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spyder99's avatar
spyder99
Aspirant
Jun 08, 2021

Nighthawk R6900P configure in bridge mode

I just bought a nighthawk R6900P wifi router as the description said it would do wireless bridge mode or some times called client mode. Here is a basic diagram of how it would be connected:

FW-router -- unifi switch -- unifi AP --wireless_connection-- R6900P -- internal net

 

I've followed the directions from the manual and from what I've gathered on the net and when I set it to bridge mode and it reboots I can no longer connect to the device via ethernet or wifi for that matter. 

 

Not sure what I am doing wrong here. I can factory reset and try it all over again, but I get the same results. Basically, I need this R6900P to connect to an existing wireless network via it's wifi card and then have device connect to the LAN ports on the R6900 and get internet access. Is this even possible?

 

Oh, the R6900P is running the latest firmware.

3 Replies

  • > FW-router -- unifi switch -- unifi AP --wireless_connection-- R6900P
    > -- internal net

     

       Where "internal net" means devices connected to the LAN Ethernet
    ports of the R6900P-as-bridge?  Other devices can connect to "unifi AP"?

     

    > [...] I can no longer connect to the device via ethernet or wifi for
    > that matter.

     

       Connecting by Wi-Fi is out of the question if it's in bridge mode;
    its wireless stuff would be dedicated to its link to the main
    router/WAP.

     

       "can no longer" is not a useful problem description.  It does not say
    what you did.  It does not say what happened when you did it.  As usual,
    showing actual actions (commands) with their actual results (error
    messages, LED indicators, ...) can be more helpful than vague
    descriptions or interpretations.


       Does the R6900P-as-bridge get connected to the main LAN?  Does it
    appear in some kind of Attached Devices or DHCP Clients report on the
    main router/WAP?

     

       Do (wired) devices which are connected to the R6900P-as bridge get
    valid IP configurations (from the DHCP server, wherever it is)?

     

    > Basically, I need [...]

     

       That's what bridge mode should do.

     

    > Oh, the R6900P is running the latest firmware.

     

       As always, an actual version number would be more useful than your
    opinion of what's "latest" today.

    • spyder99's avatar
      spyder99
      Aspirant
      Ok, let me expand a little bit more then.


      antinode wrote:

      > FW-router -- unifi switch -- unifi AP --wireless_connection-- R6900P
      > -- internal net

       

      >   Where "internal net" means devices connected to the LAN Ethernet
      >ports of the R6900P-as-bridge?  Other devices can connect to "unifi AP"?

       

      Correct... "internal net" means the devices connected to the Etherenet LAN ports on the R6900P when in bridge mode. Any other devices can connect to the "unifi AP."

       

      > [...] I can no longer connect to the device via ethernet or wifi for
      > that matter.

       

      >   Connecting by Wi-Fi is out of the question if it's in bridge mode;
      >its wireless stuff would be dedicated to its link to the main
      >router/WAP.

       

      >   "can no longer" is not a useful problem description.  It does not say
      >what you did.  It does not say what happened when you did it.  As usual,
      >showing actual actions (commands) with their actual results (error
      >messages, LED indicators, ...) can be more helpful than vague
      >descriptions or interpretations.

       

      Correct, connecting via WiFi is not going to work. Here is what I mean: I can see from my DHCP server that the R6900P in bridge mode did receive an IP address from the wireless link to the main network. However, it's not even responding to pings on that IP etc. So, can't connect to manage it that way. Also, a device connected to the LAN ethernet port on the R6900P do not receive an IP address. I've tried manually setting the address to the typical subnets used by netgear i.e. 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1 and 10.0.0.1, but have no success connecting to the R6900P. Sorry for the vague "can no longer connect," but the above is what I meant, by that. 

       

      As for what I did. I followed the instructions for setting up the router in bridge mode from the R6900P documentation. Once that was done, I could not connect to the R6900P as mentioned above. So, no additional command/actions could be done. LED indicators are as follows: white power light, white 5ghz light, flashing white LED on LAN port 1 where the external device is plugged into, white WiFi on light and white WPS light. 


      >   Does the R6900P-as-bridge get connected to the main LAN?  Does it
      >appear in some kind of Attached Devices or DHCP Clients report on the
      >main router/WAP?

       

      As mentioned above, it gets an IP from the DHCP server, but nothing responds on that address. A scan of that IP returns that there is no host there. 

       

      >   Do (wired) devices which are connected to the R6900P-as bridge get
      >valid IP configurations (from the DHCP server, wherever it is)?

       

      Wired devices do not get an ip address at all. Just a self-assigned IP. Should the R6900P assign an address to these LAN port devices or is that to come from the main network DHCP?

       

      > Basically, I need [...]

       

      >   That's what bridge mode should do.

       

      > Oh, the R6900P is running the latest firmware.

       

      >   As always, an actual version number would be more useful than your
      >opinion of what's "latest" today.


      The firmware is: 1.3.2.134_10.1.66

       

      Hopefully the additional information helps.

      • antinode's avatar
        antinode
        Guru

        > [...] I can see from my DHCP server that the R6900P in bridge mode did
        > receive an IP address from the wireless link to the main network. [...]

         

           Ok.  That's a start.

         

        > [...] However, it's not even responding to pings on that IP [address]
        etc. [...]

         

           See "not a useful problem description [...]", above.  "ping" from
        where?  Actual error message?  There's no good reason to hide private
        IP addresses.  What should "etc." tell me?

         

        > [...] I've tried manually setting the address [...]

         

           Of what?  How?

         

        > [...] Should the R6900P assign an address to these LAN port devices or
        > is that to come from the main network DHCP?


           As a "bridge", it should be too stupid to do anything except provide
        a comm path; the DHCP server on the main LAN should do any DHCP work.

         

           It sounds as if wireless-bridge mode on this thing is not working,
        even though it did seem to get connected to the main LAN.  I don't have
        an R6900P, so I can't verify anything.  Knowing nothing, I might try a
        different/older firmware version (or two) to see if it's a new
        (firmware-related) problem.  I'd also try the usual desperation move, a
        settings reset, but I wouldn't expect it to help.