topic Re: Powerline generating IP addresses? in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

Powerline generating IP addresses?

gunsmoke — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:40:20 GMT

Hi everyone
Do those powerline type network connectors generate their own IP addresses?
I have an appleTV that wouldn't connect one day, then noticed it had a very different IP from the ones dished out by my router.
Switching back to wireless sorted it out to a correct address, but it got me thinking about how it ended up with a different IP.
Anyone know if this is normal or not at all what should happen?
Thanks
GunSmoke

Re: Powerline generating IP addresses?

RPMozley — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:31:31 GMT

It's unlikely the powerlines did this. It is probably likely that the AppleTV self assigned itself an IP, that's what it does by default if doesn't get an IP address automatically.

Re: Powerline generating IP addresses?

prichardson — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:08:38 GMT

Hi GunSmoke,
By any chance did this out of place IP start 169.?
The 169 range of IPs are used for automatic assignment by LAN client were no DHCP server (the software within the modem that performed IP auto-assignment) is available/responding.
This range is used so that you can see when there is a lack of response, but more importantly it is a common IP range that means that if you don't intend to have auto-assignment (i.e you have no router), all your local machines can talk to each other properly (makes more sense when you think about a office network that is not online, but needs to still be able to share files/printers).
If it was not a 169 address, I can only assume that a neighbor had a powerline adapter as well, and you picked up their signal. You can see Daves' recent encounter with unencrypted powerline adapters for a twist of what this could mean.

Re: Powerline generating IP addresses?

gunsmoke — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:27:24 GMT

ooo. cant remember what the IP was, but I do remember thinking that it started with something that nearly looked like 168 but wasnt.
It could well have been 169
I'll keep an eye on it when I put it back on the powerlines
Thanks
GunSmoke