router randomly stops issuing DHCP

[skoconnor]

I've recently had cause to call SKY about a strange issue.   My router seemingly kicks devices off the network and won't issue DHCP to it until both devices are restarted.

I factory reset it,  kept doing the same thing.   Called sky who sent replacement router, same issue!

I called again, and said I had noted that turning off our sky q mini box off upstairs seemed to cure the issue but was told it couldn't be the case.

It's completely random, all devices on the network have been affected, but not all at once. 

When this happens tou can't put a static IP in, it doesn't work even with a spare IP not in use, the correct netmask  gateway and dns etc.

The sky guy tried to get me to get him to send me a booster, but I had to explain that wasn't the issue, all devices could see strong connection.   He left it saying, call back in a few days if it's still happening.

I've turned the sky q mini back on, will wait to see if the problem happens again but I wonder if that could be the issue?

Any advice would be welcome.    I have no other non sky network kit in the house.

[Chrisee]

@skoconnor IP addressing issues can be frustratingly difficult to sort. First point check that no other device is acting as a DHCP server typical suspects are routers being re-purposed as boosters etc. 

If you want to use fixed IP addreesses ennsure you have reserved the addresses on the hub as your symptoms could be caused by the hub issueing an address you want for one device to another because you haven't tokd it not to.

The other way to use  fixed IP,addresses  is to restrict the hub's DHCP server's range by going into the Advanced/LAN IP  setup tab and changing the higest address the server will give to say 192.169..0.100 which means you can allocate IP addresses to your devices from 192.168.0.101 to 192.168.0.254 without risk however keep a note of what device is at what address.

[skoconnor]

Thanks Chrisee,

I think I've described the issue a little poorly.  The issue manifests itself by one device being kicked off the network.   It then cannot get a new lease, even if you restart that device.   Over the next ten minutes or so it then affects other, but not all, devices.  

We have 10 connected.    I have a DHCP pool of 40 addresses

I mentioned static as I tried that as a workaround, but it didn't work even though I know I put everything in correctly.   - I only used addresses outside of what would be issued by DHCP.

I tried a test after they Sky employee told me I needed a booster, and I turned off the sky Q mini in our bedroom, the issue didn't come back until my wife went to bed about 10 minutes ago and plugged it back in, so for whatever reason I think that box is the cause.

I have nothing else on the network capable of issuing DHCP.

One thing I noticed, after I plugged in the replacement router sky sent, that my previous SSID's were showing - it through me for a moment, so either my Sky Q box upstairs or downstairs was still pushing those SSID's until I restarted them both.

[Chrisee]

@skoconnor the previous SSID will have to be one of the Sky Q device's hot spot before it picked up the connection to your new hub. As you have had 2 Sky hubs both of which behave the same it is vanishingly unlikely that both have the same "fault" with their DHCP servers given this not something we see other customer's reporting.

Sky Q mesh can be tricky but there is little more I can suggest but it could be useful posting your hub's stats as they msy show something. See Find your Sky Broadband router statistics