DHCP showing bad address after power outage

[Guest]

Hello all

We've been having this problem now since we introduced our first C220 to campus a few years ago. After a power outage, all of our printers comes back online with no problem, except for the newer models of Konica Minoltas. We have a ton of printers on our campus(HP, Kyocera, Konica...) and its always just the Konica's that have this problem. A little more detail... The printer will show an IP of 169. When checking our DHCP server it shows the machine as having a bad address and that there is an IP conflict. However, there really isn't a conflict. Our fix has been to re-create the dhcp reservation, reboot the MFP and its working fine again.

Just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this. So far we've seen it with C35's, C220's, C280's and C284's.

Thanks

[emujo]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

If the MFPs are in DHCP, a power outage would be similar to a power cycle (ON/OFF). The MFP should go through the normal routine of asking for a DHCP address. IF the power outage is affecting the DHCP server also, it may be that the MFPs are timing out faster than the DHCP server is re-booting. A 169.x.x.x address would indicate a DHCP failure. A brown out (low voltage situation) might be worse for the MFP and might cause controller lockups. On the older MFPs (anything with a CF card in it), power failures could corrupt the CF card and cause controller lockups. Newer MFPs are more sensitive to these low power fluctuations. Why not start with resolving the power outages? A small UPS might get you through a few minutes of power outages. Emujo

[slimslob]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

If possible, during a power outage, turn all electronic equipment off. This avoids damage due to sags and surges that can occur when the power comes back on. When power has come back on and had time to stabilize, start powering equipment back up. Servers should be first. Once the server are fully booted, workstations and printers can be turned on.

[panuch]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

Thanks for the replies so far. I guess I should clear up some more stuff.

So, we're a multi building college campus set in a small city. Power blips and outages are pretty much a way of life...especially in the summer. Our last one was caused by a Squirrel...rest his soul. Our main data center and satellite "closets" have plenty of UPS's to go around. We've also got a generator the size of an RV to help out as well. So power to the DHCP server is never a problem.

Unfortunately, we'll never be able to control the random outages due to our surrounding environment. With any planned outages, yes, our machines are always taken down and backup in the correct manner.

Where we sit now, we've done a ton of troubleshooting and can rule out the server side of things. Our problem seems to lay on the MFP side. We have newer HP's and Kyoceras on campus alongside the Konica's that never experience this.

Emujo - It definitely seems like some kind of sensitivity with the controllers in the Konica's. We're just wondering if anyone is seeing this and what they might have done on the MFP side to correct it.

Here is a link that explains exactly what happens on the DHCP server. This is the only other person I've found that is experiencing this problem, but they don't have a solution either.

DHCP reservation BAD_Address and Mac Address changes.

[slimslob]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

I am going to assume that you have the IP addresses used by all your MFPs reserved in the DHCP so that nothing else gets those addresses. That being the case, go to the MFPs that have the problem and change the IP to fixed using the same IP that the DHCP has assigned it. Only has to be done once as opposed to going to each machine every time there is an outage.

[TheOwl]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

Could you please let us know which of the following options are enabled in the network settings of the machines?

1. DHCP
2. BOOTP
3. ARP/PING
4. AUTOIP

What are you currently running as a DHCP server? Windows, Linux, Mac Server or router...

Do you know if the machines have been updated to the latest firmware or have they just been installed and forgotten about?

How quickly are you seeing the IP Conlict problems from your DHCP server?

Are the machines set to Auto Negotiate for network speeds and if so, can you try dropping them back 100 Full or Half Duplex?

[Iowatech]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

Thanks for the replies so far. I guess I should clear up some more stuff.

So, we're a multi building college campus set in a small city. Power blips and outages are pretty much a way of life...especially in the summer. Our last one was caused by a Squirrel...rest his soul. Our main data center and satellite "closets" have plenty of UPS's to go around. We've also got a generator the size of an RV to help out as well. So power to the DHCP server is never a problem.

Unfortunately, we'll never be able to control the random outages due to our surrounding environment. With any planned outages, yes, our machines are always taken down and backup in the correct manner.

Where we sit now, we've done a ton of troubleshooting and can rule out the server side of things. Our problem seems to lay on the MFP side. We have newer HP's and Kyoceras on campus alongside the Konica's that never experience this.

Emujo - It definitely seems like some kind of sensitivity with the controllers in the Konica's. We're just wondering if anyone is seeing this and what they might have done on the MFP side to correct it.

Here is a link that explains exactly what happens on the DHCP server. This is the only other person I've found that is experiencing this problem, but they don't have a solution either.

DHCP reservation BAD_Address and Mac Address changes.

With that in mind, you might consider assigning network addresses to your machines rather than letting DHCP do that. It usually works better that way.
To make sure, the next time the machines appear to fall out, try pinging the machine's address while the machine is disconnected from the network and see if you get a response. If you do, something else on the network has been assigned the machine's network address by DHCP.
That's way less likely to happen if the machines have static IP addresses.

