WDS Router doesn't forward DHCP packets - networking

Recently I have followed this link to setup a wireless router into an access point in my home.
Our current network components are as follows:
Main router (192.168.1.1): a Sercomm router configured by the ISP, with DHCP enabled for address 192.168.1.30 onwards.
AP router (192.168.1.2): a TP-Link WD8970 router on the bridge mode, with WDS turned on (on the same SSID, mode and channel as the main router) and DHCP turned off. However, this AP is configured to broadcast a different SSID to indicate a different storey.
Devices (182.168.1.xx): desktop or mobile clients that could connect to both SSIDs.
(click here for the topology image)
The problem is that:
Most of the time, devices connected to AP router's SSID is given 169.254.x.x IP addresses and could not reach the internet
Devices that is configured with a dynamic IP and connected to the main router's SSID could reach only devices connected to the main router's SSID
Devices that is configured with a static IP and connected to AP router's SSID could reach both routers (the main router at 192.168.1.1 and the AP router at 192.168.1.2, respectively)
DHCP packets are not forwarded from the main router (192.168.1.1) to the AP router (192.168.1.2), while other types of packets could flow through
How would you advice on configuring this home network differently, to make it more stable and usable?

I had the same issues in past days. I fixed checking the flag "DHCP RELAY". As soon as I checked it all went fine. All devices connected to the wireless router have received the IP address form DHCP server.
https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1630/ (the real configuration page on Archer D7 is slightly different form what stated in the link).
This was my network: I have a small usb powered 4G modem/router connected to internet. I wanted to share the internet with several devices located far from the 4G modem/router, so I decided to extend the coverage by means a TP-LINK Archer D7 ADSL modem/router used as Wifi access point. I connected the 4G modem to AP through WDS. The pc's and printers connected to Archer D7 (AP) were fine, security camera, smartphones etc.. no IP from DHCP. After the setting DHCP RELAY everything went fine.

Most of the time, devices connected to AP router's SSID is given 169.254.x.x IP addresses and could not reach the internet
This issue has to do with the WDS connection and poor connection from the AP to the main router. As a wifi expert (ok, expired CWNA) it's never a good idea to use WiFi extenders or WDS in your case. It increases interference, adds an extra hope, and rarely helps. While it's easy to think of these as a signal booster the wifi network protocol isn't setup for these types of connections. Only some commercial APs with parabolic antennas can truly benefit from wifi extenders.
Test with a cable connected from the main router to the AP and use the interfaces instead of wifi. It's possible you have DHCP issues with your wifi issue so first test with static IPs.
If this works then you should leave the cable in place. Understandably this isn't always possible so replacing your main router with a quality wifi router would be my 2nd choice. Sorry I don't know any good consumer grade APs but they are out there.

Related

Transfer data between two devices on different routers on the same modem

I have two devices, a PC and a RaspberryPi, that are connected to two different routers (one has VPN, one does not), that are connected to the same modem. (See diagram). The two routers are physically separated, so it would be difficult to connect them with a cable.
I am trying to access the RaspberryPi from my PC using SSH to run programs remotely on the Pi, and have the Pi send data that the program scrapes back to my PC for processing.
My question is, is this possible? And if so, how would I be able to implement it?
Thanks
I had this working (prior to my network reconfigure).
What I did was set router A as DHCP server.
Router B was configured as not to hand out IP Addresses.
Connect router A and router B on the LAN side.
All clients went through Router A, unless the devices' IP Settings were changed. I only changed gateway to router B to have the secondary connection.

