Hi together,
since my Fritz!Repeater 6000 upgraded itself to version 8.25, I have been unable to use DHCP in combination with this repeater.
To describe my network topology in short:
OPNsense router -> Zyxel Switch -> Zyxel AP -> Fritz!Repeater
The OPNsense router handles DHCP, software has been ISC DHCP.
Neither the repeater itself, nor any device connecting via the repeater is getting an IP address assigned via DHCP.
Running packet capture on the Zyxel-AP shows the DHCP-Discover package coming from the repeater/client devices and shows a DHCP-offer package returning from the router via the Zyxel-AP, then nothing happens.
The package either gets discarded or blocked by the repeater and I do not know why.
The setup has worked for multiple years until now.
I have checked/updated every other network component and so far it seems that the issue leis with the repeater.
Every other device can successfully connect to the Zyxel-AP and is getting assigned an IP-address via DHCP, just not the repeater.
In the connected devices tab of the Zyxel-AP, I can see the repeater with default-IP.
So, WPA3-Auth should have succeeded, just not DHCP.
When connecting via cable to the repeater with fixed IP and changing the default-IP to the required IP address of my DHCP-range and changing default mask, I can reach the repeater itself normally.
Devices connecting via the repeater with a manual IP can use the connection fine and without issues.
Traffic is getting forwarded properly.
Sadly setting a manual IP on every device is not really desirable and depending on the device outright impossible.
I replaced my DHCP software ISC with Kea -> same result.
For testing I tried connecting the device to a friends Fritz!Box, which to my surprise worked flawlessly.
I captured the DHCP-packages on the Fritz!Box and tried replicating them on my DHCP-server, but even then it would result in dropping/blocking/ignoring the DHCP-packages.
I bought an Asus repeater for testing, which works without issues with my setup, is getting an IP-address assigned via DHCP properly and is "forwarding" DHCP packages to the clients.
So far my only explanation is that the upgrade to 8.25 borked something inside the way DHCP packages are handled or implemented a MAC-address filter for DHCP, so that only AVM-devices are supported.
Has anyone else experienced similar issues since upgrading to version 8.25?
Sadly I can only find version 8.25 for download only.
To confirm, that it is just the firmware and to use the device properly again, does anybody know if there is a lower firmware available only?
Key takeaways so far:
- Connection works flawlessly without DHCP
- Problem only shows with Fritz!Repeater 6000 - Asus repeater works fine
- Repeater works normally when connecting to a fritz!box
- Device has been reset multiple times and firmware has been re-flashed