Solved: Netgear Address Reservation - Invalid MAC Address [Workaround]

Written By: Alan Nishioka
  • Comments: 11
Solved: Netgear Address Reservation - Invalid MAC Address [Workaround]

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

4

Time Required

No estimate

Introduction

Address Reservation is broken on several Netgear routers. Specifically Nighthawk R7900P with V1.4.4.94_1.3.56 firmware, but it doesn't work for other routers and firmware as well.

The problem is the front end JavaScript removes the colons from the MAC address, but the back end software requires the colons.

This guide was written for Firefox browser and the screenshots are from Firefox. Microsoft Edge works in a similar fashion.

Google Chrome requires using the console so you have to be comfortable with that. [Chrome only] label indicates the different steps required.

Apple Safari is similar to Chrome and requires using the console.

  1. 6qFnc4i2PHPnRuo6

    • Select Network tab to see URLs accessed

  2. XKNJKlAM1BxohZwW

    • Get Invalid MAC address error

    • This populates the Network tab with a list of URLs accessed

  3. M5sLXOeQKYEqe55v

    • This is the POST that sends your request to the back end

    • Select Edit and Resend

    • [Chrome only] Menu doesn't have this option so select Copy as fetch instead.

  4. HqjJKjbFcLNtY5gM

    • Click Send to POST request to back end

    • [Chrome only] Paste command to console and edit command line to add colons. Press Enter to send POST from console.

    • NB: Screen doesn't change when you press Send. But you don't get the error.

    • Click LAN Setup to go to previous screen to see new reservation at the bottom of the page.

Author

Alan Nishioka

Member since: 18/07/11

3507 Reputation

11 comments

i hit send but nothing happened. dont see the address listed in the LAN setup. What am i missin?

marvin kravets -

Did you get any error?

Did you reload LAN setup? I don't see any change to the screen when I press send, but clicking LAN Setup shows the new reservation at the bottom of the page.

Alan Nishioka -

No i dont see any errors. I hit send it does a quick loading of something within the network console and nothing else happens. I refresh page and no change.

marvin kravets -

looks like i had to do something else than your instructions.. after I edit and send it and i found the entry in the network log file I right click again and selected open in new tab and it seemed to work that way. Thanks.

marvin kravets -

This worked for me! thanks so much!

Alec Tardy -

This is absolutely ridiculous from Netgear and one of the many reasons I won't buy their products (another being their hidiously short warrantly and support - did you know their support is oly 3 months from date of purchase).

So it takes people to make awesome fix responses like this to get around the Netgear incompetance.

Thank you very much for making this fixit guide. it worked for me perfectly as explained. I had to download Firefox as it is the only browser that allows you to resend a POST after you have manipulated it in the browser. Sounds dodgy as F but it works for this fix.

Thanks

David

David Bridge -

This worked for me as well!

Dominick Baldini -

You're a goddamned legend thanks. Can't wait to replace my ageing R7900P in the coming months!

Manbeast -

This worked! Saved me a lot if time.

Daniel Nguyen -

Brilliant worked for me, thanks!

Twangy -

I've been going nuts trying to figure out why I couldn't reserve the internal IP. This solution worked perfectly for me! Thank you! Why Netgear refuses to patch it is beyond me.

C S (qoder) -