Why would one of my devices address be 0.0.0.0?

Wamparythm

I have 3 Blink XT2 wireless cameras along with the sync module on my network. I have them set up with static addresses. The last pic at the bottom of the list MySimpleLink... is one of my Blink cameras. The first two pics are device info. What is going on here?
Thanks in advance for your help.






.dr

Pixel

hi @Wamparythm as @Marc has said for some reason the device in question has been unable to acquire an ip address. You may have assigned an ip address manually but from the screenshots it hasn’t worked (recheck the dhcp table in your router). The purpose of ip address 0.0.0.0 is not straightforward and to a degree it’s function depends on the function of the device in the network. You can find more information here :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/0.0.0.0 - but, it isn’t light reading.
Your router DHCP will allocate an ip address automatically (unless a static address is assigned), fing subsequently displays that information.
You may never discover why this has happened but the main thing is how to resolve it.

First unassign the static address and let DHCP assign an address automatically, if that works then try to assign a different static address. If the new static address works leave it there. If you still have problems disconnect to problem device, reboot your router and go through this process again. I would expect everything to resolve itself during the above.

Edit: Your cameras may have their own server/hub which could account for the invalid address (0.0.0.0). So, if the cameras are connected via a control box or hub it might also be worth checking the manual or manufacturers support team for further network details.

Pixel

thomasmerz said:

Wamparythm said:

I have 3 Blink XT2 wireless cameras along with the sync module on my network. I have them set up with static addresses. The last pic at the bottom of the list MySimpleLink... is one of my Blink cameras. The first two pics are device info. What is going on here?
Thanks in advance for your help.






.dr

Easy reading on wikipedia link:

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/0.0.0.0 - but, it isn’t light reading (wrote @Pixel)

"The address a host claims as its own when it has not yet been assigned an address. Such as when sending the initial DHCPDISCOVER packet when using DHCP."

Unfortunately it’s not quite that straightforward, many manufacturers of hardware use an alternative approach. If the device cannot communicate correctly with DHCP the device will automatically assign itself a “random” IP address/sub net.
Once you know that it’s fine but it does cause a lot of confusion as a device might have an IP address (in a different sub net) so it still can’t communicate with other devices on the same network.

Marc

From what I'm seeing, Fing has seen it broadcasting and telling you its attempting to enter your network but it looks like it did not acquire an IP address from your DHCP Server (aka your router) at the time of the scan.

Wamparythm

Why why would that happen? It has a static address set up. Also, going back through scans, at the same time the Blink sync device had multiple ip addresses. Multiple, meaning all of them.

Marc

Good question. I’m almost thinking it’s your access point and Fing is having a hard time identifying it as such so instead is picking up the addresses the ap has had associated to it.

Let see if some of the folks in the forum can help you out. @Pixel , @Robin , @kltaylor... can one of you folks help out here?

Marc

One other thing to add onto @Pixel...  I did a little research on them and the cameras go off and on the network as needed to conserve battery. So when you click the app to view or when they detect an event to record, they could go on line and get a new address if your DHCP lease has ended.   As the MAC address does not change, Fing could be displaying all of the addresses that had been associated with the camera.  One way to avoid could be to extend your DHCP lease times from your routers DHCP configuration screen.  I keep mine at a week.

Wamparythm

Yes you are correct. They do go on and offline. But, the addresses are static. So, they are grey normally, when off line and dark black when on line. But they always have the statically assigned IP address that never changes. Except this onetime.
The multiple ip addresses is really what concerns me. Those addresses are my iPad, desktop, laptop,...
The sync device for my cameras should not be accessing anything on my network. Especially my dvr or WiFi node for my cable boxes, or anything that doesn’t have a Blink app on it. Right?

Pixel

Assuming you have gone through the steps suggested previously and the display shows the desired ip address, I would suggest that you clear all inactive devices from fing, rescan your network and investigate further if the problem re-occurs. When the router/dhcp causes problems they are often a “one-off” and may never happen again, in which case you will save a lot of time instead of hunting for ghosts.
Don’t forget that firmware (aka software on a chip) can intermittently cause problems exactly the same as when a software app starts behaving erratically, restarting the app or rebooting the device often resolves the issue permanently.

Wamparythm

Ok. That sounds logical. Thanks guys.

One last item. When I run a router vulnerability scan; it always says "No vulnerability detected". But also always says, "We are unable to verify the type of access to your network ". What does that mean and is it of concern?

Screenshot_20210110-215426_Fing.jpg

thomasmerz

Marc said:

Good question. I’m almost thinking it’s your access point and Fing is having a hard time identifying it as such so instead is picking up the addresses the ap has had associated to it.

Let see if some of the folks in the forum can help you out. @Pixel , @Robin , @kltaylor... can one of you folks help out here?

I have the same "view" as @Wamparythm has - but I have a Wifi Range Repeater to extend my Wifi (TP-Link RE650 AC2600 Dualband Gigabit WLAN Repeater) which has "many" IPs from all devices that are "behind" this Repeater:

I assume this is due to ARP protocol and that all devices behind the Extender get a "new" MAC with the first three digits prefixed from "TP-Link", so that the TP-Link Router knows which MACs are not in his Wifi, but have to be sent via/to TP-Link Extender - am I right, any network experts reading my thoughts?!

thomasmerz

Wamparythm said:

I have 3 Blink XT2 wireless cameras along with the sync module on my network. I have them set up with static addresses. The last pic at the bottom of the list MySimpleLink... is one of my Blink cameras. The first two pics are device info. What is going on here?
Thanks in advance for your help.






.dr

Easy reading on wikipedia link:

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/0.0.0.0 - but, it isn’t light reading (wrote @Pixel)

"The address a host claims as its own when it has not yet been assigned an address. Such as when sending the initial DHCPDISCOVER packet when using DHCP."

JonMartin

This is likely not the issue of this post but I'm posting for others having 0.0.0.0 issues.  In my case I use 0.0.0.0 to my advantage (somewhat) to see devices on another VLAN.  Fing is limited to one VLAN and one Subnet.  But I have a Wi-Fi guest network I want to monitor.  For safety the Guest Wi-Fi is on a seperate VLAN.  To monitor it I bring both Guest and Private VLANs to the port the Fing is on.  Fing sees the devices on the Guest VLAN when they broadcast on 0.0.0.0 to acquire a DHCP address.  Once the address is acquired Fing ignores the device since it is on another subnet.  But the advantage to me I I have a record of all visiting devices, even if they all have a 0.0.0.0 address.