[DHCPserver] offering lease [IP] for [MAC] without success

I’m stuck with that without any success/solution. (Read all topics here with (almost) the same problems)

First of all - now I have default configuration, and lease for one device by cable is not working, so…

I have an RB2011, there was 6.49.8 firmware two days ago, yesterday I’ve upgraded it to 7.11.
I have >200 FW rules & enough NAT rules, > 40 leases in DHCP and fully configured and ideally working RB2011 for 4+ years. Except this one problem that I need to fix.
I have a cheap WiFi/Lan cloud IP camera (Goke GK7102 chip, Linux, 8Mb flash etc…) and it works ok when I use WiFi - it has static IP and works (with loosing packets, slowdowns and so on). So I’ve decided to connect it by cable. Lost about a week+ with modding it, changing scripts, debugging, bricking and unbricking with soldering the chip and reflashing with CH341A SOP8 flasher, ton of work without success - when I insert LAN cable (or enable port) few seconds later camera just stucks at some loop - loosing WiFi connection, telling me that it try to connect by cable and nothing more, when I eject LAN cable (or disable port) it returns to WiFi).
So my conclusions after all of this lead me to my router configuration - maybe I blocked something more than needed (but all everything anytime works perfectly) - tried to debug with router logs, added new rules, disabled old ones, reread ton of topics with that “offering lease without success” - nope, zero result.
Then I got other two routers in my hand - TP-Link and D-Link. Reset first router, entered web-face, set up passwords etc to avoid unneeded connections from someone and put LAN cable from camera into it - blah! DHCP on that router leased IP for camera (WiFi connection to my RB automatically disabled)!
I take second router, reset it, set up as previous - WPA2 etc, put IP camera LAN cable into it - and this router’s DHCP leased IP for a camera by LAN cable too.
What a?..

Then I made hard decision to 1) try to find newer ROS/firmware (and found with “upgrade” option in Packages); 2) if it will not help - I’ll reset my RB to default config - and look if something will help.
I’ve made a backup and reset configuration by System > Reset Configuration > Keep Users.

After that I have clean 7.11. DHCP leased IP for a PC connected to it, I’ve changed Wireless config, added protection, renamed WiFi net, connected smartphone, checked that browser can open web and powered on Camera (without LAN cable connected to it).
After successful DHCP lease for Camera WiFi connection I put LAN cable to it. And… everything is the same as before - “lease without success”.
Changed Logging to remote syslog (PC), added dhcp logging to remote syslog and got a file with DHCP dump (everything is the same as was with my full configuration).
About connection: cable lengths for testing purposes is 1-3 m, every connected device with them works at max possible speed without any packet losses

It’s a pain in the ass. Any ideas how to beat this in RB?

08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug [DHCP]: defconf received discover id 1714027594 from 0.0.0.0 '1:30:4a:26:xx:xx:xx'
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     ciaddr = 0.0.0.0
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     chaddr = 30:4A:26:xx:xx:xx
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     Msg-Type = discover
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     Parameter-List = Subnet-Mask,Router,Domain-Server,Host-Name,Domain-Name,Broadcast-Address,Unknown(40),Unknown(41),NTP-Server
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     Class-Id = "udhcp 0.9.9-pre"
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     Client-Id = 01-30-4A-26-xx-xx-xx
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug [DHCP]: lease found, waiting, acquire
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug [DHCP]: 3 offers in a row => forcing broadcast
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug [DHCP]: defconf sending offer with id 1714027594 to 255.255.255.255
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     ciaddr = 0.0.0.0
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     yiaddr = 192.168.88.112
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     siaddr = 192.168.88.1
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     chaddr = 30:4A:26:xx:xx:xx
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     Subnet-Mask = 255.255.255.0
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     Router = 192.168.88.1
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     Domain-Server = 192.168.88.1
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     Address-Time = 600
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     Msg-Type = offer
08:02:01	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug,packet [DHCP]:     Server-Id = 192.168.88.1
08:02:31	192.168.88.1	dhcp,debug [DHCP]: lease 192.168.88.112 expired

Seems like source of the problem is found, just need to confirm that and push it to the staff.
After sniffing for DHCP packets and comparing them I’ve noticed that IPv4 packet Destination for DHCP Offer packets when success is always offered IP and when fail is a 255.255.255.255 AND Ethernet II destination is MAC of requesting device when success and Broadcast ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff MAC then fail. That’s very logical because client device at this moment is listening to packets for it’s own MAC and not for everyone.
So DHCP server sends offer unicast messages to clients by always known MAC’s and it’s works perfectly but when server sends offer as broadcast message then client ignores that.

PSS: finally I’ve got a chance to collect some information from a device (camera) and found that after connection to MT RB2011 there are lot of “RX error: Dribble bit”. Then added to it that always device connects at 10/Full (with a lot of linkdowns etc). When I got to the camera internals I’ve access to kmsg… that’s how I’ve seen that errors. I got ifconfig info and understand that camera easily can connect at 100/Full. Then after connection to other brand routers I’ve rechecked all this and found that camera connects to all of them at 100/Full… And understood that DHCP offering lease error is not the main problem, the main problem is negotiation and searched a bit for that. And found a topic from 2013 with same problems with lot of devices - Cisco, Huawei, ECI and others… There are posts from 2021 too.
Before this I was thinking about buying new RB4011iGS but… after all this happens and I’ve beating the wall with my head for more than a month - I start to think that I must finish think of buying RB4011… :open_mouth: