Installing a new router was a PITA

[OtinG]

Never mind...I forgot this was a hostile place to post anything...

[John F]

Originally Posted by OtinG

Well actually setting up the TP-Link AX5400 WiFi 6 Router (Archer AX73) was fairly easy. The PITA was having to get nearly every HomeKit, Alexa, Mac, iPad, iPhone, etc. connected to the new Wi-Fi network. The only device that automatically connected was the HomePod mini. Even some of the ethernet devices were contrary. I had to reset every Kasa smart bulb by hand, that is toggle every switch on and off a set number of times then go through the process of connecting them to the new Wi-Fi network. The Echo devices were a chore as well. What I thought would take an hour or two ended up taking most of the day, and I still have a few smart plugs left to do as well as a stubborn security cam which is being a pain.

Oh well, at least I have a more up to date Wi-Fi router now with way more bandwidth capacity than the old junk Spectrum installed. I will be glad to return it to them.

Why did you have to fiddle with the devices to get them to connect?

I upgraded my router to a TP-Link (from a NETGEAR) a while ago, and all my devices reconnected no problem.

[OtinG]

hidden

[John F]

Originally Posted by OtinG

I don’t know John, why don’t you tell me why. You seem to know everything, or think you do. Apparently the router address was automatically changed from x.y.1.1 (for Netgear) to x.y.0.1 (for TP-Link). I followed their instructions to the letter and that is what happened. I'm not a network engineer so I don’t know that much about setting up a system with Spectrum.

I'm not a network engineer either. I just figured with your vast computer background and for all the IT companies you said you worked for, I thought you must be doing something special that so many of your devices had to be reset.

When I changed my router, I changed the SSID on the new router to the same as it was on the old router, made the security setting the same as on the old router, and everything reconnected fine.

YMMV.

[Quoth]

A LAN can be 192.168.x.y
Where x picks a LAN with 253 available addresses typically. The x can be any number from 0 to 255, but whatever the router is, everything else matches.

pparently the router address was automatically changed from x.y.1.1 (for Netgear) to x.y.0.1 (for TP-Link).

No, those are just different defaults. They are not the Public IPs, so usually can be be changed unless the ISP is stupid and locked the LAN side of the Router.

This is nothing to with Apple or getting a new Router.

Nothing to do with changing from Netgear to TP-Link, but lack of research and poor configuration of the replacement router. Plenty of web sites explain this.

I've changed ISPs many times over the last 25 years. Our LAN still uses the same IP address as when the "Router" was a PC running NT 4.0 had had an analogue modem and proxy server, ISDN, then Analogue, then ISDN over Wireless, then Analogue, then Cable DOCSIS over Wireless, then VDSL, then Cable DOCSIS over Wireless again. Fibre is available soon. It will make no difference to the LAN or WiFi settings.

We have changed Wifi settings over the last 25 years as new better encryption was added and longer passwords needed to be added. But never as a result of a new modem or router or modem-router.

When I changed my router, I changed the SSID on the new router to the same as it was on the old router, made the security setting the same as on the old router, and everything reconnected fine.

Yes. Though sometimes you have to also add DHCP & Static reservations on the new Router to match old, and obviously if any static IPs used, the router may need its subnet/entire IP changed.
Any servers, printers, plotters, standalone airpoint admins ideally should static, though a reserved DHCP IP coupled to a Mac address can be used except with stupid gear that by default as misbegotten privacy idea changes it's MAC address (Apple iOS?) which can only use ordinary DHCP.

[crane3]

Originally Posted by OtinG

I don’t know John, why don’t you tell me why. You seem to know everything, or think you do. Apparently the router address was automatically changed from x.y.1.1 (for Netgear) to x.y.0.1 (for TP-Link). I followed their instructions to the letter and that is what happened. I'm not a network engineer so I don’t know that much about setting up a system with Spectrum.

Been there years ago.

The 'problem' is the use of DHCP which generates the ip for each device that is set to obtain the ip from the router. When the old router 'x.y.1.1' is changed to the new router of 'x.y.0.1' all the devices set to DHCP get the new ip of 'x.y.0.xx' which is different from the 'x.y.1.xx' of the old router.

I had a big problem with the printer set to a 'stable' ip of x.y.1.xx' & when the router was changed, was not able to connect until getting into the printer setup to change printer to obtain the ip from the router using DHCP. Of course, devices accessed via an ip had to be 'fiddled' with for accessed.

I believe DHCP was invented for the convience of the system admin, not for the user.

[OtinG]

hidden

[John F]

Originally Posted by OtinG

Software, not IT.

Thank you for the correction.

[John F]

The talk about DHCP and 'x.x.1.y' and 'x.x.y.1' is over my head, but if I am using wifi and things (phones, tablets, Alexa devices, plugs, ...) are connecting via an SSID, do I need to worry about those things?

I've gone through several provider and router changes/swaps through the years, and don't recall running into 'x.x.0.y' problems.

Thanks, and asking to hopefully minimize troubles for my next router upgrade.

[benbook]

Originally Posted by OtinG

... Apparently the router address was automatically changed from x.y.1.1 (for Netgear) to x.y.0.1 (for TP-Link). ...

Sometimes it helps to read the manual. In the case of the AX73, paragraph 15.1.

You just had to change your new router LAN IP to the address of the previous one.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by benbook

Sometimes it helps to read the manual. In the case of the AX73, paragraph 15.1.

You just had to change your new router LAN IP to the address of the previous one.

Yes!
And any other settings...

The ISP (Internet Company) only controls the public (WAN) not the private (LAN & WiFi) addresses.

Always check the default (out of box) settings on everything.