How to Access a Wifi Device Through a Switch

Here's the situation...
I have 3 desktop Win PC's ("A", "B" and "C") connected to a Switch (TP-Link 8 Gigaport Switch). Also connected to my switch is the cable company's router, and I have a 100 foot Ethernet wire to the middle of my house where there is a wireless router.
This works great - home automation stuff + cell phone connect to wireless router, A, B, & C can talk to each other (share files, remote desktop, shared printer, etc). Life was grand.
Then I bought a MS Surface. I can't get the Surface to "see" A, B & C, and they can't see the Surface. I assume it is because the wireless router OR the Switch won't share outside their walls. How do I do that?
I'm a programmer, not a network guy (obviously) so dumb it down for me! Thanks!
I'll assume broadcasts or multicasts are used to "see" other hosts.
If your wireless router is configured in NAT mode then broadcasts won't be forwarded between your wired and wireless network.
Try configuring your wireless router to operate in bridged mode which will allow broadcasts to be forwarded between the wired and wireless networks. This will allow discovery to "see" hosts on the other part of the network.
As your cable router will be acting as a DHCP server you should disable the DHCP server on you wireless router when it is operating in bridged mode.

Wifi internet sharing via router

I have the following scenario.
I have a laptop with wifi internet . I connected my laptop to Netgear router via ethernet cable.
I want to get the laptop wifi internet to be shared with those who connect to router.
Is it possible.
First of all, rather than using a router (Netgear router), you should have used switch.
Now, since you have used a router, you have to write a static route in your netgear router which would say 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 (a packet heading towards internet) have to go to the IP address which is configured on the interface of your laptop where you have plugged Ethernet cable.

two routers in one network; one as gateway, one as DHCP server

My ISP changed their network configuration and now my home setup is not working anymore. I had one Asus router which features like QoS and parental control, my physical network consists of UTP, powerlan and wifi.
In the new setup I'm required to run a new router (functionally crippled) to handle IPTV and telephone, but I would still like to run all my LAN traffic through my Asus for the additional functionality it provides. Not a problem I thought, until it turned out that the IPTV units are required to be connected directly to the new router. Which means all other systems using the powerlan (a.o. a Wifi Access Point) also bypass the Asus. Parental control is useless.
Is there anyway I can setup the new router to only function as a gateway, and let everything go though the Asus?
This setup did not work: internet <-> [extern IP] newrouter [192.168.2.254] <-> [192.168.2.253] Asus [192.168.2.1] <-> LAN [192.168.2.100-199]
The new router has 254 as its LAN IP
The Asus has a static WAN ip of 253, and its LAN IP to 1 (with 254 as the gateway).
DHCP hands out IP configs with 1 as the gateway
Theoretically this means any LAN device getting an IP will send to the Asus on IP 1, it forwards that via 253 to the new router at 254, which pushes it out to the internet.
But alas. Any suggestions if this can be made to work?
I cannot change the subnet on the new router, it is blocked to 255.255.255.0.
I do want wat to run switches everywhere to setup a VLAN.
You could just use a different subnet for your asus router.
e.g. use the 192.168.2.1 address for your asus router and configure DHCP to hand out IPs of that network (192.168.2.x). Then configure your new Router to have the IP 192.168.1.1.
Now add a static route from your asus router to your new router and the other way round. That way every device in the 192.168.2.x network has to go through your asus router.
Of course that does only work if you can configure routes on your new router.

Difference between Access Point / Station and Bridge / Router?

In my current network setup, I have a Cisco RVS4000 router that feeds into a 48 port ethernet switch and a Ubiquiti PicoStation M2 wireless access point.
I want the Cisco router to act as a DHCP server for the whole network. I am unsure how I should setup the Ubiquiti PicoStation M2...
The 2 options which seem relevant are Network Mode and Wireless Mode.
The options for Network Mode are:
Bridge
Router
SOHO Router
The options for Wireless Mode are:
Station
Station WDS
Access Point
Access Point WDS
From what I've read and what I want... I'd go for Bridge and Access Point?
Yes, Bridge and Access Point are the correct settings for extending your existing network onto wireless "media". the other options would create a second network.
The easiest way:
Connection in this order: Router -> Switch -> PicoStation
Set the PicoStation in "Access Point" Mode.
If you do it this way the clients that connect the Access Point (PicoStation) will retrieve an DHCP Adresse from the Router. The wireless clients are in the same subnet as the clients connected to the switch.
If you want to divide the "normal" clients from the wireless clients you set the PicoStation to Router Mode.
Access Point transmission media wireless, antena.
Bridge if transmission media like cable
the recommended option is router if you set DHCP
but in wireless i'm not sure about best option

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