dhcp entries. Easy to maintain, and easy to keep a backup copy. With 3006 out, there is a dnsmasq instance per SDN now. Merlin has added a dnsmasq-INDEX.conf.add so you can add to each instance.

 

[jksmurf]

I have always used a dnsmasq.conf.add file to add my static dhcp entries. Easy to maintain, and easy to keep a backup copy. With 3006 out, there is a dnsmasq instance per SDN now. Merlin has added a dnsmasq-INDEX.conf.add so you can add to each instance.

Nice, thank you. This would be a new way to do it for me.

I could WinSCP the dnsmasq.conf.add file and dnsmasq-INDEX.conf.add files (one for each VLAN) from the /jffs/config directory on the router to my desktop, add or amend lines with a little help from some concatenation/parsing/sorting in Excel, copy back to the dnmasq text file and then re-upload it to /jffs/config. Does it have any issues with existing dhcp entries or does it just start afresh each time?

Quick question, this SDN Index, is that the VLAN No? So e.g. if I have VLAN 53 it would be dnsmasq-53.conf.add?

 

[bennor]

In addition to the dnsmasq-INDEX.conf.add mentioned above, there is also dnsmasq-sdn.postconf. From the 3006 change log:

3006.102.1 (28-Jun-2024)
- NEW: Added dnsmasq-INDEX.conf.add and stubby-INDEX.yml.add, which are appended to SDN config files (INDEX = SDN index number)
- NEW: Added dnsmasq-sdn.postconf and stubby-sdn.postconf.
They take two arguments:
- path to the config file for that SDN's instance
- the SDN index number (1 for the first SDN instance)

 

[jksmurf]

In addition to the dnsmasq-INDEX.conf.add mentioned above, there is also dnsmasq-sdn.postconf. From the 3006 change log:

3006.102.1 (28-Jun-2024)
- NEW: Added dnsmasq-INDEX.conf.add and stubby-INDEX.yml.add, which are appended to SDN config files (INDEX = SDN index number)
- NEW: Added dnsmasq-sdn.postconf and stubby-sdn.postconf.
They take two arguments:
- path to the config file for that SDN's instance
- the SDN index number (1 for the first SDN instance)

Thanks bennor...hmmm OK ... well of those, I think I only understand (now) what dnsmasq-INDEX.conf.add does.

If the other items are needed for the swift backup and reload of dhcp static reservations, or at least useful for them, I think my feeble brain is going to need some more explanation and some examples to clarify them, for the purposes of this particuar query .

[EDIT] Another quick question, will these entries in dnsmasq.conf.add or dnsmasq-INDEX.conf.add show up in the WebGUI? A separate thread suggests no, is this still the case? Maybe I had looked at this approach a long time ago and was probably why I stuck with the simple dhcp_staticlist and custom_clientlist transfers, which "do" populate the GUI with entires (or they always did for me anwyay). I'd really like the GUI to be populated, the limit of 64 (Primary) and 32 (per VLAN) notwithstanding.