Option on device to ignore DHCP and set a static IP address

[christopher0936]

I emailed support about this last summer and was told it was in development and expected to release in July or August, but never heard back and never saw it comes out in an update.

I have an unreliable DHCP server on my home network, and this has resulted in my having to frequently restart the device and my router.

I upgraded from an airport express, and on that device, I was able to solve this problem by setting a static IP address in the network settings of the device, however I have been unable to figure out how to do this with the Mini.

 

[Brantome]

Can’t you use dhcp reservation on your router to assign the mini a fixed ip?

 

[WiiM Support]

Hi Chris, thank you for your reminder. Our device firmware supports the static IP assignment but we need enable the configuration UI from the WiiM Home App. By checking with our team, it will be released in late Feb. Please stay tuned!

 

[d6jg]

Static IP on a WiFi only device (Mini)? That’s crazy and against all the best advice.
DHCP reservation by all means but not static.
Don’t ask me why - Google it.

 

[onlyoneme]

Static IP on a WiFi only device (Mini)? That’s crazy and against all the best advice.
DHCP reservation by all means but not static.
Don’t ask me why - Google it.

Can be plenty or reasons to do that. One of them: some routers will not allow to define the same ip for different macs to be statically reserved.

 

[d6jg]

Static IP on WiFi only devices is simply not advised.
The only way of recovering the device if it fails to connect or you make a mistake is a factory reset.
If your router doesn’t support DHCP reservations get a different router.

 

[onlyoneme]

It's just a risk to be taken into consideration. And there are different ways to get a control back if the device cannot connect. It can happen as well with dynamically assigned IP and can require a factory reset.

 

[d6jg]

It's just a risk to be taken into consideration. And there are different ways to get a control back if the device cannot connect. It can happen as well with dynamically assigned IP and can require a factory reset.

What are those different ways? If it had Ethernet then yes but the Mini doesn’t.
Yes it can happen with DHCP as well but less likely.

 

[onlyoneme]

What are those different ways? If it had Ethernet then yes but the Mini doesn’t.
Yes it can happen with DHCP as well but less likely.

For example some devices launch their public AP automatically if they cannot connect to the defined AP and get an internet access. Some others let user to launch it without a factory reset.
As I said it's a risk management. Static IP can be the last chance if you have a range extender working in the proxy mode and your router will not allow you to assign the same IP to different macs.

 

[d6jg]

For example some devices launch their public AP automatically if they cannot connect to the defined AP and get an internet access. Some others let user to launch it without a factory reset.
As I said it's a risk management. Static IP can be the last chance if you have a range extender working in the proxy mode and your router will not allow you to assign the same IP to different macs.

This is a consumer product aimed at Joe Public. Does it automatically switch on its internal AP? Do you know that for sure?
Static IP on a WiFi only device is simply not advised. Fact. At the end of the day it’s WiiM’s call and they who will have to support users who can’t connect to the device.
The OP said he had a dodgy DHCP server on his network. The correct thing to do is to fix that problem.

 

[onlyoneme]

This is a consumer product aimed at Joe Public. Does it automatically switch on its internal AP? Do you know that for sure?
Static IP on a WiFi only device is simply not advised. Fact. At the end of the day it’s WiiM’s call and they who will have to support users who can’t connect to the device.
The OP said he had a dodgy DHCP server on his network. The correct thing to do is to fix that problem.

Press the play button on the WiiM for few seconds and it launches its AP.

I think you do not understand what I write here. I'm not trying to convince anyone to use static IP. I just say that there are use cases that go beyond the best practices.

 

[d6jg]

Press the play button on the WiiM for few seconds and it launches its AP.

I think you do not understand what I write here. I'm not trying to convince anyone to use static IP. I just say that there are use cases that go beyond the best practices.

What I’m saying is that WiiM shouldn’t be adding such options to the firmware that aren’t best practice just because one user asks for it.
If you really know what you are doing then fine but giving someone who doesn’t such an option is just crazy but it’s their party.

 

[onlyoneme]

What I’m saying is that WiiM shouldn’t be adding such options to the firmware that aren’t best practice just because one user asks for it.
If you really know what you are doing then fine but giving someone who doesn’t such an option is just crazy but it’s their party.

