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Hi,

I have a variety of routers, TP-Link TL-R470T as the main one connected to a basic modem (only)
My setup has worked for years all fine, reliable internet LAN etc.

In UK with a TalkTalk service provider (& domain hosting etc with a company called TSO Host but I guess unrelated)

BT basic Modem just passes through to.. 192.168.1.1 to ..

Main router TL-R470
192.168.2.1
Nothing in DNS 1 or 2 (says optional)

Any other AP's
...
192.168.2.20 e.g. etc etc (def no conflicts)
Gateway 192.168.2.1
DNS 192.168.2.1 - Same as gateway???

I always assumed would be assigned by whatever has assigned it to the the main router

However recently I had trouble with my Mobile phone and its Wifi calling feature that made me question whether I have the best setup. Could be just a quirk on the mobile but did wonder.
I do get the very occasional pause and failure to get to a www but within seconds or a refresh its fine, so rare I never though about it until now.

The phone internet works fine but this Wifi calling uses the internet where there is no Cell signal, ie at home. Works well in general.

However the Wifi part stopped working
When the phone is getting its IP via DHCP 95% of the time it won't connect to wifi calling or takes hours to connect (so it does sometimes, which is odd)

However

If I set the phone to static and use 8.8.8.8 as the DNS (I set this up just as exact copy of someone else on the www) to test it works perfectly.

Now it could be simply having static on the phone, however I have always had it set via reservation from the router so know it has the same IP alwasy & no conflicts.

Made me think perhaps it is the DNS. typing this of course made me think I should try the phone perhaps on 182.168.2.1 (the gateway), I will later.

Either way I would like to know the wisdom of this.
Should I perhaps put all my AP's off the main router with a different DNS.
As everything else works fine don't want to mess too much as you never know if that might upset something later on I may find.

I do seem to remember years ago I think I use to leave the DNS blank on the other AP's an it use to work but something perhaps did not work & made me change them all to the main gateway IP.


Some PC's have static IPs range 2 - 100, a lot of stuff on dhcp reservation range 101 - 255 - the same range as DHCP


(careful about any static IP devices & DHCP is Only On, on this main router)

All working now & happy to leave phone on static but would like to know the wisdom of all this

Thanks I/A