Aura HD Setting up new Kobo

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by navderek

Just posted about this in another thread for future FW feature requests....

The Kobo Aura HD does NOT allow you to setup static IP. In fact it just won't even connect to a WiFi network that is not running with DHCP. Very sad. My first eReader and I get this type of experience. I contacted support and they basically told me nothing they can do and that I need to use the desktop when I want to go online....BUYER BEWARE!

Very few IP networks do not use DHCP -- when you have a few thousand machines, using static addresses is a short cut to a I-love-myself jacket. If you need a static address for connecting to your Kobo ereader, use it's MAC address and set a DHCP reservation for it. This also makes it easier if you want to connect to another network outside your home since you don't need to muck with the networks settings every time.

Regards,
David

[navderek]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Very few IP networks do not use DHCP -- when you have a few thousand machines, using static addresses is a short cut to a I-love-myself jacket. If you need a static address for connecting to your Kobo ereader, use it's MAC address and set a DHCP reservation for it. This also makes it easier if you want to connect to another network outside your home since you don't need to muck with the networks settings every time.

Regards,
David

Whatever David. I have 20+ devices at home and your telling me because I should go around to each and every one and reconfigure them so the Kobo can work? Sorry I'd rather keep the jacket on...lol
THe point is that static IP config on a device is not a special feature. All the SW devs need to do is show the fields in the GUI and allow write access. DHCP is basically doing the same thing, just automatically with negotiation. Why could they not just allow the user to configure it manually...seems very strange.

Someone also mentioned that I am a minute few...I'd disagree and also I'd say that the Kobo eReader not allowing static IP config is a minute few. I don't recall ever seeing a device that didn't have static IP option.

Finally, how was I to know that the Kobo would be like this. Someone mentioned that all Kobo's are like that. I only saw the many forum post complaint after I bought it (my first eReader). I'm not the only one complaining about it that's for sure, just do some google searches!

[PeterT]

Whyt would have to reconfigure all other devices at home? That is a total fallacy. Just bring up a DHCP server with a single IP address available through it; let the Kobo use it and the other devices need not a single change to them.

[Ken Maltby]

"Will the Real Kobo employees please stand up!" Sometimes you just gotta wonder.

Luck;
Ken

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

"Will the Real Kobo employees please stand up!" Sometimes you just gotta wonder.

Luck;
Ken

If you are implying I work for kobo.......

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by PeterT

If you are implying I work for kobo.......

Just wondering who might, but if the shoe fits?

Luck;
Ken

[robko]

Originally Posted by Ken Maltby

Just wondering who might, but if the shoe fits?

Luck;
Ken

So lets see: PeterT is nice enough to try and help someone with a workaround (and I might add not even imply in his reply that this isn't Kobo's problem) and he get's accused of being a Kobo employee. It's a wonder people bother to keep coming back here to help people

[ectoplasm]

I personally use static IPs on my home LAN. It makes sense in this scenario with lots of little gadgets like cams and tablets where I might want to telnet or ftp, and don't want the IP bouncing around.

You can definitely mix DHCP and static IPs. The normal way is to set a specific range on the DHCP server and just avoid that range for the static IPs. I set up a small range of 10 IPs.

Here is a windows DHCP server:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/dhcpserver/

I won't try to justify Kobo not being able to set a static IP. My android tablets have this ability, and even my two fairly low price webcams have this ability.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by navderek

Whatever David. I have 20+ devices at home and your telling me because I should go around to each and every one and reconfigure them so the Kobo can work? Sorry I'd rather keep the jacket on...lol
THe point is that static IP config on a device is not a special feature. All the SW devs need to do is show the fields in the GUI and allow write access. DHCP is basically doing the same thing, just automatically with negotiation. Why could they not just allow the user to configure it manually...seems very strange.

Gosh. I have about the same number. I use DHCP. Bring a new device home, connect it to the wireless or wired network, it gets an address and works. Need a fixed address for some reason? That's why DHCP reservations were invented.

I started working in IT before IP networks were common. When we started using IP networking, static addresses were the order of the day. I remember maintaining spreadsheets with address usage and the joy of having multiple devices configured with the same IP address.

And you want us to go back to those dark ages? Move a device to a new network? Reconfigure it manually with all the chances for error that entails.

About 3 years back we changed our MAN addressing scheme when we moved from a mix of subnets using CIDR to allow supersetting Class C blocks to a single subnet.

For that changeover, the previous week we changed the DHCP lease time to 1 hour. On Sunday, changeover the critical servers with static IPs -- many of our servers live in the DMZ which did not need to be changed or picked up addresses from DHCP reservation, changed the firewall/router internal address, change the reservations, release/renew on the remaining servers and we were good to go -- total about 45 minutes for the three of us who got to come in on Saturday -- the time includes a few minutes enjoying a few drinks and snacks while booting some user computers to make sure all was happy. On Monday, user computers booted up and got their new addresses, subnet mask, gateway, SMTP server, etc.

Care to guess how long it would have taken to do this for over 2 thousand computers, printers, access points, etc. manually?

For me, not using DHCP ranks with chipping flint to make tools.

Regards,
David

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ectoplasm

I personally use static IPs on my home LAN. It makes sense in this scenario with lots of little gadgets like cams and tablets where I might want to telnet or ftp, and don't want the IP bouncing around.

You can definitely mix DHCP and static IPs. The normal way is to set a specific range on the DHCP server and just avoid that range for the static IPs. I set up a small range of 10 IPs.

Here is a windows DHCP server:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/dhcpserver/

I won't try to justify Kobo not being able to set a static IP. My android tablets have this ability, and even my two fairly low price webcams have this ability.

