Every month or so all my devices lose internet and the only way to connect them all back is to disconnect them from the DNS server that Pihole is running.

I set my Pihole to have a static IP but for some reason after around a month or maybe longer, it just fails. This has happened 4 times over the last while and the only fix is to essentially uninstall everything on my Pihole, disable it, and then reconfigure it from scratch again.

I’m not sure what’s going on so any help would be appreciated.

  • MigratingtoLemmy@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    50
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    If you can’t access your server and your router’s web interface, that’s a subnetting/DHCP allocation issue. Nothing to do with Pi-Hole.

    For reference, there’s 2 ways to allocate static addresses to devices:

    1. Define DHCP range, and configure the application to use a static address outside of the allocation pool.
    2. Give out static addresses by MAC.

    “Skill issue bro” /s

      • fuzzy_feeling@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        19
        ·
        1 year ago

        I vote for 60 day lease time, iirc the clients try to get a new lease when half of the time is over, so they can keep the ip.

        • NaibofTabr@infosec.pub
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          10
          ·
          1 year ago

          Maybe, but I suspect it’s working like this:

          • Pi boots then requests locally configured IP from DHCP server
          • DHCP server grants 30 day lease for requested IP
          • Pihole runs fine for awhile, DNS requests are properly handled
          • IP lease expires, DHCP server returns IP to available address pool but doesn’t reassign it to anything yet
          • time passes
          • Random wireless device connects to router, DHCP server assigns IP to new device
          • DNS requests to Pihole fail because the IP was assigned to the recently connected wireless device

          This would explain why Pihole appears to cause problems every month, sometimes a little longer.

    • PerogiBoi@lemmy.caOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      19
      ·
      1 year ago

      Definitely a skill issue haha. I’m brand new to this stuff so I’m trying to learn as fast as possible. Appreciate the help and the explanations!

      • R0cket_M00se@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        1 year ago

        It’s alright, most computer geeks (even professional ones) can’t even figure out how IP addressing works. That’s why networking is its own sub group in enterprise environments.

        • Scott@lem.free.as
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          1 year ago

          If you’re a computer geek (even a professional one) and struggle with IP addressing, you won’t be having much of a career.

          • gingersneak@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            13
            ·
            1 year ago

            LMAO I know a whole bunch of people who don’t know a subnet mask from a hole in their ass and they’re doing just fine in their IT careers. You are overestimating the requirements for a great many corporate jobs.

            • PerogiBoi@lemmy.caOP
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              10
              ·
              1 year ago

              Ya it’s me I’m the guy in IT who is currently confusing a subnet mask for my own ass.

              • lightnegative@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                3
                ·
                1 year ago

                Just think of it as a routing optimisation that is only relevant for ipv4 networks.

                Router simple, router need to make decisions quick, quickest decision is made when can smush the subnet mask against an IP address and determine if the computer is on a local network so router can send traffic direct or is on other network so router needs to send traffic to other router

            • Scott@lem.free.as
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              edit-2
              1 year ago

              There’s a difference between corporate IT and being a computer geek.

              I agree that many IT careers are relatively simple support jobs.

              They mentioned computer geeks which implies, to me, people who are deep into computers. In that light, if you’re struggling with concepts of IP addressing then the more-complicated facets of computers and networks will preclude you from an engineering role.

          • griefreeze@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            8
            ·
            1 year ago

            Is this some kinda weird ass gatekeeping-esque computer geek thing? What you said is so wrong it’s not even funny.

            • Scott@lem.free.as
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              1 year ago

              I’m not gate-keeping. I’m simply suggesting that IP addressing is one of the less-complicated things when it comes to computer-geekery.

              • griefreeze@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                3
                ·
                edit-2
                1 year ago

                Nah you’re literally gatekeeping what it means to be a computer geek. maybe it’s not gatekeeping per se, but you sure are wrong and look like an ass

                • Scott@lem.free.as
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  1 year ago

                  I’m wrong? You’re saying that IP addressing is one of the most complicated things about computers/networking?

                  • griefreeze@lemmy.world
                    link
                    fedilink
                    English
                    arrow-up
                    3
                    ·
                    1 year ago

                    I know reading is hard, but I’m not arguing that its a complicated task; merely that your familiarty with it does not at all reflect career prospects of a “computer geek.”