MAC address is not included in DHCP request, requiring manual configuration for certain ISPs (e.g., KT)

[nahs]

In korea, KT has over 1/2 market share in internet connection.
KT has begun it's new authentication system, which All type of services(ADSL, VDSL, Cable...)
authenticate via DHCP. But it need a network MAC address and hostname.
it can easily configure by edit /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf. But it can't modified during install
session, since Ubuntu installation can only select "send hostname" via normal installation
process.
it can easily configured only write dhclient.conf with
 send host-name "computer id"; #it can be configured during ubuntu installation session
 send dhcp-client-identifier mac address;
I suggest when dhcp-autoconfigure failed, I can set option with "send hostname and send
MacAddress".

[atie (atie-at-matrix)]

In addition to above, dapper users who use KT are complaing about too many times in a day they lost connections randomly. Seems renewal isn't working properly, and users have to do "sudo dhclient" thing manually. Any suggestion?

[nahs (nahs777)]

I made some script for automake dhclient.conf for KT.

it isn't good code.(I am poor at make script) But you will know how dhclient.conf make to work properly.

I heard that sending Mac Address for Identification is standard for DHCP.

Can't ubuntu installer make this configuration file during Installation Sessions?

here is my script:

#!/bin/bash
# wrtten by nahs (nahs.pe.kr) gpl v2

echo "AutoMake KT dhcp client setting Program"
echo "This program is for Ubuntu or Debian System with dhcpclient"
echo "Written by Nahs(http://nahs.pe.kr/) lisence GPL v2"
echo

if [ `whoami` != "root" ]
then
 echo "You must excute this file with root."
 echo "Do sudo ./$0 eth*"
 echo ""
 exit 1
fi
ethname=$1
if [ "$ethname" == "" ]
then
 echo "You Must Select which adapter is connected with Internet."
 echo "If you have just one ethernet adapter. do sudo ./$0 eth0"
 echo ""
 exit 1
fi

macadress="`/sbin/ifconfig eth0 | sed -n -e '/^.*HWaddr \([:[:xdigit:]]*\).*/{s//\1/;y/ABCDEF/abcdef/;p;q;}'`"
hname=`cat /etc/hosts | grep 127.0.1.1 | cut -b 11-`
mv -f /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf.old
echo "interface \"$ethname\" {" >> /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf
echo "send host-name \"$hname\";" >> /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf
echo "send dhcp-client-identifier $macadress;" >> /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf
echo "}" >> /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf

cp -f /etc/network/interfaces /etc/network/interfaces.old
if [ "`cat /etc/network/interfaces | grep "iface $ethname inet"`" == "iface $ethname inet dhcp" ]
 then
 echo "finished"
elif [ "`cat /etc/network/interfaces | grep "iface $ethname inet"`" == "iface $ethname inet static" ]
 then
 sed -e "s/iface $ethname inet static/iface $ethname inet dhcp/" /etc/network/interfaces > interfaces.temp
 mv -f interfaces.temp /etc/network/interfaces
 rm interfaces.temp
 echo "finished"
else
  echo "auto $ethname" >> /etc/network/interfaces
  echo "iface $ethname inet dhcp" >> /etc/network/interfaces
  echo "finished" >> /etc/network/interfaces
fi

echo "Now restarting network"
/etc/init.d/networking restart

--

And Losing connection is a big Problem. I don't know why it happen. but it didn't occur in breezy or earlier version.

KT gives user ip for very short lease time..(maybe 1200 sec..) I think dapper has problem when regain ip from server.

[Matt Zimmerman (mdz)]

Colin, is this relevant for espresso?

[hendry (hendry-webc)]

I've just done some testing on my own KT connection.

dhclient from the package: dhcp-client doesn't work with KT. I don't know why.

However, the alternative package dhcpcd *does* work. Fortunately dhcpcd is just about a drop in replacement for dhcp-client and pump.

[nahs (nahs)]

hendry 쓴 글:
> I've just done some testing on my own KT connection.
>
> dhclient from the package: dhcp-client doesn't work with KT. I don't know why.
>
> However, the alternative package dhcpcd *does* work. Fortunately dhcpcd is just about a drop in replacement for dhcp-client and pump.
>
you can use dhcp-client too. but it need configuration.
add follow lines to /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf :
send host-name "hostname";
send dhcp-client-identifiler your-mac-address-here;
it is not so hard to make scripts i want ubuntu installer add that
automatically.

[hendry (hendry-webc)]

Ok I'm a little wary of how DHCP is actually supported in Ubuntu.

We have:

* dhcpcd
* pump
* dhcp3-client aka /sbin/dhclient source: dhcp3
* dhcp-client also /sbin/dhclient from source: dhcp

The dhcp client used in the Debian installer (and Ubuntu's) is:
dhcp-client-udeb_2.0pl5-19.4_i386.udeb
From source: dhcp

Although there is dhcp3-client-udeb after looking in the dhcp3 source package.
It looks like dhcp3-client-udeb

So perhaps this bug is filed against the wrong source package? It should be just dhcp. And nahs, you need to ensure your script works with the Debian installed ideally.

To add to the confusion, I *think* that once Ubuntu is installed dhcp3-client is used as the default dhcp client.

I'm grepping the seed and yes it looks like the case:

 perry$ egrep dhcp *
 installer: * dhcp-client-udeb
 minimal: * dhcp3-client # LaMontJones
 supported: * dhcp3-server
 supported: * dhcp3-dev

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

We have good reasons for using dhcp-client-udeb in the installer; it's not an accident. dhcp3-client-udeb is still considerably bigger.

[j^ (j)]

just ran into that problem in a hotel in korea, besides adding the mac address i also found out that udhcpc works too. any reason why the mac address is not send by default during a dhcp but has to be enabled via dhclient.conf?

[j^ (j)]

also true at the airport in hong kong, ubuntu should send the mac address by default!

[rusivi2 (rusivi2-deactivatedaccount)]

Thank you for posting this bug.

Does this occur in Lucid?

[Clint Byrum (clint-fewbar)]

No response on this bug for almost 18 months. Closing as Invalid.