Help please -- how to release DHCP lease on WAN interface?

[tastewar1]

My new Almond+ is failing. It keeps powering down by itself. Unit is unresponsive to touch screen, no lights on back. I unplug, wait a bit, re-plug and it comes back up. But it only lasts a few minutes before shutting down again.

MY PRIMARY CONCERN AT THIS MOMENT IS NOT DEALING WITH THE ALMOND+ BUT GETTING STABLE INTERNET BACK VIA ANOTHER ROUTER. With Verizon Fios, I need to release the WAN DHCP address before connecting with another router, or I wait a couple of hours with no internet for it to be released automatically. Don't want to wait a couple of hours.

I've been searching for how to do this on OpenWRT, but haven't found anything helpful. The thing that looks most promising is pressing the "Stop" button on the Network Interfaces page, in the WAN section. But it's not clear to me if it does what I want.

Anyone know??

[André]

What exactly do you want to do? How is your network wired? Why don´t you just plug any other router into your modem´s WAN port and you´re good to go?

[joltdude]

Not always.. this can be an ISP problem (its also a "security" measure) .. Some ISPs in the US will not give you a new DHCP address (wan DHCP lease, not LAN) untill the old one "times out" or expires.. if the device allows you to release it, you can grab an address almost immediately... A workaround for this is to power down your modem (DSL/Cable or otherwise)... and leave it off for 30+ minutes... and it usually will let you connect up... Iv seen this with PPPoE and DSL...

-j

[André]

Not always.. this can be an ISP problem (its also a "security" measure) .. Some ISPs in the US will not give you a new DHCP address (wan DHCP lease, not LAN) untill the old one "times out" or expires.

Sorry, still not really getting where the issue is. ALL DHCP Servers should honor DHCPDISCOVERs for ALL clients, unless they do not have any more free IPs to give away.
You´re saying that the provider´s DSL modem just stays silent and do not reply on DHCPDISCOVER with a correct DHCPOFFER for the same incoming line within say 30 minutes?!?

[tastewar1]

It's an ISP thing, as joltdude says presumably some perceived security benefit. Old router had a button in the UI that would explicitly release the DHCP acquired address. After that, you can plug in a new router and it will get a new IP address right away. I think you can also clone the mac address, but I haven't always had success with that, whereas when I can release the lease, it always works. This is Verizon Fios and is a well-known issue.

The advice I got on the OpenWRT forums requires a CLI session. Was hoping to avoid that, but not getting any better advice in either place, so I suppose that's what I will try.

[joltdude]

We have one device with a MAC address with a DHCP lease for the WAN ....

What happens when you just plug in a replacement router after unplugging the device that has the "lease"

Plug in the new device with a new MAC address...
Hits the DHCP server....
Server goes.. Sorry no leases available...you have one in use...
I *think* it does what you say (which is ignore the request)... until a free lease becomes available for that account/or the timeout period for the previous lease..

DHCP is not my forte but thats the best i can explain it

[LGNilsson]

Inasmuch as I don't have a solution, I've filed a request with the software team that we'll add an option to release the WAN side DHCP acquired IP address.
Don't expect this to happen in the next firmware, but I don't think this would be that hard to do if it can be done via the CLI.