Using Nighthawk X6 in AP mode configuration questions

[jamieslack2000]

Hello, I have some simple questions which i'm not sure about. So a bit of background. I have two Nighthawk X6 AC3200. One i am using downstairs as my router and the other i am using upstairs as my AP WIFI extender. I have connected them both via 1 ethernet and turned the upstair router into AP mode. From upstairs i have connected a Netgear S8000 Swtich to connect most of my devices via ethernet.However, I am noticing that my other wireless devices are not connecting to the upstairs router but only the downstairs one. I know this by logging into the AP Netgear GUI and seeing under the "wireless" tab no devices are connecting but through the "attached devices" tab i can see all of my wired devices. Both routers have the SSID of "HomeNetwork" and they are both on different channels.

Should i change the upstairs SSID to "HomeNetwork-Upstairs" for example and reconnect the wireless devices so that they manually swap to the stronger signal?

Should the routers be on different channels? 

Is there anything else i should do?

Much appreciated guys 

[plemans · Accepted solution]

Problem is that the R8000 aren't mesh devices. so they dont' have the smart roaming built in like the Orbi or Nighthawk MK series. 

so devices will be "sticky". Meaning they'll tend to stay connected to the device they first connected to until the signal is close to unusable. 

Even netgears "mesh" extenders only function as mesh in extender mode, not in access point mode. 

So if you want to make sure the devices are connecting to the correct router, I'd change the names. 

Otherwise you can leave them as they are and when devices aren't switching, just disconnect/reconnect the device and they should connect to the stronger signal. 

Its why we tend to push Orbi or the MK series for people needing access points/satellites. Its simpler and devices roam more seamless. 

In access point mode, you do want them on seperate channels so they aren't interfering with each other. 

[plemans · Accepted solution]

Problem is that the R8000 aren't mesh devices. so they dont' have the smart roaming built in like the Orbi or Nighthawk MK series. 

so devices will be "sticky". Meaning they'll tend to stay connected to the device they first connected to until the signal is close to unusable. 

Even netgears "mesh" extenders only function as mesh in extender mode, not in access point mode. 

So if you want to make sure the devices are connecting to the correct router, I'd change the names. 

Otherwise you can leave them as they are and when devices aren't switching, just disconnect/reconnect the device and they should connect to the stronger signal. 

Its why we tend to push Orbi or the MK series for people needing access points/satellites. Its simpler and devices roam more seamless. 

In access point mode, you do want them on seperate channels so they aren't interfering with each other. 

[jamieslack2000]

Thank you for the detailed response i thought that maybe was the issue! Quick further question, on my AP i have it set to Smart Connect which requires the AP to have the same SSID as the router. Would you advise turning that off to change the SSID or to keep smart connect on and deal with the device connecting to the wrong device?

[plemans]

Smart connect doesn't require the 2x R8000's to have the same ssid for each other.

Just the same ssid for the 2.4ghz/5ghz band. And then it steers devices between them.

You should be able to leave it enabled to use the band steering and just change the one ssid. 

[jamieslack2000]

when changing the SSID on my access point to HomeNetwork-UP i get the following error (provided on the screenshot)

[plemans]

Photos have to be approved by a moderator. If you click on "choose file" you can add that way

[jamieslack2000]

ah okay heres the error:

[plemans]

DFS channels are channels 50-144. They're active radar channels and if you have radar in your area, those channesl can't be used. 

That's what that warning is telling you. 

Basically you're going to need to use the standard 5ghz channels and just seperate them out as much as you can. 

[jamieslack2000]

So my first 5ghz channel is on on 48. My second channel is currently set to 100DFS. The only options for the second channel is 100-128. Should I remove this channel since it will not work?

[plemans]

What region are you in? 

Some are limited more than others. 

Usually the higher channels have the 149+ channels but again, depends on region. 

[jamieslack2000]

To be honest i only need 1 5ghz channel. How would i disable the second channel via the router?

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[jamieslack2000]

as i am currently looking now it is set to 100 and i cannot disable it, hows best to proceed would you say?

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@plemans wrote:

What region are you in? 

Some are limited more than others. 

Usually the higher channels have the 149+ channels but again, depends on region. 

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[jamieslack2000]

UK region

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@jamieslack2000 wrote:

as i am currently looking now it is set to 100 and i cannot disable it, hows best to proceed would you say?

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@plemans wrote:

What region are you in? 

Some are limited more than others. 

Usually the higher channels have the 149+ channels but again, depends on region. 

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[plemans]

seems a lot more limited in the UK for dfs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_WLAN_channels

[jamieslack2000]

So the option i am looking at the moment:

turning off smart connect, disabling the SSID broadcase for the 5ghz second channel so that DFS isnt interferring. Renaming (if allowed too) the first 5ghz channel to match the 2.4ghz so that way I can rename the AP to connect seperatly when upstairs. Does this make sense and would you think disabling the smart connect will work? as without disabling it i cannot stop the second 5ghz dfs channel

[plemans]

https://kb.netgear.com/24101/How-do-I-enable-or-disable-the-wireless-radios-on-my-Nighthawk-router

[jamieslack2000]

looking into it, This seems to disable all my WIFI radios not just one specific which is annoying, I'll keep looking into it