CAX80 AP Mode

[j0ls0n]

Hi Folks - I bought the CAX80 thinking I could put it into AP mode after reading this article on the support site. However, I am NOT seeing the AP mode setting in the admin page. Instead, I have two bits to flip - router mode and DHCP. My goal is to turn off NAT, DHCP, and DNS to let a firewall do the work. And while I suppose this should be what turning off router mode does (with DHCP turned off), when I set router mode to no, it turns off the wifi too which is def not ideal. Can someone please confirm how this is supposed to be done, or if its not possible by design?  Thank you in advance!! J

Article on AP Mode

[FURRYe38 · Accepted solution]

The CAX80 doesn't officially support AP mode. Only router and modem modes. 
Nor will the suggestion of turning off DHCP on the modem work to use the CAX80 in AP mode. Reason is that the coax line has to be always connected to the CAX80. Should the coax line or signal on the coax line be disconnected or lost, the CAX80 enters into a auto reboot loop cycle, thus causing the entire unit to shut down and reboot every 2 minutes until the coax line is reconnected or the signal on the coax line is re-established. 

So if you want a wifi AX system in AP Mode, you should look in to a EAX80 instad of the CAX80. I happen to have both and they work well together. The EAX80 has same wifi features as CAX80 and supports Extender or AP mode. Just doesn't have the built in modem or router. 

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@j0ls0n wrote:

Hi Folks - I bought the CAX80 thinking I could put it into AP mode after reading this article on the support site. However, I am NOT seeing the AP mode setting in the admin page. Instead, I have two bits to flip - router mode and DHCP. My goal is to turn off NAT, DHCP, and DNS to let a firewall do the work. And while I suppose this should be what turning off router mode does (with DHCP turned off), when I set router mode to no, it turns off the wifi too which is def not ideal. Can someone please confirm how this is supposed to be done, or if its not possible by design?  Thank you in advance!! J

Article on AP Mode

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[plemans]

You could try this method. 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Cable-Modems-Routers/Can-I-use-a-C6300-cable-modem-without-cable-in...

Not sure why you'd buy the CAX80 to use as an access point. Kind of defeats the purpose of it. 

[FURRYe38 · Accepted solution]

The CAX80 doesn't officially support AP mode. Only router and modem modes. 
Nor will the suggestion of turning off DHCP on the modem work to use the CAX80 in AP mode. Reason is that the coax line has to be always connected to the CAX80. Should the coax line or signal on the coax line be disconnected or lost, the CAX80 enters into a auto reboot loop cycle, thus causing the entire unit to shut down and reboot every 2 minutes until the coax line is reconnected or the signal on the coax line is re-established. 

So if you want a wifi AX system in AP Mode, you should look in to a EAX80 instad of the CAX80. I happen to have both and they work well together. The EAX80 has same wifi features as CAX80 and supports Extender or AP mode. Just doesn't have the built in modem or router. 

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@j0ls0n wrote:

Hi Folks - I bought the CAX80 thinking I could put it into AP mode after reading this article on the support site. However, I am NOT seeing the AP mode setting in the admin page. Instead, I have two bits to flip - router mode and DHCP. My goal is to turn off NAT, DHCP, and DNS to let a firewall do the work. And while I suppose this should be what turning off router mode does (with DHCP turned off), when I set router mode to no, it turns off the wifi too which is def not ideal. Can someone please confirm how this is supposed to be done, or if its not possible by design?  Thank you in advance!! J

Article on AP Mode

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[plemans]

Thanks @FURRYe38! didn't know if that option would work with the CAX80 like it does with the other modem/router combo device. 

NIce to know. 

[FURRYe38]

Ya, CAX80 is the only modem that does this. Why I asked you about that splitter. 

[j0ls0n]

Thanks Furry for confirming! Sadly, I bought it for speed and didnt plan through the limitations of firewalling it at the time. Upside, I posted a 1.2Gb speed test through Ookala and xfinity both on 1Gb service. Downside, I can only run half a firewall with OPNsense and PiHole doing my DHCP and DNS? Any other suggestions for firewall or IDS/IPS with combo devices? Thanks in advance! -J

[FURRYe38]

Only thing would be to use the DMZ on the CAX80 and pass everything thru to your downstream firewall appliance devices and such. 

You can change the CAX80 to modem mode only, however you'll loose wifi abililites so you'd need something else connected downstream for wifi, like an EAX80. 

Combo devices are pretty much inclusive to themselves and why there known as all in ones. For more advanced uses, modem only units should be used for better flexibility in networking configurations.