[northernlife]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

If the MFPs are in DHCP, a power outage would be similar to a power cycle (ON/OFF). The MFP should go through the normal routine of asking for a DHCP address. IF the power outage is affecting the DHCP server also, it may be that the MFPs are timing out faster than the DHCP server is re-booting. A 169.x.x.x address would indicate a DHCP failure. A brown out (low voltage situation) might be worse for the MFP and might cause controller lockups. On the older MFPs (anything with a CF card in it), power failures could corrupt the CF card and cause controller lockups. Newer MFPs are more sensitive to these low power fluctuations. Why not start with resolving the power outages? A small UPS might get you through a few minutes of power outages. Emujo

Do not use a UPS On a laser printer, ever.

It almost seem that the copier comes up before the switch/connectivity comes up and is defaulting to an autoconfig ip of 169. If you reboot it after the fact withouth redoing the reservation does it grab the proper ip?

[rthonpm]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

With that in mind, you might consider assigning network addresses to your machines rather than letting DHCP do that. It usually works better that way.
To make sure, the next time the machines appear to fall out, try pinging the machine's address while the machine is disconnected from the network and see if you get a response. If you do, something else on the network has been assigned the machine's network address by DHCP.
That's way less likely to happen if the machines have static IP addresses.

Printers should be considered a resource device on your network, no different than a server or a special use workstation: give them the love and static IP they deserve! If need be, just subnet out your network to give yourself an added static IP range if you're running low on addresses. Of course, if you're running routable public IP addresses then that may not do you much good.

[qbert69]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

Manually Set machine to static IP, connect with a crossover cable to a laptop, see if you can see the web monitor and/or print directly. If that works, then you know that you will need to set it to static IP when you are connected to your LAN. Anyway, you should ALWAYS use static for peripheral devices when hooking up to a network...the print driver can't "track" a DHCP IP address change! The only other way you might get around that is if the printer/mfp can be set-up to print to an SMB hostname...the SMB hostname will not change on the printer/MFP!

[emujo]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

Do not use a UPS On a laser printer, ever.

I'm not sure why you would make that statement... I have several customers that experience the same type of power problems, they have UPSs in place to keep the MFPs running for the duration. I would agree that the normal UPS to keep your workstation up and running might crap the bed in a matter of seconds, but these guys spent some big bucks for their MFPs continuous protection and they have worked like a charm. Emujo

[qbert69]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

I'm not sure why you would make that statement... I have several customers that experience the same type of power problems, they have UPSs in place to keep the MFPs running for the duration. I would agree that the normal UPS to keep your workstation up and running might crap the bed in a matter of seconds, but these guys spent some big bucks for their MFPs continuous protection and they have worked like a charm. Emujo

In this instance, a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply, Battery Backup) SHOULD NOT be used for a device MFP or printer that has a heating device inside-->AKA-->FUSER! The Fuser will shorten the inverter (DC to AC Converter) life inside the UPS!

You CAN hookup the non-battery section of the UPS for surge protection ONLY!

IMO, if manufacturers were smart, they would provide UPS built in to the machine for the data computing section of the machine, HDD, CPU, Scanner, etc. but not the fuser section!...OR provide a voltage loop whereby a UPS of the end users choice can be inserted for protection of the machine.

Manufacturers of UPS will strongly suggest that a heating type device NOT be hooked up to the UPS battery section--it substantially shortens the life of the UPS due to a higher current requirement!

[emujo]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

We based the size of the UPS on the power specs of the device, again, it had to be very large, but it works...If the UPS can handle the draw, why would it matter if it was a fuser drawing the power, or a motor, or a processor. We watched the power drop during their weekly tests and the MFP keeps humming along. Given the choice between replacing SYS boards due to power outages, or hooking up a UPS, I'll choose the UPS each time. Emujo

[TheOwl]

Re: DHCP showing bad address after power outage

There is nothing wrong with putting an MFD on to a UPS at all.

I used to look after a site that had a lot of power outages and was slowly killing their servers, computers and other equipment. Our resolve was to install a UPS with two ERMs (Extra Runtime Modules). I forget the KVA rating of the UPS, but essentially the UPS serviced an entire building of servers, computers, copiers, printers, comms gear and other various bits of equipment.

The UPS serviced two circuits, all of which the GPO's were used with red face plates so that we could quickly identify what was connected to the UPS.

In a power outage, the site could continue to run for 30 minutes until the batteries were depleted.

The UPS banter is besides the point though, the problem in this thread is to do entirely with the machines not picking up a DHCP address correctly after a power outage.

It is only happening on the Konica Minolta devices, so we can assume that the DHCP server is ok and that having a UPS doesn't make a difference to the other machines on the network.

Static IP addresses would help this situation, but I don't know if any of you have ever had to go and visit 20+ machines phyically or via the web interface to change IP addresses if the network is undergoing changes as it is a pain in the a$$. I use DHCP at all my sites as it assists our guys if they have to initialize the NIC, it helps our customers IT people in being able to see what IP addresses are in use on the network without having to run a network scanner, blah blah blah...

[rthonpm]

I've done a few IP changes, mainly for customers going from public to private IP ranges. It is a hassle, but IP changes on an order like that are rare so I've been able to manage. One thing I've seen some admins do is to give each device a host name beyond the manufacturer's default one and use the fully qualified name of each device instead of the IP when creating printer queues on servers. While it wouldn't help in this instance, it may be a handy thing for others to try if they go the DHCP route. The only issue I've seen with this method is that latency on a DNS server can end up sending print jobs to oblivion if an IP change is made and the new IP hasn't replicated across the network yet.

--sent from my BlackBerry using the Android app