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Set a default SSID for private wired connections
The NetGear R6230 Router allows one to define 4 separate SSID networks : 1) a private 2.4Ghz, 2) a private 5Ghz, 3) a guest 2.4Ghz, and 4) a guest 5Ghz. When connecting my laptop to the router via t...
> [...] when I connect to the router via a hard-wired connection, I
> don't have the ability to choose which network I'm going to be a part of
> - it defaults to one of the two private network SSID's. [...]
What's the actual evidence behind this conclusion?
I claim that there is only one LAN, and SSIDs affect only wireless
connections. A "guest network" can impose some firewall-like rules to
restrict communication between "guests" and other client devices, but
there's still only one LAN. A wired connection in unrelated to any
(wireless-network) SSID.
> How do I configure the router to always use a single private network
> and not what ever it chooses at any given time?
I don't think that the question makes sense. Do you mean the Windows
designation of a network connection as "Private" or "Public"? That's
independent for every different network connection, wired or wireless.
What, exactly, are you doing and observing? More facts; less
interpretation.
This first image shows my 4 wireless SSID's and no wired connection (CAT-5 cable unplugged):
- MiWiFi2 is the 2.4Ghz private network (internal)
- MeWiFi is the 5Ghz guest network (external)
- MiWiFi is the 5Ghz private network (internal)
- MeWiFi2 is the 2.4Ghz guest network (external)
The second image shows that I turned off WiFi and plugged in the CAT-5 cable. The wired connection now points to the internal private 2.4Ghz network and the wireless connections are no longer shown.
The third image shows the Network and Sharing Center and identifies the wired connection as MiWiFi2, a private network with an Access Type of Internet and a Connection Type as Ethernet.
As stated in my original post, sometimes the private network associated with the wired connection shows the SSID, MiWiFi, which is the 5Ghz network.
I guess the bottom-line question is does it matter which SSID is displayed for the wired connection. If not, this is, at best, a misleading "feature."
WMM2 wrote:
I guess the bottom-line question is does it matter which SSID is displayed for the wired connection. If not, this is, at best, a misleading "feature."
The puzzle is how you think the wifi SSID has anything to do with your wired connection.
It looks to me that you are confusing the name of your local wired Ethernet network with the SSID. Just because they have the same label does not make them same network. It may just the tag that Windows gave your router. This is something that Windows does all the time.
For peace of mind, try changing the name of the Ethernet network. Or change the wifi SSID and reel back in shock as the Ethernet network keeps its original label.
WMM2 Your simple consumer router does only have -one- network.
One network, the normal wireless SSIDs do connect transparently to the very same network, also accessible b the Ethernet LAN ports. Because of the router does enforce two different SSIDs or network names, Windows 10 does identify these as -two- different networks.
And then again the very same network, also used by the guest SSIDs connecting (to what extent see above), allowing your guests to access the Internet using the network at least as an intermediate network to access the Internet. Windows 10 does identify these as -two- different networks again.
When looking on the Windows 10 system, each of these four connections will be identified as an individual network. On connecting for the first time, each network is designated as a "public" network (and various firewall rules will be set accordingly) - unless the user does (during the first connection, or manually later) each to become a private network.
This isn't a feature - it's just the way it is, and how wireless routers are made for a decade or more.michaelkenwardand antinode I'm happy to put up links to the fine documentation. However, I'm with WMM2 as a user, and here is why:
1. We're in the year 2020, or almost in the year 2021. Even if we talk of a 75 USD router here:
- One would expect from a commodity product maker that correct terms are used. 2.4 GHz is not a network, 5 GHz is not a network, 2.4 GHz guest is not a network, and 5 GHz guest is not a network.
- An SSID must identify the network and the network capabilities - and must not be abused identify a radio adapter.
- The user or the guest should not have to care which band or adapter is to be used to access a certain network or it's allowed network capabilities.
- Enforcing different SSIDs for each radio adapter intended for the normal user access network similar for the guest networks is garbage - even if the consumer router "industry" tried to burn this into the consumers and non-tech mined heads for decades.
2. Guest Network(s)
- Neither the AC1200 Smart WiFi Router - Dual Band Gigabit R6230 Data Sheet nor the AC1200 Smart WiFi Router with External Antennas Model R6230 User Manual does explain the difference between the normal/secure and the guest network. "Guest networks allow visitors at your home to use the Internet." is all we can find.
- Based on experience - not on the documentation - some Netgear routers allow the guest SSID(s) LAN and Internet access, other routers are implementing some L2 filtering only allowing to access the Internet but not the local network or other devices (so denying using or accessing devices on the secure network like a printer, a media player/TV in the guest room, ...). No idea what this R6230 does.
WMM2 Your simple consumer router does only have -one- network.
One network, the normal wireless SSIDs do connect transparently to the very same network, also accessible b the Ethernet LAN ports. Because of the router does enforce two different SSIDs or network names, Windows 10 does identify these as -two- different networks.
And then again the very same network, also used by the guest SSIDs connecting (to what extent see above), allowing your guests to access the Internet using the network at least as an intermediate network to access the Internet. Windows 10 does identify these as -two- different networks again.
When looking on the Windows 10 system, each of these four connections will be identified as an individual network. On connecting for the first time, each network is designated as a "public" network (and various firewall rules will be set accordingly) - unless the user does (during the first connection, or manually later) each to become a private network.
> [...] The wired connection now points to the internal private 2.4Ghz
> network [...]Not really. Someone seems to have assigned the name "MiWiFi2" to the
Ethernet connection on that Windows system. This is confusing because
there is no actual relationship between that Ethernet connection and any
wireless SSID.> [...] sometimes the private network associated with the wired
> connection shows the SSID, MiWiFi, which is the 5Ghz network."sometimes"? Perhaps the name is the same, but that is the extent of
the "association". You should be able to change the name of the
Ethernet connection (on the Windows system) to something completely
different; it is unrelated to any SSID. Or you could change the
wireless SSIDs (on the router). (But that would create extra work.)> [...] does it matter which SSID is displayed for the wired connection.
> If not, this is, at best, a misleading "feature."For an Ethernet connection, it's only a (Windows) name, not a
(wireless-network) SSID.
