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Forum Discussion
Guest network in AP Mode?
I'm thinking about putting a router in front of my RBK50 and running the Orbi system in Access Point mode. Do you lose access to the Guest Network feature in AP mode?
Thanks much.
whittl...
I am running an RBK50 in AP mode under fw 2.1.4.10 with a guest network that is set to not let guests see each other. When I wirelessly connect a PC via the guest network I can manage the Netgear GS108 and GS116 switches that should be invisible to a guest. An IP scanner software also sees the deivces on the regular network. I cannot browse into the RBR50 or the RBS50. I cannot browse into other regular network devices that have a web GUI. I have not tried other penetrations of the guest network.
FW 2.1.4.16 is purported to have addressed this problem. It was made available 6/4, but is not yet the public release/update. I have not tried it. See the discussion "Orbi firmware update v2.1.4.16 availability".
I was waiting until the new fw hit the regular rlease, but I just noticed a flag on my Orbi home page that says "A new firmware upgrade is available. Click here to get it". This is new. This is big if it also means "Don't click here to not get it"
Hi Joe,
I had just manually installed FW 2.1.4.16 on my router when I saw your message. I was aware about the isolation issue with the guest network from the forum topic that you linked. It was less of concern for me since I only enabled the guest network when I have friends over. It's great to have them scan a QR Code to gain access automatically to the guest network if they have an iPhone. :)
I did do some basic tests on the guest network with the latest firmware and while it is not a complete isolation, it does seem to offer enough protection (at least for me). When I use the fing app on the guest network, I can only see the IP address of the all the devices but not the type, name or MAC address of those devices. It's totally the opposite from when I am connect to the internal Wi-Fi where all the info are revealed. I also can't connect to my ORBI Router or FIOS Router from the guest network. Neither can the IOS apps, when on the guest network. I can't ping or connect to the hidden shares on my windows file server or print to my printer.
I can however, project contents from my laptop (on guest network) to a Roku TV on the internal network. That was something that I was not expecting. For that scenario, I guess that can be good or bad. So yeah, not perfect but enough segregation for me to still want to continue to use the guest network.
Moses
Hi Morez,
I updated to FW 2.1.4.16 today by clicking on the update message on the RBR50 main Web GUI page and then electing to install all automatically. It proceded and completed. The sattelite took a few extra minutes to complete, but it eventually sinced up with no manual intervention.
It seems to be working more-or-less as well as it was prior to the fw upgrade:
1) The Prosafe Plus utility will no longer brieach the guest network wall to let me reconfigure switches (note: Also upgraded to 2.7.2)..
2) My IP scanner tool still shows devices on the main network -- both IP and MAC addresses)
3) A number of devices are missing from the connected devices displays where they used to appear. Sattelite shows 1 device (> zero). I would exoect to see the remaining devices split between the 2 ORBIs.
Hi Joe,
Your observation is the same as mine. Access from the Guest network to devices on main network is blocked even though IP Scanning tools are able to detect them.
I would not worry too much about the distribution of devices between the router and the satellite. They move round with time but in my scenario, about 80% of my 35 wifi devices stay on the router itself. If the wifi coverage of the router is strong enough, the wifi devices wouldn't switch to the satellite unless the difference reaches a threshold. The important thing is that all your devices have good, consistent and fast internet connectivity.
Mozez
Mozez wrote:
.... Access from the Guest network to devices on main network is blocked even though IP Scanning tools are able to detect them. ...
... I would not worry too much about the distribution of devices between the router and the satellite. ...
Mozez
I believe that it is more accurate to say "Some access from the Guest network to devices on main network is blocked."
My concern was not that some devices were showing as attached to the "wrong" Orbi. It was that some deivces were not showing at all. Not a biggie.
Are you sure that your guest wifi network is blocked from your main wifi network in the wifi mode? I was under the impression that you may create two SSID's but the two wifi networks are not on different VLANs. I don't think any "routing" is taking place between the two wireless networks. Can someone set me straight, please?
Thanks,
There is no VLAN capability visible (and probably none hidden) when using the Orbi in AP mode (fw 2.2.1.210). All wireless devices are on the same network segment. Devices on the wireless "guest network" are somewhat isolated from devices on the wireless main network and devices on the wired network. Most types of access are blocked. A guest can discover devices on the main network with IP scanning software.