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Forum Discussion
Solved
Problems with AP mode
I am having major problems trying to set up my router in AP mode. Using an R8000 in conjunction with a Juniper SRX240 router
I was previously using the R8000 for home use, but my network traffi...
> The documentation is really lousy [...]
Complaints about "The documentation" might benefit from some
description of which "The documentation" is being discussed, too.
> [...] Documentation should be very specific [...]
Agreed. Just like complaints about "The documentation".
> [...] I am only connected with a laptiop to the router - no other
> connections to the R8000. [...]
Ok. That's a reasonable way to configure an R8000 as a wireless
access point. (Up to a point.)
> [...] I should have the option of getting an IP dynamically or setting
one myself - this makes sense. Unfortunately in my firmware, V
1.0.4.18_10.1.49 I don't have that option. the only option I have is
ADVANCED > Advanced Setup > Wireless AP then to turn on AP mode.
I haven't touched an R8000, so I know nothing, but, on other models
(like, for example, my D7000 (V1.0.1.64_1.0.1), and an R7000
(V1.0.7.12)), checking the box at "Enable Access Point Mode" reveals the
"Choose IP Address settings on this access point" choices, as described.
Scrolling down doesn't help on yours?
> [...] When I check that box, it says that it will take about 2 minutes
> for the router to reboot, but at that point I lose all access to the
> router.
Around here, the default choice is "Get dynamically from existing
router", and that works only if the router-as-WAP can talk to a DHCP
server on your network, which it can't do if it's not connected to your
network.
> [...] I cannot connect to the router by cable plugged into one of the
> regular ports or the internet port using a browser and going to
> routerlogin.com, routerlogin.net, [...]
Those names work only if the R8000 is acting as a router (and DNS
server), and should fail if the R8000 is acting as a WAP.
> [...] 192.168.1.1, or 10.0.0.1. [...]
Similarly, if the R8000-as-WAP is getting its LAN IP address
"dynamically from existing router", it would need to be connected to
"existing router", and neither of those addresses is very likely to be
the address it would get if it were. (And, if it's not, then it will
have no LAN IP address, only frustration.)
> [...] I have no idea where the router is.
It won't "Get [its LAN IP address] dynamically from existing router",
until it's connected to "existing router" (DHCP server).
> [...] Assuming that it is working in AP mode, I try to connect it to
> the SRX240 using an ethernet cable from the internet port as the
> documentation says, but it does not work.
What, exactly, "does not work". If you're trying to get your web
browser to talk to the R8000-as-WAP, then you'd need to know its
address, and, so far, only the main router (DHCP server) knows what that
is. If the main router offers some kind of Attached Devices or DHCP
Clients report, then that should show the R8000-as-WAP, and the address
shown there should lead to the R8000 managment web site.
> [...] I have also tried to set up the router in router mode to a fixed
> IP at 192.168.1.252, then switching it to AP mode, [...]
"in router mode", the R8000 has two IP addresses, WAN/Internet and
LAN. As usual, showing actual actions with their actual results (error
messages, LED indicators, ...) can be more helpful than vague
descriptions or interpretations.
Given the existence (supposed for you, actual for me) of that "Choose
IP Address settings on this access point" choice, I'd guess that a
manually set router-mode LAN IP address would not survive the change to
WAP mode. I'd guess that you'd get either the default ("Get dynamically
from existing router"), or else whatever you specified for "Use fixed IP
Address (not recommended)" when it provided places for user-specified
values for:
IP Address
IP Subnet Mask
Gateway IP Address
Primary DNS
Secondary DNS
So, if your R8000 really doesn't ask you to "Choose IP Address
settings on this access point", then I'd assume that it's defaulted to
"Get dynamically from existing router", and I'd ask the "existing
router" (DHCP server) where the R8000-as-WAP might be.
> I would think that I should still be able to access some setup page
> where I could change the IP or the SSID, but I have had no luck so
> far.
You should, but finding the R8000-as-WAP may be a little less
straightforward than you might expect. But, aside from the missing
"Choose" choice, it should all make sense if you look at things from the
point of view of the R8000.
My error (although I blame poor interface design) I did not see the options that became available after checking the box. Now that I scrolled down I get the options to get an IP address from DHCP or configure a static address (not recommended).
So why exactly is a static address not recommended? This could mean a lot of things. Some people feel that static addresses make a mess of the network, and better to let the devices sort it out themselves. Other people think that in a structured network, static addressess are ok. I just went through a mess to get NAT type 2 for the PS4 on an enterprise router, so I say that static IP addresses are OK.
On the other hand, sometimes manufacturers will say that a feature is "not recommended" because the software is buggy and they know that people will run into problems. All software does exactly what we tell it to do, but what is clear to the coder is not always clear to the user.
Anyway, anyway (we can have a philosophical discussion any time, but it tends to take away from getting the actual work done...:)
So I choose to set an IP myself. 192.168.1.252 subnet mask 255.255.255.0 gateway 192.168.1.1, and DNS servers - switch to AP mode and what happens?
The device reboots, does not use the assigned address, but instead gets one from DHCP and lands at 192.168.1.10. Fine. But I cannot connect to it.
The device is sitting out there dead. It wont ping. Helpfully it does transmit SSIDs, NETGEAR18, NETGEAR18-5G-1, and NETGEAR18-5G-2, and the IP address displayed there is 192.168.1.37
This happens no matter how I try to make this thing work. As soon as I try to get it to go to AP mode, it goes spacey....
> So why exactly is a static address not recommended? [...]
Presumably because the default settings in Netgear routers put
(nearly) the whole subnet into the DHCP pool, so if the user simply sets
a static (not reserved) address on some device, and does not shrink the
DHCP pool accordingly, then the DHCP server could still issue that
address to some other device, causing a conflict.
There's nothing wrong with static addresses, if managed properly.
Expecting typical consumers to manage them properly might be
unreasonable.
> The device reboots, does not use the assigned address, but instead gets
> one from DHCP and lands at 192.168.1.10. [...]
Determined how?
> [...] Fine. But I cannot connect to it.
"cannot connect to it" _how_? Depending on what that means, it
begins to sound like bad firmware. Or you're using the wrong address.
> The device is sitting out there dead. It wont ping.
Define "dead". It doesn't _respond_ to a "ping" (from where)? As
usual, showing actual actions with their actual results (error messages,
LED indicators, ...) can be more helpful than vague descriptions or
interpretations.
> Helpfully it does transmit SSIDs, NETGEAR18, NETGEAR18-5G-1, and
> NETGEAR18-5G-2, [...]
So, not what I'd call "dead".
> [...] and the IP address displayed there is 192.168.1.37
Whose "the IP address displayed" _where_ is "192.168.1.37"?