On my home LAN, the only device with a static IP is the router which is also the DHCP server. Anything that needs a "static" address gets it from a DHCP reservation. The addresses I use for the reservations are outside the normal DHCP address lease block. Generally, take me less time to set a DHCP reservation by connecting the device to the LAN so the router has the MAC address and then changing that entry to be a reservation with an address in the reserved area than digging into the device and typing the address, netmask, gateway etc. by hand. If I'm using IPV6, forget it.

Layout is pretty much:
192.168.240.1-9 is reserved for static addresses -- currently empty
192.168.240.10-99 is reserved for DHCP reservations -- currently 4 devices
192.168.240.100-199 is reserved for DHCP leases -- averages 20 devices
192.168.240.254 is the router.
fc00:0db8:27a9:34ef:0000:ffff:ffff:fffe -- router IPV6

For me, the fun part is with the fc00::/7 ULA block for the IPV6 experimentation on those devices that support it. Every molecule in the house with it's own unique address! The router does allow me to connect an IPV6 internal network to a IPV4 external network but some really odd issues at times and setting up NAT64 and DNS64 has been a real learning experience.

I have to agree that I would have liked Kobo to have included the ability to use a static address. OTOH, what percentage of the users that Kobo is aiming their devices at could or would use a static address?

Regards,
David

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by DNSB

On my home LAN, the only device with a static IP is the router which is also the DHCP server. Anything that needs a "static" address gets it from a DHCP reservation. The addresses I use for the reservations are outside the normal DHCP address lease block. Generally, take me less time to set a DHCP reservation by connecting the device to the LAN so the router has the MAC address and then changing that entry to be a reservation with an address in the reserved area than digging into the device and typing the address, netmask, gateway etc. by hand. If I'm using IPV6, forget it.

Layout is pretty much:
192.168.240.1-9 is reserved for static addresses -- currently empty
192.168.240.10-99 is reserved for DHCP reservations -- currently 4 devices
192.168.240.100-199 is reserved for DHCP leases -- averages 20 devices
192.168.240.254 is the router.
fc00:0db8:27a9:34ef:0000:ffff:ffff:fffe -- router IPV6

For me, the fun part is with the fc00::/7 ULA block for the IPV6 experimentation on those devices that support it. Every molecule in the house with it's own unique address! The router does allow me to connect an IPV6 internal network to a IPV4 external network but some really odd issues at times and setting up NAT64 and DNS64 has been a real learning experience.

I have to agree that I would have liked Kobo to have included the ability to use a static address. OTOH, what percentage of the users that Kobo is aiming their devices at could or would use a static address?

Regards,
David

Hmmm... I pay extra for two static IP addresses. Luckily I have a dynamic one as well, so I am happy, my roommates are happy, and my mother can hook up her laptop and kindle when she comes to visit.

I've never taken it to the molecular level though.

I would think that a fair amount of people use static IP addresses as it is a premium service usually. Perhaps you are right in that few of them choose Kobo. I bought two Kobos but then I do have my senior moments.

Helen

[PeterT]

Helen; I *think* you are confusing static IP addresses from one's ISP, and static IP addresses on one's private network (ie behind a router attached to the modem (either Cable or DSL or wireless) that in turn is attached to the ISP).

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Helen; I *think* you are confusing static IP addresses from one's ISP, and static IP addresses on one's private network (ie behind a router attached to the modem (either Cable or DSL or wireless) that in turn is attached to the ISP).

Could be. I just assumed we were discussing the ones from the ISP as this seemed to be the only option the poster had. Maybe I misread.

I have set up static IPs on routers many times in old sawmill/coal mine process control equipment that demanded static IPs, but there was no problem caused for the newer equipment.

I am obviously not understanding the problem I guess.

My static IPs are through my ISP and I pay extra.

Helen

[ectoplasm]

Originally Posted by DNSB

..
Care to guess how long it would have taken to do this for over 2 thousand computers, printers, access points, etc. manually?

For me, not using DHCP ranks with chipping flint to make tools.

I think you're generalizing here, the above example is clearly one where DHCP is ideal. I don't think anyone is suggesting that static IPs are ideal in all, or even most, scenarios.

In my case, on my small private LAN, I have a handful of devices where I sometimes need to connect. For example I have a camera that doesn't have a netbios name, and it has a setup page I can access at http://192.168.x.x.x. I also have an IP phone, TV set, and a few other things I may need to connect to either via a browser or telnet or FTP.

Some work with netbios hostnames, some don't. Over the years I found it simpler to assign a static IP so there is no question how to connect to the device.

For things that I don't care about connecting to, like my cellphone, I let that get an IP from DHCP.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by ectoplasm

I think you're generalizing here, the above example is clearly one where DHCP is ideal. I don't think anyone is suggesting that static IPs are ideal in all, or even most, scenarios.

In my case, on my small private LAN, I have a handful of devices where I sometimes need to connect. For example I have a camera that doesn't have a netbios name, and it has a setup page I can access at http://192.168.x.x.x. I also have an IP phone, TV set, and a few other things I may need to connect to either via a browser or telnet or FTP.

Some work with netbios hostnames, some don't. Over the years I found it simpler to assign a static IP so there is no question how to connect to the device.

For things that I don't care about connecting to, like my cellphone, I let that get an IP from DHCP.

For me, one of my roommates fancies himself a hacker and rather than raining on his parade and/or trying to figure out how to connect to some device that connected just fine yesterday, or even to connect to the internet at all when I wake up in the morning, I do what I do, and some of it is nefarious, to make sure he can't mess me up totally. And most of what he does is good

Helen