Using a WiFi router as an AP

[DelJo63]

Take a look at this for a block diagram on WiFi router components.

Any router can act as a switch - - just don't connect anything in the WAN slot, as that's how you get NAT service for your LAN. Without a WAN connection, the other slots function as a SWITCH and just move packets from one slot to another.

The trick is to disable the DHCP service in this device, as you want that to come from elsewhere in your LAN, typically from the primary gateway router.

When the WiFi is made active on this device, it becomes an AP! Users who can make access to this SSID become connected devices on the PRIMARY router LAN, as that's where the DHCP will make an assignment of an IP address on this subnet.

The second trick is to assign this router an IP address that is on the same network as your primary so you can still administer this device.

• if your primary gateway router has an address of 192.168.1.1
• then assign the second router an address 192.168.1.254
• (do NOT ever assign 1.255 to any device!)

Now you can administer the primary router with your browser using 192.168.1.1/ and the AP using 192.168.1.254 as the URL.

 

[Gabriel Pike]

Great write up! I use this all the time for customers.

 

[DelJo63]

Me too - - thought it was time to get a post that could be referenced

 

[Tech support]

It's great for all customer. It is helpful for a customer at any time,

 

[TheDevopsGuy]

If im not mistaken don't you have to turn off pppoe on your modem also apart from turning off dhcp/firewall for your modem to act as a "bridge"?

 

[DelJo63]

If im not mistaken don't you have to turn off pppoe on your modem also apart from turning off dhcp/firewall for your modem to act as a "bridge"?

Because the WAN slot on the router is left empty, the PPPOE / (PPPoA) is not connecting to the ISP. The AP nature of the connection allows all devices to chat on the same subnet.