Ran DD-WRT on mine, circa 2010 turned it into a wireless client/bridge, making an Ethernet-only Zonet 480p IP cam wireless!
DHCP or static?
- Thread starter EDCK
- Start date
mat200
IPCT Contributor
- Jan 17, 2017
- 15,088
- 25,478
I prefer static ips for everything that is not a mobile device ..
And dhcp with Mac address for mobile devices in my lan
Guest lan I track Mac addresses but do not allow them to access lan .. only internet
And dhcp with Mac address for mobile devices in my lan
Guest lan I track Mac addresses but do not allow them to access lan .. only internet
That’s why DHCP Reservation based on MAC addressing was created.
This is one of the reasons why I dumped my traditional router and went with pfSense. I like to use DHCP on the device but set up a reserved ip address in the router (DHCP Static Mapping). I found that even with a high-end consumer router, they simply did not have enough 'memory' to hold all of my reservations. I ended up buying a Protectli 6-port, which has worked great for the past 4 years. I actually have (4) physical networks, no vlans (1 secure lan, 1 secure wifi, and a 'dirty' lan and 'dirty' wifi for my iot devices)
mat200
IPCT Contributor
- Jan 17, 2017
- 15,088
- 25,478
In case someone needs this and doesn't know about it:
www.dhcpserver.de
A portable DHCP server for windows, great for running alongside BI or whatever Windows VMS you happen to use. Saves the configuration on a plain text file. Easy to administer, configure and backup.
DHCP Server for Windows
www.dhcpserver.de
A portable DHCP server for windows, great for running alongside BI or whatever Windows VMS you happen to use. Saves the configuration on a plain text file. Easy to administer, configure and backup.
I too use DHCP with reserved static addresses assigned. I find this to the be best of both worlds. My individual devices are set up for DHCP, so if there was ever a networking issue, or I had a need to bench test a device or other similar situations, I would be able to connect to the device without any problems even if the "local network" I used for that purpose was different than my regular network scheme. However the router will assign the same reserved IP address anytime that device comes onto the normal network. This gives me the consistency of a static IP address so that managing those devices is easier (via network GUIs) as well as insuring that my camera feeds in BI and other home automation functions/systems still work reliably even if the network gets reset (power outage, router software update, etc).
You obviously don't need to reserve addresses for every device however. There are plenty of devices (like mobile devices) that only need to be on the network but don't need to be accessed by other devices on the network and therefore don't need a reserved address. Furthermore, mobile devices likely to be replaced more frequently than any other devices, so there is no need to add "extra work" by assigning reserved addresses for them. Even still, I have over 100 reserved addresses assigned in my pfSense software spread out across multiple VLANs.
You obviously don't need to reserve addresses for every device however. There are plenty of devices (like mobile devices) that only need to be on the network but don't need to be accessed by other devices on the network and therefore don't need a reserved address. Furthermore, mobile devices likely to be replaced more frequently than any other devices, so there is no need to add "extra work" by assigning reserved addresses for them. Even still, I have over 100 reserved addresses assigned in my pfSense software spread out across multiple VLANs.
Last edited:
Stick with static IPs if you're comfortable with them and already have a system to track them. If you're okay with managing by MAC addresses, DHCP could offer more flexibility.
In a small home (flat network) Static Addressing is fine so long as you have a working schema. If not, the vast majority of network related issues due to IP Address Conflicts.
Using DHCP MAC Reservation as the other member noted allows changes on the fly without conflict, impact, or on-site configuration.
In a simple home networking environment that’s not much of a problem. As you break more than fifty network devices - mistakes and conflicts will arise.
Other things to keep in mind as it relates to DHCP is to define the lease time to an appropriate interval.
As with any network appliance it’s imperative to test, validate, and document how each device behaves when the DHCP Lease is released / renewed.
You’ll be very surprised to see how many devices are none conform-ant in accepting a new IP Address due to shitty firmware!
Using DHCP MAC Reservation as the other member noted allows changes on the fly without conflict, impact, or on-site configuration.
In a simple home networking environment that’s not much of a problem. As you break more than fifty network devices - mistakes and conflicts will arise.
Other things to keep in mind as it relates to DHCP is to define the lease time to an appropriate interval.
As with any network appliance it’s imperative to test, validate, and document how each device behaves when the DHCP Lease is released / renewed.
You’ll be very surprised to see how many devices are none conform-ant in accepting a new IP Address due to shitty firmware!
