Home Network IP Management Software

[James Woods]

So I know exactly jack-squat about networking. But its about time I learned because I'm getting frequent IP address conflicts on my home network that my wife looks at me and expects me to just fix instantly.

 

I've got up to 12 devices using the network at any given time (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, & FreeNas platforms). My thought was to utilize some sort of home network software that would allow me to assign every device a static IP address.

 

Does such a thing exist? What would you recommend?

[KTFO|SGTmoody]

I havent come across such software that would asign static address. What I do is just asign each device manually with a static address and keep note of it in a spreadsheet.

There is software out there that will tell you what computer is using what ip, that can be useful. This is an ip address tracker which will show you the used ip's http://www.solarwinds.com/products/freetools/ip-address-tracker/

[capawesome9870]

So I know exactly jack-squat about networking. But its about time I learned because I'm getting frequent IP address conflicts on my home network that my wife looks at me and expects me to just fix instantly.

 

I've got up to 12 devices using the network at any given time (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, & FreeNas platforms). My thought was to utilize some sort of home network software that would allow me to assign every device a static IP address.

 

Does such a thing exist? What would you recommend?

 

 

I havent come across such software that would asign static address. What I do is just asign each device manually with a static address and keep note of it in a spreadsheet.

There is software out there that will tell you what computer is using what ip, that can be useful. This is an ip address tracker which will show you the used ip's http://www.solarwinds.com/products/freetools/ip-address-tracker/

 

 

 

i agree with KTFO|SGTmoody just assign each device a static in the router.  although you do not really need any software outside of the router to manage the list. 

 

(i will be showing how to do it on PFSense, but the steps are similar on other router software)

just navigate the options in your router and look for DHCP Leases or something Involving DHCP. 

   cool it worked , my first picture on LTTF

 

 

 

 

you should see a list of all the devices on the network, look for a button that says has Static Mapping on it. 

 

if it is an all in one router with Wifi even the wifi devices will show up, i only have a single wired port that goes out to a cheap switch that then connects to the 2 pcs and then the WNR2000v2 for the wifi devices in my house. 

 

 

 

 this next step you will see a page that might have a bunch of stuff you do not need for your application of just assigning static IPs to.  the next picture only show the most important parts.  the MAC address and Hostname leave alone, the first is for identifying the device to the router, the second is the name on the device to help you identify it. 

 

for the IP Address line you will want to use 192.168.1.xxx  the first 3 numbers with dots will be the same for each device, but the last number is the important one that tell the devices apart.  you can give the devices any number from 2 through 254, since your router probably started at 2 and will have a mash up of through the lower numbers, why not start at 100 since it is easy for the counting perspective.  192.168.1.100      192.168.1.101     192.168.1.102      192.168.1.103     and so on for each device

or

in the case of pfsense i had to tell it that i wanted the DHCP server to hold an IP for my device with out me telling it what number. 

 

 

the following will probably look different for you but you should start seeing Static appearing next to the device of that row which means you are on the right track

 

this was after i reset my nic card on my computer to verify i had a static ip

 

 

 

 

if you got this far you are done and the ip conflicts should be solved

 

if you got an error during setup similar to picture below, include pictures so we can help.  pictures are nice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

since, i am assuming that, you set up your own FreeNas box and not too afraid of getting your hands "dirty", i would recommend toying around with a PFSense router, what i used to show you this pretty walk through.  it would require a older PC that you are not using along with a few extra NIC cards, but a fun experiment to learn with. 

 

i use mine for web caching to help on bandwidth (with a limit of 10GB per month) and also bandwidth limiting during the metered hours.  you can also have it do a lot of stuff, but if you are not needing more than what you have it would be just a fun experiment. 

[Blade of Grass]

What router do you have?

[James Woods]

Motorola Surfboard SBG6580, but honestly, I need more than 4 ethernet ports now, so I'll probably need to upgrade to something else. So feel free to throw out your recommendations for that too.

 

Thanks for the help good people.

[Guest]

Why do you need to assign static IP to a client device ? Can't you just run all DHCP (Dynamic) ?

[capawesome9870]

Motorola Surfboard SBG6580, but honestly, I need more than 4 ethernet ports now, so I'll probably need to upgrade to something else. So feel free to throw out your recommendations for that too.

 

Thanks for the help good people.

 

you can add ethernet ports to your network be getting a Switch.  link to a 8 port switch on newegg. 

 

on my PFSense computer i have 2 ethernet ports (1 in, 1 out) that the out connects to the switch that then connects to the 2 computers and the WiFi router. 

 

 

 

 

Why do you need to assign static IP to a client device ? Can't you just run all DHCP (Dynamic) ?

 

because cheap routers are not good at maintaining their DHCP leases.  i have a netgear WNR2000v2 and only 3 devices on the network and every now and then, somehow through the power of cheapness, it manages to lease the same ip to those devices every now and then. 

in fact, now that i think about, i was trying to fix someone's laptop and i could not get it to connect to my wifi, but took it somewhere else it would work.  i am thinking that my wifi router assigned it a ip that was already in use, thanks netgear. 

[thunder9231]

Routers handle static IPs to clients. Not software

 

Get a Cisco router and a switch and throw DD-WRT on the router. I think it handles static IP addresses to clients much easier.

Or do what capawesome9870 posted and have the pfSense router connected to a switch

[Accidentx13]

With Windows server OS you can assigned an static IP address to the workstation/desktop/end device in AD, so that is an "software". Or you can use spiceworks, this is a great software you install and doing various options for your netowkr INCLUDING assigning static IP address to devices. If that isnt an option, you manually assign an IP address to the device. Use mac address filtering for wireless devices along with lease time if you were going to stick with DHCP. Printers, servers and NAS should have an static IP address.

[James Woods]

Can I use a raspberry pi as a pfsense machine?