A "standard user" barely knows what IP is, so he will not use a static IP option. Personally I like when any device has both static and DHCP IP assignment options. I can ask WiiM to add it if it changes anything and to be the second user...

 

[christopher0936]

I run static IPs on most of my devices because my router is junk, and I have an internal DNS server for file server purposes. It is what it is and worst case I can factory reset the thing and take the ten minutes to set it up again, though I've never had any issue because basic IPv4 config isn't exactly complicated. I'm not going to blow $250 on a proper router just so I can use one device when setting a static IP is easy and free on any standard issue network hardware.

 

[christopher0936]

Hi Chris, thank you for your reminder. Our device firmware supports the static IP assignment but we need enable the configuration UI from the WiiM Home App. By checking with our team, it will be released in late Feb. Please stay tuned!

Super glad to hear this! Looking forward to it!

 

[d6jg]

I run static IPs on most of my devices because my router is junk, and I have an internal DNS server for file server purposes. It is what it is and worst case I can factory reset the thing and take the ten minutes to set it up again, though I've never had any issue because basic IPv4 config isn't exactly complicated. I'm not going to blow $250 on a proper router just so I can use one device when setting a static IP is easy and free on any standard issue network hardware.

I too run an internal DNS server.
Let’s assume I have static IPs set on all my network devices. Probably approaching 40!devices - I’ve just had a count up and I really can’t identify all of them just like that - not all use the internal DNS server but let’s suppose they do.
If my internal DNS server fails they will all lose connection to the internet. I can either rebuild the DNS server or I can manually reconfigure all devices to use an external DNS server if I can identify all of their IPs without reference to the now defunct internal DNS server.
Might take a bit of time either way.
However I don’t have very many devices that have static IPs at all. Most get their IPs from a DHCP server.
If my internal DNS server fails I will just change the setting on the DHCP server to allocate an external one. Everything will be back on line in no time.
That’s what DHCP is for. All you need is a decent DHCP server often a router but not necessarily. If it was a router it doesn’t have to cost anywhere near $250. I’ve got a fairly high end Draytek for business reasons but it was only about £150. You get a decent Netgear that would do the job for quite a bit less.

You obviously understand the risks involved in setting s static Ip on a WiFi only device and what you would need to do to recover it in the event of a problem. That won’t be the case for a lot of WiiM users judging by some of the comments on this forum. I think it’s an accident waiting to happen but it’s WIIMs call and their problem if people set a static when they don’t know what they are doing. I regret to say I think it was a marketing Yes rather like Roon Ready on the WiiM Mini ie without reference to any technical expertise.

To be clear. Static IP on WiFi is perfectly possible from a technical point of view. It’s just a bad idea.

 

[christopher0936]

Hi Chris, thank you for your reminder. Our device firmware supports the static IP assignment but we need enable the configuration UI from the WiiM Home App. By checking with our team, it will be released in late Feb. Please stay tuned!

Hey there! Just wondering if there's any update on this? I did check the config app today but sadly didn't see the option

 

[Gavr0che]

Hi Chris, thank you for your reminder. Our device firmware supports the static IP assignment but we need enable the configuration UI from the WiiM Home App. By checking with our team, it will be released in late Feb. Please stay tuned!

Hello ! Is there any news about static ip assignment?

I use my wiim pro only via ethernet for multiroom and dhcp is causing problems on the current network (only static ip on specific hardware), I would really like to be able to disable dhcp on my network just to be able to use my Wiims.

 

[Brantome]

Use dhcp reservation on your router to give your device a fixed IP address based on its mac address - that’s what I do.

 

[onlyoneme]

Use dhcp reservation on your router to give your device a fixed IP address based on its mac address - that’s what I do.

DHCP is a mess in the app with the Pro.

Pro reports 3 MACs:
"BTMAC": "b8:xx:xx:xx:xx:d5"
"MAC": "B8:xx:xx:xx:xx4"
"ETH_MAC": "00:xx:xx:xx:xx:78"


Look at the screen when WiFi is used:




IP has been statically assigned using "MAC": "B8:xx:xx:xx:xx4" and this MAC is shown.

Now Ethernet being used:



IP has been assigned using "ETH_MAC": "00:xx:xx:xx:xx:78" but incorrect MAC is shown.