Configure the access point properly this time.
Configure the access point properly this time.
Hey there! I tried to configure my network with a second router as an access point a while back, but it didn’t go well. I’ve read many instructions online, but nothing seems to work properly. I’m here asking for advice—what I have is a bit confusing. My home has two floors: the main router is on the second floor, linked to the modem. My PC is on the first floor and connects to the main router through an Ethernet cable. I also have a second router near my PC on the first floor, which isn’t currently used. My goal is to set this up as an access point so I can expand my Wi-Fi coverage. Both routers are the same model, ZyXEL P8702N. Here’s what I know: main router IP: 10.0.0.25, default gateway 10.0.0.138, DHCP range 10.0.0.1 to 10.0.0.137, second router IP 10.0.0.21, default gateway same, new default 10.0.0.2.
When I first tried, I turned off DHCP on the second router and changed its IP to 10.0.0.2, then connected the access point to the main router via Ethernet. From the access point, I got Wi-Fi working, and when I moved up a floor to connect to the main router, it worked fine. But when I went down a floor and tried to reach the second router, it couldn’t get an IP address. I’m puzzled—did I mess up something? I want to be able to switch between floors easily, using Wi-Fi upstairs and downstairs as needed. Is it possible without having to restart the second router every time I connect to the main one?
But you mentioned its IP is 10.0.0.21? Simply adjust the IP manually on the second router, which shares the same subnet as the main router's LAN but isn't part of its DHCP range. Turn off DHCP on that device. Plug the cable into the LAN port of the other router, not the WAN port.
10.0.25 -> this number is different because of the configuration settings. Reset everything back to the standard values on the first router. What IP address appears? The plan is: - First router should default to 10.0.0.1 or its preset. - DHCP range set from 10.0.0.10 to 137. - Default gateway stays at its default. - Second router is at 10.0.0.2 with a fixed IP. - DHCP disabled or using the same range as the first router. - Default gateway points to the first router’s IP (10.0.0.1). To connect to the internet, route the second router’s gateway through the first router.
I understand you’re mixing things up. Let me explain it simply. An IP address is like a phone number for your device, while the default gateway is like the main street your device uses to find other networks. When you reset the router, it restarts everything using these settings. The commands you ran set up your connection and showed the IP and network info. You’re thinking about changing the second router’s settings now, but you should be careful—make sure you know what you’re doing.
Turn off the DHCP server on the second router temporarily to restore it, rather than keeping the primary router as the DHCP provider. The second device can function as a basic access point with switch features. Just assign the AP to the primary router's internal IP for DNS and gateway settings.