Need help adding a WAP to my network. Shouldn't this be simple?

[c3k]

Folks,

I've got an Asus RT-AC68U working as my Router/Wifi access. I've got a hardwired LAN (through an unmanaged D-Link DSL-1024D) for the wired connections.

I have two spare wifi routers: an Asus RT-AC6-6-U ("66" not "68"), and a Linksys WAP-200.

Now, it USED to be simple, but it seems to have changed. This should be easy. How do I plug in the RT-AC66 and have it recognized by the 68, and be able to get into its (the 66) menu and set it as a WAP? Right now, it seems to interfere with the 68's routing whenever I plug in the 66 with an Ethernet cable to my network. Ditto with the Linksys.

They were doing exactly what I wanted...until I unplugged them for a few days for reno work. Now, I cannot get them to work!

Thanks for any assist.

Ken

 

[thiggins]

Since the Linksys is an AP and doesn't have a DHCP server, I can't see why it would be interfering with your router.

What do you mean by "interfering with the 68's routing"?

Did you manually convert the ASUS RT-AC66U to an AP or use the built-in mode?
If built in mode, you should connect via its WAN port. If you manually converted using this method or similar, you should connect via a LAN port.

 

[c3k]

Should've been more clear.

As soon as I plug the Linksys WAP200 into my LAN, my Asus 68's menu is inaccessible. The http 192.168.1.1 comes back with an error. When the WAP200 is unplugged, 192.168.1.1 access my Asus 68 normally.

Plugging the Asus 66 into my LAN has a similar effect.

Previously, the WAP200 worked fine. Plug it in to the LAN, give it power, and it's up and running... Ditto the 66.

I'm wondering if there's some sort of basic "to-do" that I've never had to accomplish before.

 

[thiggins]

Could be that both have reverted to a static IP that's the same as the main router. Try resetting the WAP200 to default, then try it again.

When you reset the AC66, it'll switch back to router mode, so you'll have to plug in a computer and set it up again to AP. You can try setting a STATIC IP, but make sure you assign one outside the AC68's DHCP server range.

 

[c3k]

Could be that both have reverted to a static IP that's the same as the main router. Try resetting the WAP200 to default, then try it again.

When you reset the AC66, it'll switch back to router mode, so you'll have to plug in a computer and set it up again to AP. You can try setting a STATIC IP, but make sure you assign one outside the AC68's DHCP server range.

Thanks! Your advice helped me get it sorted. Okay, "helped me" kind of exaggerates how much I did versus just following your instructions.

The 66 had reverted to router and, as you said, I had to connect it directly to a computer to get access to it and change it to AP mode.
The WAP200 had done something similar. It reverted to its default 192.168.1.245 static address, but my 68 had it set with a fixed IP address of 192.168.1.4.

Thank you,

Ken

Edited to ask a question: why should the 66 (in AP mode) have an IP address outside the DHCP range set by the 68? I ask because previously I had the 68 set to 192.168.1.2 through .254 and the 66, working as an AP had a fixed IP address of 192.168.1.30, within the DHCP range. It worked. Or, it seemed to, to me. Should I do the same with the WAP200?
(Until I hear otherwise, I've reset the 68's DHCP range to start at 192.168.1.8 and the 66 is manually set to .5, the WAP200 to .4. I've done that within their respective setup menus as well as manually assigning that IP address from within the 68's settings and associating the fixed address with the MAC address of the two devices.)

 

[thiggins]

Thanks for reporting back.

If you set static IPs manually in clients and not by reserving DHCP addresses, the DHCP server doesn't know about them. So when it assigns IP addresses, it can hand out the same addresses as the manually assigned ones, causing conflicts.

Windows will let you know if it detects and IP address collision. Other devices may not be so helpful.

 

[c3k]

Ahh, now I understand what you meant.

My Asus RT68 router will reserver manual IP addresses, even if they are inside the DHCP range, if the manual IP address is setup in the 68's menu.

Now, for an oddity: I now have 3 wifi transmitters on my LAN. My 68 router also hass wifi; my 66 is working as a wap; and my Linksys WAP200.

My Asus RT-AC68U has a client map (I'll try to post the jpg). When I have a wireless device networked via the two WAP's (the RT-AC66 or the WAP200), they now show up as "wired". If the same device is networked to the 68's wifi, it shows up correctly as "wireless". This is new behavior.

Is there a way to fix this? (I'd like all wireless devices to be shown as "wireless" in the router's client table.)

Ken

 

[azazel1024]

Ahh, now I understand what you meant.

My Asus RT68 router will reserver manual IP addresses, even if they are inside the DHCP range, if the manual IP address is setup in the 68's menu.

Now, for an oddity: I now have 3 wifi transmitters on my LAN. My 68 router also hass wifi; my 66 is working as a wap; and my Linksys WAP200.

My Asus RT-AC68U has a client map (I'll try to post the jpg). When I have a wireless device networked via the two WAP's (the RT-AC66 or the WAP200), they now show up as "wired". If the same device is networked to the 68's wifi, it shows up correctly as "wireless". This is new behavior.

Is there a way to fix this? (I'd like all wireless devices to be shown as "wireless" in the router's client table.)

Ken

There is not. ARP is coming in over the wire to the AC68, so as far as the AC68 is concerned, they are wired clients.

I have similar behavior with all TP-Link routers I have used that have client maps, they show only the devices connected to them currently through wireless as wireless clients, all other wireless clients connected to one of my WAPs are listed as wired clients.

 

[c3k]

thiggins and asazel1024,

Thanks for your explanations and assistance! I've got it all sorted now.

Regards,
Ken