YES - I am 100% correct. The firmware is using DHCPREQUEST to test network connectivity. This is why the flic hub is sending out almost a 100 DHCPREQUEST packets a minute.

Received a suggestion that I should try increasing the DHCP lease time. Well I first tried Zero(static), , then 1,440 (24 hrs), then I tried 99,999 minutes(That's 69.44375 days). This does not stop or change the rate of DHCPREQUEST traffic. (FYI - Depending on the DHCP or DNSMASQ version you are running the DHCP lease time is generally restricted to five digits.)

When you disable DHCP on the network the FLIC_HUB immediately goes into an offline state.
If you are using ethernet connection the flic hub now shows 'CONNECTED' with the IP address of 169.254.194.195. It knows the NIC is physically connected but refuses to communicate until there is DHCP service. Why do I say this? When you disconnect the ethernet cable the status changes to 'Connect cable.'

If you are using a WiFi connection the flic hub reports 'WiFi disconnected,' but it shows an IP address of 169.254.194.195. Now if the hub has lost it's wlan connection why is it showing an automatic private address? That is because the access point it was communicating with still shows the flic hub as associated and responding to traffic control packets(RTS/CTS).
So that only leaves ONE possible explanation. When the flic hub does not receive a DHCPACK it goes offline under the assumption that there is no active internet connection. This is WRONG!
Maybe you need to implement a Network Connectivity Status Indicator(NCSI) similar to Microsoft has done with windows.

This is not an isolated incident to just a SINGLE flic hub. I have FIVE(5) FLIC hubs sitting here in front of me that all exhibit the exact same behavior. It does not matter which type of connection you use, WiFi or ethernet, the FLIC hub uses DHCPREQUEST to test network connectivity.

Now I was helping a friend troubleshoot their VoIP connection for a remote work setup using WiFi. NO, they cannot use ethernet. This person's landlord does not permit cables or cords of any type to be on the floor, even temporarily. And no taping to the floor isn't acceptable either, we asked. If the landlord finds that condition it is grounds for immediate eviction.
What did I find? Two flic hubs broadcasting nearly 300 DHCPREQUEST a minute across a wireless connection causing congestion on the wireless network. So I unplug the flic hubs and the issue instantly resolves itself. So here is a prime example that this method is poor choice to check for internet connectivity. (Two flichubs? I don't wanna go it that story.)

YES - This causes disastrous latency issues for gaming computers & consoles using WiFi.
I quit counting how many times unplugging a FLIC HUB solved latency issues for gaming.

Here is a list of switch and router manufacturers I can duplicate this behavior with.

• Ubiquiti
• Cisco Systems & Meraki
• Juniper
• HP Pro Curve
• Huawei
• Avaya
• Mikrotik
• Dell
• Netgear
• D-Link
• TP-link
• Zyxel
• Buffalo Technology
• Auruba
• Samsung
• Ruckus Networks
• Linksys/Belkin
• TrendNet
• Motorola
• Arris

Does not matter which brand of router/switch/AP is used in conjunction with the flichub if DHCP is disabled the flichub will go offline without fail - guaranteed.

I'm still wanting to know why the flic_hub makes DHCPREQUEST every 35-45 seconds?

My only thought is when someone wrote the code for the HUB did they mistakenly use DHCPREQUEST instead of PING wanting to ascertain if the present connection is still active. I have seen countless devices and apps do this. This is not a unusual event or behavior; however, these devices and apps actually use PING instead.

Now as I have been asked before back in December, "Have you tried a different router?" Yes, sixteen of them ranging from cheap off the shelf consumer routers, ISP supplied routers, to enterprise grade routers and switches (Cisco, Juniper, Ubiquiti, and HP). The HUB exhibits the same behavior on all of them. Even when DHCP is disabled after the HUB has acquired an IP address.

Next issue. What type of connection? Wifi or Lan? I have used BOTH or all sixteen network setups. The behavior is the same.

My next plan of attack is to create a script that floods the flic_hub with DHCPACK packets and watch to see if it still sends DHCPRequests. I'm willing to bet it does.

In the Log below this router is assigning flic_hub a STATIC address with a DHCP lease of zero(0) which means the client should not make another request unless the connection is reset. I do not know of anything interrupting or resetting this connection every 35-45 seconds. I have also tried setting the DHCP lease length to 9999. This would mean there should be new requests or renewal requests from the client for approximately 4,990+ minutes, but I still get the same behavior.

