Static IP for Echo?

[FrankAZ]

I'd like to be able to manually assign network configuration instead of relying on DHCP.


Here's why. My Echo is now in a location which requires me to use WiFi, MoCa, or PowerLine technologies to extend my home network to it unless I want to drill/rip and eventually thread a UV-rated and waterproof CAT-5e/6 cable outside my home. For now I'm having success with a dedicated (spare/obsolete) WiFi AccessPoint at my closest network reach and a Netgear WNCE2001 WiFi/Ethernet adapter carefully oriented behind my Echo. So far so good with a reliable 60-80Mbps link, though I'd switch to MoCa or bite the bullet and run Ethernet cable if I saw any problems.

Now, the WNCE2001 is a simple bridging beast and presents itself and the attached ethernet component (the Echo) to my network as a single MAC address. That messes up the DHCP server implementation of my Gateway Router. I can hard-configure the LAN side of my WNCE2001 as one fixed IP but the Echo always uses DHCP. That results in a DHCP request for the Echo from the MAC address which is already using the WNCE2001's fixed IP. The best I can do without establishing a more configurable DHCP server in my network is to arrange everything so that the Echo is granted a variable IP from the range I use for DHCP guests, and I can't reserve that IP because of that prior registered MAC problem.

It works, but the neat-freak in me would prefer to allocate my Echo a fixed IP in the range I use for my other A/V components. I like to use fixed IPs wherever I can because it removes dependency on a sane DHCP server.

Frank.

[Moderator note: topic split from Feature Requests thread]

[hpservertech]

I asked for static IP the first day I had the Echo during the beta. Many others have asked for it as well and nothing has ever been said about it. Sad that the Xbox can do this or even an AV receiver but the Echo can't.

[barnabas1969]

I asked for static IP the first day I had the Echo during the beta. Many others have asked for it as well and nothing has ever been said about it. Sad that the Xbox can do this or even an AV receiver but the Echo can't.

I think they have bigger fish to fry before adding stuff like a static IP. Although, it seems like an easy thing to add.

[Sammy2]

Why not just assign the echo a static IP in your router's settings?

[barnabas1969]

Why not just assign the echo a static IP in your router's settings?

That's what I did, but I think some people are trying to avoid the delay of waiting for the DHCP server to respond. In some cases, this can take a few seconds.

[Sammy2]

Why not just assign the echo a static IP in your router's settings?

That's what I did, but I think some people are trying to avoid the delay of waiting for the DHCP server to respond. In some cases, this can take a few seconds.

If it is static what does the DHCP server have to do with it? I have no delays and I use dynamic IP addressing in my router. It assigns the same IP address to all devices upon renewal anyhow.

[barnabas1969]

Why not just assign the echo a static IP in your router's settings?

That's what I did, but I think some people are trying to avoid the delay of waiting for the DHCP server to respond. In some cases, this can take a few seconds.

If it is static what does the DHCP server have to do with it? I have no delays and I use dynamic IP addressing in my router. It assigns the same IP address to all devices upon renewal anyhow.

If you assign a static IP in your router's DHCP server, the Echo (or any other device) still has to send a DHCP request to the router. The DHCP server in the router then assigns the IP that you told it to assign. This still takes some time. Usually, it happens in milliseconds, but in some network configurations, it can take a few seconds.

[Sammy2]

Being as the echo is left on I don't see this issue plus my router is real fast too.

[barnabas1969]

Being as the echo is left on I don't see this issue plus my router is real fast too.

It's not an issue for me either and I don't leave mine turned on (so that I can use the WOL to wake my PC when the Echo turns on), but this is the only reason I could think of to set a static IP in the Echo. Either that, or if someone has an Echo that they use on a network with no connectivity to the Internet and no DHCP server.

[warpster]

If you assign a static IP in your router's DHCP server, the Echo (or any other device) still has to send a DHCP request to the router. The DHCP server in the router then assigns the IP that you told it to assign. This still takes some time. Usually, it happens in milliseconds, but in some network configurations, it can take a few seconds.

The client never drops the current IP address unless it cannot renew the lease before the lease expires. It will send a renewal request at half life 50% and if that fails will again request at 87.5% of the lease interval. It will also renew its lease at each restart. When it receives the renewal acknowledgement it updates the lease period and any configuration parameters that have changed but the IP address never changes or drops unless it fails to renew the lease in time. You should not be seeing the IP drop....as long as you have it statically assigned in the DHCP server.

[foxwood]

The Echo doesn't remember it's IP address when it's powered off - so the theoretical delay only occurs when the device is turned on. The renewal behavior of DHCP clients is irrelevant in this case.

[hmmurdock]

I couldn't care less about the delay. I want my TV viewing to be as reliable and headache free as possible once configured. Using DHCP adds another piece of equipment and another point of failure for my TV viewing experience.

