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Changing the IP Address for a Popoto Modem

Each Popoto modem has a static IPv4 address that identifies it on your network. You may need to change this address when adding another modem, moving the modem to a different network, or resolving an address conflict.

The easiest way to make the change is with pshell's setIP command. This page walks you through that method first, followed by the equivalent manual steps in the modem's Debian shell.

warning

Changing the address of the interface used for your connection ends the current network session. Make sure the new address is available on your network, then reconnect to the modem at that address.

Change the address with pshell​

  1. Open a pshell session using a serial connection or the modem's current IP address. See Connecting the Modem to a Device.

  2. Enter setIP with the new IPv4 address:

    setIP 10.0.0.111

    This sets eth0 to 10.0.0.111 with the default netmask 255.255.255.0 (/24).

  3. To use a different netmask, provide it after the address:

    setIP 10.0.0.111 255.255.0.0

  4. To configure an interface other than eth0, provide the interface name. Include the netmask when it differs from the default:

    setIP 192.168.1.100 eth1
    setIP 192.168.1.100 255.255.0.0 eth1

The complete syntax is:

setIP <IPv4-address> [netmask] [interface]

The command validates the address and netmask, applies the address immediately, brings the interface up, and saves the static configuration in /etc/network/interfaces.

After the connection closes, configure your computer for the new subnet if necessary, reconnect using the new address, and run getIP to confirm the configuration.

Change the address manually in Debian​

If pshell is unavailable, you can make the same change directly from the modem's Debian shell. This requires first editing and saving the static configuration, then either applying it immediately (if using a serial connection) or rebooting the modem to apply it (when using SSH over Ethernet).

The examples below configure eth0 as 10.0.0.111 with netmask 255.255.255.0; substitute the interface, address, and netmask required for your network.

Edit the static configuration​

Using nano or your preferred editing tool, open /etc/network/interfaces. Replace the existing stanza for the interface, or add one if it does not exist:

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet static
    address 10.0.0.111
    netmask 255.255.255.0

Save your changes before quitting. This file makes the address persistent across reboots.

Apply the new IP address from a serial connection​

If you are connected through a serial console, you can apply the changes immediately by removing the interface's current IPv4 addresses, assigning the new address in CIDR notation, and bringing the interface back up:

ip -4 address flush dev eth0
ip address add 10.0.0.111/24 dev eth0
ip link set eth0 up

The CIDR prefix must match the netmask. For example, 255.255.255.0 is /24 and 255.255.0.0 is /16.

Apply the new IP address from an Ethernet connection​

If you are connected through SSH over Ethernet, apply the change by rebooting the modem after saving /etc/network/interfaces:

reboot

The SSH session will close while the modem reboots. Configure your computer for the new subnet if necessary, reconnect at the new address, and verify the result with ip -4 address show dev eth0 or pshell's getIP command.