“Automagically” Is a word a prefer to avoid. If I set a static IP, it’s pretty much set in stone. Every network I touch “automagically” gets an excel file, customized to itself with everything I find on the network or place on the network, down to usernames and passwords for anything I’ve previously accessed. This includes gateways, cameras, Wireless Links, switch management IPs, VLAN tagging for any or all ports, you name it.
the technology “gurus” on here may disagree with statics because the router can do the job for you but I’ll call it what it is: LAZY and if it’s something you’re being paid to manage, irresponsible.
the technology “gurus” on here may disagree with statics because the router can do the job for you but I’ll call it what it is: LAZY and if it’s something you’re being paid to manage, irresponsible.
bigredfish
Known around here
I suppose to each their own but I’m doing camera systems a little bigger than what comes out of one box from Sam’s Club.
FWIW, no Dahua cameras or Dahua NVR's are sold at Sam's Club or Costco.....and I'm with you on static IP's.
I've been assigning unique, static IP's that are outside the router's DHCP pool to devices a long time and never had an issue; especially when "back in the day" that few, if any, ISP-furnished ADSL modem/router combos had the feature to make an IP reservation.
EDIT: To clarify, I'll set a static IP on a POE NVR's LAN but I let a POE NVR do what they do when it comes to handling the cam's IP's.
Last edited:
bigredfish
Known around here
\
Hey now, I buy all my high end stuff at Costco.... Still learning all these fancy buttons n stuff. Mebbe you can teach me?
Last edited:
Yeah, I’m dealing with 100+ camera installations with Avigilon specific or Digital Watchdog specific that are spread out over several fiber linked or RF linked campuses on my larger projects that I maintain. For an at-home Dahua system it would still drive me nuts to have some hardware controlling IP addresses for me but I get it, if it’s good at it, let it do it. Two DHCP servers would probably drive me nuts especially if their ranges are remotely close to overlapping.
bigredfish
Known around here
I dont think you understood what I said tongue in cheek but still valid Forgive my attempt at humor as I tend to use that term relative to this one very specific instance:
When one uses a Dahua NVR with its own built in PoE switch, and newish Dahua cameras, it is best to plug the camera in to the NVR PoE port and allow it and the NVR to negotiate an automated initialization. The NVR assigns a static IP from its (default) 10.1.1.x) switch to the camera, and also gives the camera a (default) login/password the same as the NVR so that they know how to communicate.
If one manually intercepts the camera before this auto-negotiation and tries to "manually add" the camera, frequently it will get the wrong port# and be unreachable.
This built in PoE switch provides an obvious security benefit as the cameras are now on a separate subnet, unreachable from outside without logging into the NVR with local credentials and a local IP.
When one uses a Dahua NVR with its own built in PoE switch, and newish Dahua cameras, it is best to plug the camera in to the NVR PoE port and allow it and the NVR to negotiate an automated initialization. The NVR assigns a static IP from its (default) 10.1.1.x) switch to the camera, and also gives the camera a (default) login/password the same as the NVR so that they know how to communicate.
If one manually intercepts the camera before this auto-negotiation and tries to "manually add" the camera, frequently it will get the wrong port# and be unreachable.
This built in PoE switch provides an obvious security benefit as the cameras are now on a separate subnet, unreachable from outside without logging into the NVR with local credentials and a local IP.
Last edited:
I do static DHCP.tbis way DHCP doesn't give another device that IP address which I have had happen. I use DHCP reservation. With dd-wet and my current Unifi router it's easy.
With dd wrt you polp in the MAC addy and the desired IP in the DHCP table.
On unifi since it's graphical, I just click on the device or in our case the camera and click the settings tab and check static IP assignment box and punch in the desired IP address.
This is also how it's been done on any enterprise environment I've worked on as well but in that case you are ussualy using DHCP with AD, so it's not point and click but can be done in a gui with Microsoft Admin tools.
With dd wrt you polp in the MAC addy and the desired IP in the DHCP table.
On unifi since it's graphical, I just click on the device or in our case the camera and click the settings tab and check static IP assignment box and punch in the desired IP address.
This is also how it's been done on any enterprise environment I've worked on as well but in that case you are ussualy using DHCP with AD, so it's not point and click but can be done in a gui with Microsoft Admin tools.
As someone who has done networking for decades, I'd NOT use static IP for the cameras.
BUT t I also don't use consumer networking gear at home, back up device configs, AVR UPS protected gear, etc. Everything documented. etc
DHCP reservations for the win.
Static IPs are just too much hassle in the long run, though a good idea for many, especially unsophisticated network admins. But if you have the right equipment, and processes, static IPs are just a pain in the ass... been there, done that on corporate M&A, network migrations...
BUT t I also don't use consumer networking gear at home, back up device configs, AVR UPS protected gear, etc. Everything documented. etc
DHCP reservations for the win.
Static IPs are just too much hassle in the long run, though a good idea for many, especially unsophisticated network admins. But if you have the right equipment, and processes, static IPs are just a pain in the ass... been there, done that on corporate M&A, network migrations...