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Forum Discussion
Range Extender(EXS25) Management When Extending Guest Network
I have an EXS25 set up to extend my Guest network and now that it's successfully joined I can not get access to view or manage its configuration via the Nighthawk app or browser. Is there a way to...
Tried both the 2.5 and 5ghz ip address and neither works.
I was finally able to get connected and logged into the extender. I'm not sure why but I had to connect via the LAN port on the extender and run through the setup again. It's very odd because the extender was connected to my existing router/network and working. The client light was on and the device I was having trouble with was connected and working.
I think I’m gaining a bit more understanding to this and that you need to be connected to the extender as as a connected device and I believe this is due to the device to device communication restrictions on the guest network.
I can not get access to view or manage its configuration via the Nighthawk app or browser.
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I think I’m gaining a bit more understanding to this and that you need to be connected to the extender as as a connected device and I believe this is due to the device to device communication restrictions on the guest network.
Yes, If the guest network is set up to isolate devices from each other (often the case), then the only way to reach the extender itself is to connect to the extender network.
Note that (unlike the main guest network) the devices connected to the EXS25 are not isolated from each other.
Note that (unlike the main guest network) the devices connected to the EXS25 are not isolated from each other.
Sure - I guess because even the current NTGR Wi-Fi Extenders don't have a client isolation feature - to keep things K.I.S.S. In AP mode I agree.
Does this apply to the extender mode, where each wireless client does get (towards the wireless connection to the customers router guest network) a virtual (translated) MAC address, too?
Does the wireless client side of the extender really allow a direct hop?
That MAC address translation was and is still a standard design feature on the Netgear Wi-Fi Extenders (and many others), isn't it?
-> https://kb.netgear.com/23568/NETGEAR-WiFi-Range-Extender-Frequently-Asked-Questions
-->> The first three bytes of a MAC address are translated to 02:0F:B5. Log in to your router and add the translated MAC addresses to your IP address reservation list.
To "see" each other, the L2 traffic has to flow through the primary router Wi-Fi, where the primary router does define if these is client isolation in place (or not).Yes, If the guest network is set up to isolate devices from each other (often the case), then the only way to reach the extender itself is to connect to the extender network.
How does the average consumer know if his mobile or Wi-Fi device - especially if the same network name (SSID), the same security, and the same password is in use for the OPs primary guest network from the router -or- the Netgear Wi-Fi Extender - is currently associated?
I have an EXS25 set up to extend my Guest network and now that it's successfully joined I can not get access to view or manage its configuration via the Nighthawk app or browser
This is because you are connected to the guest network, not to the primary network.
I'm not sure why but I had to connect via the LAN port on the extender and run through the setup again
The LAN is your primary network, including the LAN IP subnet - that's why you can reach your EXS25 admin (by Web UI, or by App).
I think I’m gaining a bit more understanding to this and that you need to be connected to the extender as as a connected device and I believe this is due to the device to device communication restrictions on the guest network.
There are several factors in the game at this point. Your new EXS25 does connect to the primary LAN as configured, the SSID (the wireless name) is the one you might want to use for the guest network. Depends a little bit on your primary router, and how the so called guest network is segregated from your LAN and the usual Wireless name, the "normal" SSID - and how that router does integrate the guest network.
A usual approach is that the guest network does give access to the Internet, and not to the LAN and your usual Wi-Fi WLAN.
If connecting the router LAN - even if you configure the wireless name (SSID) of your primary router to the same name, the same security, the same wireless key (PSK, pre-shared key) - that wireless network served by the extender will connect to your primary LAN, the same like your main Wi-Fi or WLAN. Any controls you have on your primary router for the guest network (mind you these are two different networks actually) won't apply to the guest wireless served by your extender.
A potential better solution - leaving alone the lower speed possible by using the extender as a wireless bridge - would be to operate the EXS25 as a pure wireless extender, without a physical LAN cable connection. Technically this means the EXS25 as well as any wireless device associating to the guest network need to be configured and permitted on the primary router wireless. Potentially, the router does block by default any direct P2P connection between the different wireless clients. This would also make it impossible to connect to the EXS25 Web UI direct, or using the Nighthawk App with a direct Wi-Fi connection. The only exception might be - permitting this is available - by using the cloud connectivity.
Confusion complete?
The EXS25 is set up as an extender and I’m not using the hard wired connection. I was trying that because I could not connect wirelessly.
I think it was an ‘accidental’ find as it forced me to within range of the extender and my laptop connected wirelessly to the extender being so close.“The only exception might be - permitting this is available - by using the cloud connectivity”
I don’t see anywhere in the options in the extender to enable cloud access.
So it would seem that I just need to be a client on one the extender to access it.
