I can replicate this every time both with a Windows 10 PC and my BiPAC router, I tried an earlier firmware (2.01) that insists on entering the MAC address and it works fine, but on the latest firmware if I don’t enter the MAC address as long as only one device is connected to the LAN and providing DHCP is set to only allow one address then that device gets the 4G WAN address (only IPv4 works at present due to another bug documented elsewhere). However as soon as I add in a valid MAC address the connected device does not get the 4G WAN IP ever (nor does it get a local address). I have to set DHCP to limit to one address because otherwise the RUTX09 assigns a local address to the attached device first whilst booting and this lease has to expire first (12 hours) before getting the 4G wan ip. Maybe if the DHCP was set for more addresses and I did not connect any device until after it booted fully it might work, but this is not a operationally acceptable solution.
In real life I need to have MAC option working because that port is the only one that should get the 4g WAN IP, when no MAC address is entered, if I have both the router and a management PC connected on reboot the RUTX09 will randomly give the 4G WAN IP to the PC rather than the router.
In my use case (real life requirements not a lab test), I need:
(1) The RUTX09 must always give the 4G WAN IP (only) to the port I designate either by use of the MAC address feature or by a new process that can select a physical port on the LAN switch.
(2) The RUTX09 must never give out any local addresses in bridged mode, period, workarounds are not good enough, DHCP must be fully disabled. (With current firmware DHCP is NOT disabled in bridged mode as it hands out local address leases on any LAN port prior to the 4G coming up and after it has assigned the 4G wan ip to a random connected port, any other device connected to another port gets a local IP address, plus if DHCP is actually turned off in the settings, none of the ports get either the 4G wan IP address of a local address).
(3) Management access should be possible from any other LAN port to the genuinely “static” IP address set for the RUTX09. So for instance in my use case I should be able to connect an additional LAN port to the RUTX09 from my network switch and be able to access the device to manage it (I have had this working fine but it is thwarted by the issue (1) above).
All of the above should work for IPv4 and IPv6 from the 4G provider through to the bridged port.
These are SERIOUS bugs and prevent the device from working as marketed and sold. They MUST be fixed ASAP.
If the RUTX09 worked as expected I should be able to:
(1) Connect my BiPAC router (gateway 192.168.1.1) to the RUTX09in bridged mode (Static IP set to 192.178.1.230) to LAN port 1 and for this port to get the 4G IPv4 & IPv6 WAN IP address assigned (only), never a local IP.
(2) Connect the RUTX09 LAN port 2 to my internal network so that the RUTX09 can be managed (via its static address 192.168.1.230) from any PC connected to the internal network (this works fine already except that due to the MAC address issue I have to physically connect this port only after the RUTX09 boots up fully and has assigned the 4G WAN ip to LAN port 1).
(3) Connect the RUTX09 WAN port to my internal network (DHCP requested IP) so that the RUTX09 has access to the internet for firmware updates, etc. This works fine when tested.
So under the scenario that the BiPAC is routing traffic via my very high speed fibre DSL service, the RUTX09 should:
(1) Have assigned the EE 4G wan address to the BiPAC router WAN port (RUTX09 LAN Port 1).
(2) Be manageable from any PC on my internal network (static IP access via RUTX09 LAN port 2)
(3) Access the internet via the BiPAC (high speed under normal use)
When the high speed DSL service fails, the BiPAC will route all external traffic via the RUTX09 to the 4G service. In this scenario the RUTX09 should:
(1) Pass all traffic to the 4G network (tested works fine).
(2) Remain manageable as before (no change - tested works fine)
(3) Still have access to the internet as the RUTX09 Wan port is connected to the BiPAC and internet traffic is routed to the 4G network (tested and works fine)
ALL OF THE ABOVE WILL WORK FINE IF THE MAIN BUGS DOCUMENTED HERE ARE FIXED (DHCP, MAC ADDRESS, IPV6 from 4G) SEE ITEM (1), (2), and (3) at the start of this note.
The product as it stands simply DOES NOT DO WHAT IT STATES IT WILL DO IN YOUR DOCUMENTATION.
I have spent three/four days on this and can verify all of the above, for now I can only use NAT mode reasonably reliably and only IPV4. Please fix urgently. I want to deploy this solution to many sites if possible, but only if it works!
