F5F Stay Refreshed Power Users Networks Two routers to cover both areas of the house

Two routers to cover both areas of the house

Two routers to cover both areas of the house

S
Sv3tnetS
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12-27-2016, 10:20 PM
#1
I'm facing several problems with setting up internet in my home. Downstairs, the Wi-Fi works fine, but fixing it would just be another simple extender project. Upstairs is where the issues start. The house was built that way—downstairs’s main router is in a solid, bunker-like room, making it hard for the area above to get a good signal. Cutting cables without spending hundreds feels pointless since I’m only staying a year or so. I previously tried powerline, but it gave me very slow speeds (max 100mbps) even though the adapters were gigabit capable. The connection was unstable. Now I’m using a TP-Link RE550 connected to an Archer AX1800 in Access Point mode. This is where the real trouble begins. No matter what I do, the Wi-Fi keeps failing. My devices take over 30 minutes to connect, and some—like my Steam Deck—won’t even get through. Wired connections seem to work better. It’s worth mentioning that all devices are using the wrong gateway (192.168.0.254 instead of the main router’s 192.168.1.254). Also, both LAN and WAN ports give poor results, and when I use the WAN port, the internet stays red about 99% of the time. DHCP is set to auto, but disabling it makes it impossible to access router settings, so I’m forced to reset everything. What’s happening?
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Sv3tnetS
12-27-2016, 10:20 PM #1

I'm facing several problems with setting up internet in my home. Downstairs, the Wi-Fi works fine, but fixing it would just be another simple extender project. Upstairs is where the issues start. The house was built that way—downstairs’s main router is in a solid, bunker-like room, making it hard for the area above to get a good signal. Cutting cables without spending hundreds feels pointless since I’m only staying a year or so. I previously tried powerline, but it gave me very slow speeds (max 100mbps) even though the adapters were gigabit capable. The connection was unstable. Now I’m using a TP-Link RE550 connected to an Archer AX1800 in Access Point mode. This is where the real trouble begins. No matter what I do, the Wi-Fi keeps failing. My devices take over 30 minutes to connect, and some—like my Steam Deck—won’t even get through. Wired connections seem to work better. It’s worth mentioning that all devices are using the wrong gateway (192.168.0.254 instead of the main router’s 192.168.1.254). Also, both LAN and WAN ports give poor results, and when I use the WAN port, the internet stays red about 99% of the time. DHCP is set to auto, but disabling it makes it impossible to access router settings, so I’m forced to reset everything. What’s happening?

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Kzgash
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12-28-2016, 04:22 AM
#2
Double NAT is happening, and your upstairs router is picking up a very weak signal from the downstairs one. Are there any other spots in the house where you could relocate the downstairs router?
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Kzgash
12-28-2016, 04:22 AM #2

Double NAT is happening, and your upstairs router is picking up a very weak signal from the downstairs one. Are there any other spots in the house where you could relocate the downstairs router?

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fedebizzi
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12-28-2016, 04:37 AM
#3
Using the LAN port on the Archer would avoid double NAT. Also, connecting via cable works fine on my PC, though wireless devices often cause problems. I’d love to relocate it, but the home layout doesn’t allow another router easily.
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fedebizzi
12-28-2016, 04:37 AM #3

Using the LAN port on the Archer would avoid double NAT. Also, connecting via cable works fine on my PC, though wireless devices often cause problems. I’d love to relocate it, but the home layout doesn’t allow another router easily.

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Soccerr
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41
01-02-2017, 04:16 PM
#4
Check if DHCP is turned off on the higher-level router. Make sure neither device is assigning IP addresses and that both WAN interfaces act as the default gateway.
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Soccerr
01-02-2017, 04:16 PM #4

Check if DHCP is turned off on the higher-level router. Make sure neither device is assigning IP addresses and that both WAN interfaces act as the default gateway.

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Krompe10
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01-10-2017, 12:28 PM
#5
Tested it both with auto and manual settings, but nothing really alters anything (though occasionally it blocks me from accessing router options unless I reset it back to factory defaults). DHCP is also turned off on the WiFi extender. Edit: I’m not sure why it worked, but turning DHCP on the extender—still off on the Archer—appears to have resolved the issue. And I assumed DHCP should be active only on the main router. Updated April 3, 2023 by Kinpatsu
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Krompe10
01-10-2017, 12:28 PM #5

Tested it both with auto and manual settings, but nothing really alters anything (though occasionally it blocks me from accessing router options unless I reset it back to factory defaults). DHCP is also turned off on the WiFi extender. Edit: I’m not sure why it worked, but turning DHCP on the extender—still off on the Archer—appears to have resolved the issue. And I assumed DHCP should be active only on the main router. Updated April 3, 2023 by Kinpatsu

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