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Forum Discussion
swaasje
Oct 16, 2020Aspirant
Can I use wifi router as a switch?
Can i disable the wifi and the DHCP table to use the router as a switch?
- Oct 18, 2020
> All done. [...]
_What_, exactly?
> I am worried that the status says DHCP ON
I'd guess that that's accurate only if the router is acting as a
router, not when it's configured as a WAP.> The Genie offered to use the Netgear as an AP
After a settings reset, if it sees a private address on its
WAN/Internet interface, then it might draw the correct conclusion
automatically.> I kept SSID broadcast on recommendation. [...]
That doesn't matter much if the radio is disabled. The point was
that "Enable SSID Broadcast" and "Enable Wireless Router Radio" do
different things.
> So DHCP organises the different ports? [...]I'd say "connected devices", not "ports".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Host_Configuration_Protocol
> I had problems in the past with WAP acting like a router and
> distributing weird IP addresses on our network.Generally, you want one DHCP server per LAN. Multiple uncoordinated
DHCP servers can cause many problems. Which is why the one-step WAP
mode option disables the DHCP server. (And, why you would need to
disable it explictitly, if you don't use the one-step WAP mode option.)So, it works as expected now? (What could go wrong?)
Possibly interesting:
Dan32
Oct 17, 2020Apprentice
The short answer for you here, if you want to use the router as an ethernet-only switch:
(Some of the names below might be slightly spelled differently on different routers but the context is the same.)
- Configure it as a Wireless Access Point, which you appear to have done.
- DO NOT uncheck "Enable SSID Broadcast", all that does is configure a HIDDEN SSID that still broadcasts, that's why you still see the wireless status light. You can keep it unchecked if you want but it does not do what you originally thought it does)
- as I described in my previous post, find and uncheck "enable wireless radio" for each band that you have.
Now you basically have an ethernet only switch. That's all an Access Point really is, a switch with wireless radios.
That's all there is to it.
swaasje
Oct 18, 2020Aspirant
All done. Thanks
I am worried that the status says DHCP ON
I thought DHCP was the router part of the Netgear that gives IP addresses to connected devices?