Apr 24 18:30:26 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPOFFER(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:30:26 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:30:26 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:34:15 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPOFFER(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:34:15 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:34:15 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:35:20 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:35:20 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:35:23 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:35:23 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:35:31 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:35:31 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:35:47 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:35:47 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:36:05 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:36:05 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:36:59 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:36:59 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:37:03 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:37:03 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:37:12 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:37:12 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:37:29 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:37:29 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:37:44 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:37:44 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:38:38 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:38:38 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:38:43 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:38:43 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:38:51 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:38:51 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:39:07 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:39:07 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:39:23 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:39:23 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:40:17 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:40:17 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:40:21 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:40:21 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:40:29 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:40:29 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:40:45 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:40:45 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:41:02 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:41:02 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:41:58 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:41:58 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:42:01 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:42:01 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:42:09 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:42:09 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:42:26 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:42:26 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:42:43 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:42:43 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:43:38 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:43:38 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:43:42 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:43:42 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:43:50 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:43:50 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:44:07 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:44:07 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:44:23 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:44:23 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:45:17 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:45:17 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:45:22 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:45:22 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:45:29 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:45:29 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:45:46 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:45:46 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub
Apr 24 18:46:02 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPREQUEST(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7
Apr 24 18:46:02 ###.###.###.### dnsmasq-dhcp DHCPACK(br0) ###.###.#.29 9a:af:b1:1a:08:a7 flic_hub

So how is a person suppose to operate/manage a FLIC HUB without a mobile device?

Well I think my initial suspicion was correct. Yesterday, 01/28/2021, I had a visit from my ISP's threat prevention group, and a law enforcement officer who asked that he/she rather not disclose which agency they were with at this time. What ever. Since I personally know both people from the ISP, and the fact one of them is married to my cousin I was not concerned about it being a scam.
They informed me they had tracked and were monitoring suspicious traffic coming from my residential gateway. Specifically they were looking for a device that was active in a botnet currently under federal investigation.
I was asked if they could monitor my local network to further identify the actual device that was appeared to be using a fake MAC address. They showed me the MAC address 9A-AF-B1-1A-08-A7. Hmmm? That's the MAC of my FLIC Hub. I handed it over to them to use gather additional surveillance.
Will I get the device back? Maybe? Probably not, but I really don't care. I still hadn't got it to work. Now I know why.

Interesting thing I could not find a OUI/OID registry for 9A-AF-B1. I tried 15 different resources including CISCO Systems, Fluke Int'l, and the standards-oui.ieee.org websites. No listing. Not even when searching by company name.

Now I have to sift through roughly six weeks of internet logs to see if there was any malicious traffic other than just the botnet.
I can hear my father's word ringing in my ears right now, "Well son, are those modern inconveniences really worth it?"

@Emil Well I finally got back to playing around with the FLICHUB again. I have configured the hub to use wifi instead; however, before that I configured the access point nearest the FLICHUB with a new virtual SSID that has both Network and Access Point isolation enabled. Then all DNS traffic for that network is force redirected to OpenDNS preventing access to all known malware and botnet command & control servers. I think that fairly well sandboxes the FLICHUB to a point where I really do not care what the hub does other than send out traffic to other services such as IFTTT.

@Emil, Well no, that behavior has now proven to be nothing more than an annoyance, since a new problem has developed when my Ubiquiti Security Gateway received a firmware update today. Now the SG keeps flagging the flichub as infected with malware and denies all access to the flichub.

I disconnected the flichub from my network. Besides I have not found a way to integrate my Tuya/SmartLife compatible wifi smart plugs with the FLIC2 buttons yet.

I'll revisit this problem after the holiday.

I recently purchased a FLICHUB LR. It is hooked to my network via ethernet since the FLICHUB does not support WPA3. It has a static IP address assigned with a DHCP lease time of 1440 minutes (24 hrs).

For that past couple of weeks I have found the flichub is sending a DHCPREQUEST roughly every 62-67 seconds.
Shortly after 12am the interval is every 62 seconds. At some point that interval increases usually by one second until it reaches 67 seconds 2-3 hours before 11:59pm. I tried power cycling the HUB multiple times with no change. I have tried resetting it to default four times then reconfigure it, but it still does not change.

How do I make the flichub stop this behavior?