It is as simple as this: When Using DHCP I have to have a perfectly functioning router to watch TV. Without DHCP my router can catch fire and I'll still be able to watch TV.

I also asked for static IPs for the Echo early on in the beta and I still think it is a VERY important piece of basic functionality (I hesitate to call it a "feature") that has yet to be added.

[barnabas1969]

I guess I can't argue with the idea that a dead router could stop you from watching TV. That would suck. I never thought of it before.

As far as the delay is concerned, I used my Echo last night and it said "IP address:NONE" for 5-10 seconds when I turned it on. I don't know if it really took that long to get an IP address, or if the Echo is doing something else during this period (before it sends the DHCP request). But I can tell you that all of the other wired clients in my house get an IP address immediately. I'm certain that my router does not take 5-10 seconds to issue an IP address.

<rant>This is a little OT, but really... the Echo does not measure up to my Linksys and HP extenders. Skip forward/back on the Echo sucks... especially skip-back. I have my PC set to the default skip intervals. When skipping back on the Echo, I actually end up moving forward a second or two by the time it begins playing again. Skip forward is slow to respond, but skip back is totally useless on the Echo. Both work fine on my HP and Linksys extenders.</rant>

[Sammy2]

I never see anything but the IP address of the echo on the connecting screen right before it connects.

[TeddyR]

Reminds me of a discussion of another product that also does not support static IPs. In their case it could not be changed since the unit had not way to "reset" the ip if there was a misconfiguration.

For those that see a long time before the echo or other devices get an ip address (30-45 seconds), and have a managed switch, the issue could be related to spanning tree (a process which a switch tries to determine if the connected device is another switch and to try to make sure there are no loops that could cause broadcast storms). Until the STP is negotiated, the ports may be disabled from passing traffic. To resolve the issue the ports will probably need to be configued in "access", "edge" or "device" mode to allow the dhcp packets to be recieved by the dhcp server quicker.

On cisco and dell devices, the port should be set to enable "port fast"
On netgear devices, the port should be set to enable "fast link"
On HP switches, the port should be configured as "admin-edge-port"

[warpster]

I never see anything but the IP address of the echo on the connecting screen right before it connects.

That's all I ever see also.....if the OP is seeing 5-10 second delays I would be looking into the network topology, something doesn't sound right. If you go to one of your PCs (that is set for DHCP) and do an IPCONFIG /Release and then an IPCONFIG /Renew how long does the Renew take? If you saw the delay here also then something is amiss with the network or your DHCP server. If it is immediate then maybe the Echo is to blame???

As far as configuring the Echo to use a (true) static IP I agree it should be able to do this. Setting the static IP could be problematic though. You would need to let it come up using DHCP so that it could connect to the Media Center host and then possibly with the Ceton add-in you could configure the static IP and reboot for it to take affect. But if the IP you entered was wrong (like wrong subnet) you wouldn't be able to reconnect to get to it to correct it...that would require being able to set the static IP through the remote without the Echo connected to a host and without being able to see what you are doing. Or Ceton could set it up so it first tried to connect with the static IP, if that failed attempt DHCP and if that failed use the Microsoft 169.XX.XX.XX address. You would always be able to connect using that logic.

[hmmurdock]

...that would require being able to set the static IP through the remote without the Echo connected to a host and without being able to see what you are doing. Or Ceton could set it up so it first tried to connect with the static IP, if that failed attempt DHCP and if that failed use the Microsoft 169.XX.XX.XX address. You would always be able to connect using that logic.

Well, I wouldn't recommend implementing static IP options on the Echo unless it could be changed via a configuration page on the Echo. In the event the IP is mis-configured all you'd need to do is plug in a USB keyboard and reconfigure.

[foxwood]

use the Microsoft 169.XX.XX.XX address.

That's nothing to do with Microsoft. "Link local" addresses are specified in RFC 5735.

Here's Wikipedia's take on the matter.

[barnabas1969]

I can release/renew my IP address on a PC, and I get it in less than a second. The Echo sits for almost 10 seconds with "IP address:NONE" on the screen. Sum Ting Wong.

I don't have a managed switch anymore. The used one I bought (at the recommendation of one of the members here) died 2 weeks after I bought it. The seller then sent me a replacement that had two dead ports and refused to go into managed mode. So, I bought a brand new un-managed switch. All of my other devices get an IP in a split second.

[Sammy2]

...that would require being able to set the static IP through the remote without the Echo connected to a host and without being able to see what you are doing. Or Ceton could set it up so it first tried to connect with the static IP, if that failed attempt DHCP and if that failed use the Microsoft 169.XX.XX.XX address. You would always be able to connect using that logic.

Well, I wouldn't recommend implementing static IP options on the Echo unless it could be changed via a configuration page on the Echo. In the event the IP is mis-configured all you'd need to do is plug in a USB keyboard and reconfigure.

This quote.. Where did it come from? I don't recall ever saying that. [Corrected by Moderator]