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Forum Discussion
Setting up two WAX630 as mesh without Netgear Insight (Standalone)
Hi everyone-- I recently bought two Netgear WAX630 as access points, a router and two switches to create a reliable network for once. Netgear insight looked promising at the beginning but turned out...
Hi Kurt--
Thanks again for your reply. What I have understood so far:
1. APs on Mesh systems are publishing a BSSID list of neighbouring APs on the same name/SSID (also known as a consumer Mesh)
2. You suggest that I could put my two WAX630 on the same network name(s)/SSID(s) to create a mesh like setup. Where the only thing missing would be 802.11r Fast Transition feature.
My further questions to broaden my understanding are:
1. Is WAX630 capable of creating a Mesh like array (publishing a BSSID list of neighbouring APs on the same name/SSID) in standalone mode?
OR
Is WAX630 only capable of creating a true Mesh array in Netgear Insight mode?
2. What exactly would I have to do to configure both APs into a mesh array without using Netgear Insight?
3. Further I found two options which might be suitable for my setup:
Create a dedicated SSID as a wireless backhaul or WDS
-Would you suggest rather to create a dedicated hidden SSID on lets say a 5Ghz high channel as a backhaul for the two APs or run build in WDS? (where is the difference? is there a difference performance or roaming capabillity? Is e.g. one more reliable than the other? What would be the downside of that setup in comparison to a true Mesh setup?
In other words: What would you suggest as a set up and how would you set it up considering Netgear Insight is not a suitable option for my needs right now.
Thanks for your help in advance.
Alex
Scratch the Mesh term as well as WDS since you will operate a wired network with the WAX630 attached.
No WiFi "Mesh" system does make what the technical Mesh term implies. Its a bad marketing term for the throw-in systems typically operated on a WiFi backhaul. And no whatever hidden SSID you talk of.
Forget also about WDS - again because you operate a wired network wit APs - so no WDS involved or required.
You have the choice to test drive if the simple config with two standalone managed WAX630 on the wired network, with one network or multiple networks with tagged 802.1Q (except of one which can retained untagged), and map as many SSIDs on the WAX630 mapping to the VLANs as you need.
I simply don't know (honestly I don't care much) if the standalone managed WAX6xx and WAC5xx will provide the RRM information with the alternate BSSID by SSID table (802.1k/.11v). The difference in case they don't is a slightly longer time to re-associate to the other AP. Have two US WAC resp. WAX AP on my test network and never really observed any kind of sticky client or a massive delay in re-associate of decent WiFi clients.
If you desperate, run a WiFi sniffer and analyze the wireless control frames.
What's the point for not trying to start using Insight? You won't look back ... especially when adding Insight manageable switches.
-Kurt
No WiFi "Mesh" system does make what the technical Mesh term implies. Its a bad marketing term for the throw-in systems typically operated on a WiFi backhaul. And no whatever hidden SSID you talk of.
Forget also about WDS - again because you operate a wired network wit APs - so no WDS involved or required.
You have the choice to test drive if the simple config with two standalone managed WAX630 on the wired network, with one network or multiple networks with tagged 802.1Q (except of one which can retained untagged), and map as many SSIDs on the WAX630 mapping to the VLANs as you need.
I simply don't know (honestly I don't care much) if the standalone managed WAX6xx and WAC5xx will provide the RRM information with the alternate BSSID by SSID table (802.1k/.11v). The difference in case they don't is a slightly longer time to re-associate to the other AP. Have two US WAC resp. WAX AP on my test network and never really observed any kind of sticky client or a massive delay in re-associate of decent WiFi clients.
If you desperate, run a WiFi sniffer and analyze the wireless control frames.
What's the point for not trying to start using Insight? You won't look back ... especially when adding Insight manageable switches.
-Kurt
Hi Kurt
I did a litte research this morning and used the information you provided as a starting point. You are absolutely right about not caring about the slight delay of re-associating to the other AP.
I changed the set up as following:
AP1 is wired to and powerd by/ to the switch. The other AP is mounted to a wall about 30 feet away. Both APs are in line of sight to each other.
AP1 and AP2 are connected through the WDS option (I know you told me not to and to do it through the simple setup of an seperated SSID. But the articles and videos published Netgear on Youtube about the WDS functionallity seem to exactly solve my problem).
So far everything works fine, exept for two things:
1. The oddly "stuck on a-mode, with 20Mhz no matter what you do." of the low 5GHz network I am tryint to get solved in another community post
and
2. Is there a way to dedicate the 5GHz high channel as "backhaul" so that no other device can use it? I have seen even though I used the WDS 5GHz high to connect the two APs through WDS, other clients still use the 5GHz high band for connecting to the network.
Am I missing a setting to use a band exclusively as a backhaul to increase performance?
3. Quote Kurt: "What's the point for not trying to start using Insight? You won't look back ... especially when adding Insight manageable switches."
Well, I am sure that I won't look back on managing devices in standalone. I am owning 5 Netgear Insight managable devices, which would add up to 50$ per year to use insight. I just don't have to constantly keep changing settings. It the network is setup I will only do some slight changes. The annual costs are simply to high for my needs.
Best wishes and many thanks!
Alex
Unclear what problem you try to resolve with using a WDS connection. No longer powering the second WAX from the GC510P, powering with a local power supply instead, and intentionally using a wireless bridge to establish a LAN connection from the wired GC510P (and the rest of the LAN) with another LAN segment on that wirelessly connected second AP?
The problem that I intented to solve was not to have to run cables all over the place but to use two APs to bridge the network and also broadcast the Wifi to the other location.
The setup that I intended was to wire just one AP to the GC510P (which is connedted to a BR200 router, which is connedted to the internet) the other AP should extend the WiFI and bridge the network with a dedicated backhaul and be also connected to a switch (GC110p) to hardwire more devices. The second AP is currenty powered by a 802.3bt injector because the GC 110p is too weak to do the job :(
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