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R7500 'Limitations' in Access Point Mode (Nighthawk X4 r7500 ac2350, r7500v2)
When Configured in "Access Point Mode" (or when manually configured as a swtich by turning off DHCP), the r7500 has many limitations. A better know example is that the r7500 in "Access Point Mode...
Update: limited failover protection.
Netgear engineers seem to have identified the "problem" and written an updated firware that allows limited failover protection (using the WAN and a LAN port). Awesome, thanks! Now the WAN and LAN ports R7500 should function more like the R7000 while in Access Point Mode ("switch-like" with limited "failover")
It is nice to know that NetGear did get the message and took the issue seriously and fixed it. While it was a bit more painful than necessary to get the feedback through to the design team so they could make the change (I think most customers would have given up long before me), I am confident that NetGear does listen to their customers needs and is committed to getting their products to work in the way their customers need.
Thanks again.
DK
I have an R7000, not an R7500, configured as an AP and don’t have any issues. I have the WAN port connected to the rest of my LAN, so it has a connection to the Gateway only on its WAN side. I believe this is the intended mode of operation when you have selected the AP mode function in the router GUI, and connecting the gateway to one of the LAN ports instead would not be following the intended design.
The initial setup of the R7000 is designed to detect this situation, a router connected to the WAN port, and in that case it will suggest to the user that AP mode is appropriate. If the user instead connected the gateway router to one of the LAN ports then that automatic setup detection would most likely fail.
If you manually configure the router as an AP by disabling DHCP, connecting only to LAN ports, but not selecting AP mode in the GUI do you see the same issue that you described? Or does the issue only occur if you select AP mode?
Thanks Andy.
Yeah, I have no problems with the r7000 either. (In fact, I probably should have just stuck with them rather than buying the more probalematic r7500.) The r7000 functions as a normal switch when in AP mode. And it doesn't matter if the WLAN port is connected. Try this yourself- change ports so you are not using the WLAN port. You will see it works just fine. (more info Below)
I assume your asking about configuring the r7500 by manually turning off the DHCP. With NetGear's customer service reps help (a few days ago) I did exactly that, I configured the r7500 as a "switch" by manually turning off the DHCP. It made no difference. It opperated exactly as if I had configured it using you wireless "Access Point" mode.
Any other ideas?
DK
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More info about AP Mode on the r7000 & r7500
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r7000. In my system the r7500 is replacing older r7000 units that I have. That r7000 is configured in AP mode and it works just fine as a switch. I have, in fact, configured multiple r7000 units, each one using a differnet LAN ports (not just the WLAN). When I set them to AP mode, these r7000's all acted like a switch should act. Tthe Gateway can be connected to any port (not just the WLAN, like any switch), and it routes peer to peer traffic (LAN to LAN) without need of routing the traffic upstream (using the WLAN port). When the r7500 fails, I am able to put the r7000 in its place without any worry about which cable is connected to which port.
r7500. The r7500 is able to be setup using ANY LAN port (not just the WLAN)... and then it acts like a switch. But that only for about 2-5 minutes in a high traffic situation. After that, it freezes all traffic, even peer to peer traffic. But I do have two r7500 units operating in a low traffic situation, and they seem to acting like switchs... operating just fine (not using the WLAN port at all). I don't know why they work. I have have been asuuming that it is because they are in a low traffic situation, but it may be some other reason...
Speculation about the Root Cuase. When the r7500 in AP Mode is put in high traffic scenario, does it actually begin to route ALL traffic -- even peer to peer (LAN port to LAN port) traffic -- upstream on the WAN for the upstream switch or router to sort out? If so, this is highly problematic... a major problem in the design. All traffic local traffic would unnecessarily be routed via the WLAN to the upstream device for sorting by the upstream switch/router. That would unnecssarily overloading the WLAN connection and the upstream switch. Or is it the case that the router is "forgetting" the setup info (gateway, routing tables, etc.). I've noticed another discussion thread where the r7500 was "forgetting" things...
You're just connecting it incorrectly. It's not a fault. When using the R7500 as a switch, the upstream connection has to be to the WAN port. I'm not sure what the problem is and why you find this a limitation?
@PEHoward.. so the operator is connecting the "switch" "incorrectly"? If it were a switch, there would be no need to connect the upstream to the WAN port.... and thus no operator error. That there is a posibility for operator error already suggests that something it malfunctioning as a switch... but I digress.
To answer your question, one thing my current network has with the r7000 (that I no longer have if the r7500 cannot act properly as a switch) is the ability to have more than one upstream connection, with dynamic shifting of traffic based on loading of the network or should one of the upstream switches/lines/powersupplies... go down. The moment I loose the WLAN line, this something-other-than-a-switch (r7500) is out for the count and the entire system goes down. Don't have that problem with the r7000. Not acceptable for a network that needs reliability.
Do you have any ideas on how to get this box to function properly... which is to say, as a "switch" (like the r7000 and every other router I've ever seen when in "switch" mode)?
It seems that ‘Switch Mode’ is a term you have created to support your argument, but the fact is that while Netgear used to have a KB article describing an AP mode for older routers bypassing the WAN port this was not a supported method, not guaranteed to work. For newer models that have a designed AP mode, that design is based on the use of the WAN port, which you highlighted in green in post 1 as working correctly.
So my point is that you are suggesting that the router is faulty but that fault is created by an undocumented use of the router. If you want Netgear engineers to fix something then they have to work with the current design, otherwise what you are asking for is a feature request or design change.
