Passing Broadcast Packets Between Subnets (Not DHCP)

Jake Biker

@johnpoz

Thank John,

This confirms my thinking.

You are sir, an accomplished anaylist :).

We are looking for a way to make our lives easier - not theirs.

My feels is that our developers need to look at the method of finding the devices and refine it.

johnpoz

@Jake-Biker maybe a way for the equipment your trying to find "phone home" if you will?

Possible dhcp option the customers could add so your devices in segment A know to check in with some IP on segment B..

dhcp option 43 could be used by your device to know who to check in with..

So for example - the unifi controller that can find and "adopt" devices to manage. When the devices are on a remote network you can tell the device specific the IP of the controller to check in with, be it via a dhcp option 43, dns or even on the specific device directly.

Jake Biker

@johnpoz UDPBroadcast Package - John is that an installable package or are you talking about the DHCP Relay?

johnpoz

@Jake-Biker that is a package you can install

Jake Biker

@johnpoz Thank you John - could you link me please as I can't find it in the package manager?
Excuse my ignorance in this

Jake

johnpoz

@Jake-Biker maybe its a + only version package?

Your not seeing it in available packages?

Jake Biker

@johnpoz Oh indeed.
I can see it on my plus boxes but not the my test edge box.
Of course my bad. Much appreciated John that didn't occur to me.

johnpoz

@Jake-Biker but not sure how this would fix your problem - you going to make sure all your customers run pfsense? ;)

And you stated your software sends a tcp broadcast not udp.

Jake Biker

@johnpoz Hi John,

No it is in fact a UDP Broadcast.

We are only using this across our development campus which has two subnets.

We are working on our software to develop the ability to scan remote subnets, knowing that the devices are there is going to aid with the development.

Hope that makes sense !

Regards

Jake

johnpoz

@Jake-Biker ah ok - yeah that makes sense.. Good luck, let us know how it turns out.. Yeah I get discovery to make life simple for stuff.. I mean you can not expect grandma to know the IP of some iot device she connects, that sort of thing.

But all companies should also account for segmented networks.. And the ability add devices not on the same segment - discovery doesn't always work in all environments

On my wish list is for companies to allow for turning off discovery as well - some of these applications are noisy as AF.. sending out broadcast or multicast every 10 seconds.. I don't need discovery, and if I did I don't need it running 24/7/365 when I have already discovered my device, etc.

edit:
Freaking plex sends out discovery every 10 seconds, not a thing I need or want. And there is no way to turn it off.. I finally blocked it at the switch port with an ACL ;)

And don't get me started with smart wifi light bulbs - noisy SOBs