Time Capsule Assigning 169.*** Addresses....

[gpspad]

I have a Time Capsule that keeps assigning 169.**.**.** addresses to devices. I read that is what happens when devices are having problems connecting with the DNS server.

While the time capsule is running a wireless server, most of the issues are coming from the ethernet connections. Off the main time capsule I have one switch that supplies ethernet connections to my media equipment and another switch that runs the computers in my office. In the basement I have an airport extreme connected via ethernet that acts a s a bridge.

I have reset the router twice and slowly added the devices back, but now the DNS server is acting up again. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

I realize apple no longer supports these modems, but Im not quite ready to rebuild my entire network and backup system. I'd like to try and fix the problem if i can, it kind of came suddenly, the network had worked flawlessly for a long time.

 

[hobowankenobi]

Have you tried different DNS numbers? Are you using your ISP DNS now?

Easy to rule out DNS issues by trying some reliable, fast, and popular options.

Might consider:

Google
OpenDNS
CloudFlare

 

[gpspad]

I solved the problem, I noticed one port in the switch wasn't even getting a connection. I checked the wire and it worked on another port. A ordered a new switch and no more 169.*** addresses, but d have been wanting to learn more about DNS servers, Ill check those out.

 

[Shadow Jolteon]

Have you tried different DNS numbers? Are you using your ISP DNS now?

Easy to rule out DNS issues by trying some reliable, fast, and popular options.

Might consider:

Google
OpenDNS
CloudFlare

DNS would not cause issues with a client IP address assignment. DNS resolves domain names to IP addresses. DHCP is the service that assigns an IP address to a device on your network.

That said, it could still be a good idea to consider switching over to a different DNS provider if you're still using your ISP's default, as most ISPs DNS resolution can be slow and unreliable. I currently use OpenDNS for public resolution, and use the DNS package on my Synology for a couple internal addresses I've set up.

I solved the problem, I noticed one port in the switch wasn't even getting a connection. I checked the wire and it worked on another port. A ordered a new switch and no more 169.*** addresses, but d have been wanting to learn more about DNS servers, Ill check those out.

It sounds like that switch port was the cause of all your problems for sure! 169.*.*.* addresses are self-assigned addresses a device can give itself when it does not receive an IP address from the DHCP server of the network it's connected to.

If you're looking for more information on DNS, there's quite a few useful resources and tutorials out there. I'd also recommend the book DNS and BIND, which is a good resource. It looks like it might be discounted on Amazon right now, too.