Wifi settings keep changing spontaneously

PhilLesh69 · March 4, 2016, 3:08am

The wifi settings keep randomly changing to various IP addresses.

In order to have this drive available on my home network, I’ve changed the IP to 192.168.1.200. This drive has changed its IP address spontaneously to any of these at different times: 192.168.2.200, 192.168.60.1 and 192.168.1.1

Each time I have to guess at which IP address it chose, and then when I go to change the settings back to my chosen IP address, entering the wifi password doesn’t always work. The most recent changes have rendered the password I entered unusable. I can no longer connect to my passport wireless, again. This is the 4th or 5th time this has happened.

Once I do a factory reset, then reconfigure everything again, in say, 2 hours, and have it all back to the settings I want, is there some files I can chmod -w to make them unchangeable by whatever random system processes that are doing this?

How can I stop this from happening. It is getting really frustrating.

mike27oct · March 4, 2016, 5:30am

Simply, don’t do it!

I, and others do NOT have to tamper with or change the IP of our MPW to get it to get on, or stay on, our home network, or any network. Where in the world did you get the idea to do this? All that is needed is to tell the MPW to connect to another network (home or hotspot) select the network name from a displayed list, and the access password to enter that network, The MPW will join that network. On my network, it did, and it gets back on every time I turn on the MPW, AND it stays on indefinitely. And, BTW, I do not believe the MPW user manual gave you this idea, because it isn’t mentioned in there.

Basically, I just think you are screwing around with the MPW for no good reason. Did someone suggest you do this? If so they need their head examined. If you do not have the complete user manual, go download it at wdc.com in the Support section. You definitely need it.

PhilLesh69 · March 4, 2016, 1:58pm

Nobody told me to do “this”. I don’t have a typical ID10T home network where I can just plug and play and ignore the configuration.

I have DHCP turned off and I use 192.168.1.0 as the private network on my LAN because I have a very large number of legacy equipment like insteon controllers, IP cameras, a few NAS, two print servers and several media devices. I have rsync scripts using IP addresses on a couple of the NAS and on the MPW that need a static IP. I’m not going to reconfigure everything else just because MPW can’t play well with others.

The MPW will not appear on the network unless I set it to 192.168.1.x and 200 is the beginning range for the part of my home where it is usually plugged in and charging.

Joerg_A · March 4, 2016, 3:38pm

It will, but after you enabled the feature to join your home wifi in repeater mode! MPW is doing its own DHCP server inside and joins other wifi in repeater mode. THIS offers you what you are looking for, because then the MPW takes care about the IP routings.

mike27oct · March 4, 2016, 11:28pm

Phil,
This is not good for the MPW, it shortens the life of the internal battery to about half within a year if always being charged. Not all lithium batteries can take this “abuse” and this is one of them, Don’t believe me, then you better read this recent post from the Forum moderator, Bill.

And, Joerg’s advice is correct.

Oh, I received your original post via email – before you edited it afterward in the post. Thanks for editing it; no need for such snarkyness here. BTW, I want to suggest you “respect your elders” a little better. You know what I am talking about.

PhilLesh69 · March 4, 2016, 11:51pm

I didn’t edit it. I would have left it exactly as it was written. You are very condescending and have a very bad attitude. Talking about people needing their heads examined and now providing unsolicited advice about something just so you can feel like you know more than I do. I assure you, I would respect an elder, but you act like a young punk. I have been building corporate networks and maintaining servers at data centers long before you even heard of the internet or started trolling the WD support forums.

I’ve had this drive for almost 3 years now. The battery is fine. But thanks for the advice I did not ask for.

Please do not respond to any thing I post on this forum in the future. You have a bad attitude and poor manners.

mike27oct · March 5, 2016, 1:54am

Well, I like you, too!
So, if you didn’t edit the message, who did? (a forum moderator, of course,)

Look Pal, this forum is full of good unsolicited advice, accept the battery link info without a negative comment. Mistreated MPW batteries are also know to bloat and pop open the case! This is not info for you, but for others reading the posts.

a quote from you: You are very condescending

The same could be said about you, but I won’t say this. Although, name calling (e.g. punk, troll etc.). here is quite childish. I do have to say though, that you fit quite well the stereotype of IT people who spend most of their lives holed up in corporate basements. Did you ever watch the Brit comedy, “The IT Crowd”? The plus is, they are nice guys and funny.

Your original post made it sound like what your were trying to do was “normal behavior” for a MPW, and it definitely is not; so giving newcomers the impression that the MPW is a difficult product to work with (it is not) I came to the defense of that attitude you implied in the post. You posted that “with attitude” whether you realized it or not.

Don’t worry, this is my last comment to you, so have a good day. I would never say another thing to you again – even to point out your MPW battery is bloating like a balloon because of mistreatment over time.

(Now where is the button here to “forget this network” and “block this caller”?) We both need it.