Using Vodafone connect router as an AP

elrasho

elrasho

elrasho

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I've moved to PlusNet and still have my old Vodafone router. I was wondering if I can connect it to my PlusNet router as an AP?

I already have a network cable going to the problem area of the house; do I simply switch off DHCP on the Vodafone router then assign a static IP address in the range of the PlusNet router then connect it using said Ethernet cable?
 
It’s probably not working the way you think it is.

I was trying to puzzle this out yesterday. As far as I’m aware it has to run as a router/AP. There is no modem or pass-through mode.

You’ve given it a fixed IP and a gateway with a DNS server presumably? So it knows who it is and how to access the internet. And devices that want to attach to the network will request an IP address. The gateway is also a DHCP server presumably so it will give out an IP on its allotted range because it sees a request coming in.

What I’m not sure about is whether or not the Vodafone hub will try to NAT the connection to the gateway. I’m pretty sure that’s it’s default mode of operation.

And that’s about as far as I got.

If it works, great. I suspect it’s working in a way you couldn’t set up if you tried.

I’m glad it’s working for you though.
 
Didn't give the Vodafone router, I've let the PlusNet router assign it an IP using DHCP. I can access the Vodafones GUI on 192.168.1.1 but it has an IP of 192.168.1.72 (from the PlusNet router). All it's doing is letting devices connect to its WiFi and then passing this connection to the PlusNet router.. so its just a simple AP.
 
How's the Vodafone router connected? Via a WAN port or a LAN port?

If you want it to work as a simple AP you'd expect to have it connected via a LAN port (you aren't expecting it to do any routing).

The Plusnet router shouldn't need to be assigning an IP address to the Vodafone router (it shouldn't be asking for one).

You may have them daisy-chained with them both working as routers. This can work but introduces double NAT for the second wireless network.
 
Don't think their daisy chaoned, the vodsfone router is just passing the wifi devices to the plusnet one. When I look at the devices connected on the plusnet, anything connected via the Vodafone wofi shows up to be on the Ethernet
 
Is everything on the same subnet (e.g. 192.168.1.n)?

It's the 'I've let the PlusNet router assign it an IP using DHCP' that sounds wrong. Configured and connected as an AP, the Vodafone router wouldn't have any obvious reason to be requesting an IP address.

If it's working as you want, don't worry about it.
 
OK I'm trying to use an old Vodafone connect Router as a Access Point via the Virgin Hub 3, however ive read conflicting info. Some say it can be done others say it can't. So does anyone really know.
So far I've set the Voda router with an ip address of 192.168.0.200 so it doesn't clash with the virgin hub and turned off DHCP. I've then ran the ethernet cable from the Virgin hub Lan port to a ethernet switch in the room with the dead spot, and then an ethernet cable to the Voda Lan port, however although I can see the Voda router it's saying no Internet connection and you cannot connect to it.
What am I missing and is there a setting I need to change on the Voda GUI page, or is it right that the old Vodafone connect router cannot be used as an Access point.
 
The router you're using as an AP isn't going to think it has an Internet connection as there isn't going to be anything connected to its WAN port. This isn't a problem as it won't be doing any routing.

Once configured for AP use only the wireless and the switch will be doing anything useful.

Whether there's a specific issue with those routers for AP use or it's a config/understanding problem, I don't know.
 
Andy Yates said:
OK I'm trying to use an old Vodafone connect Router as a Access Point via the Virgin Hub 3, however ive read conflicting info. Some say it can be done others say it can't. So does anyone really know.
So far I've set the Voda router with an ip address of 192.168.0.200 so it doesn't clash with the virgin hub and turned off DHCP. I've then ran the ethernet cable from the Virgin hub Lan port to a ethernet switch in the room with the dead spot, and then an ethernet cable to the Voda Lan port, however although I can see the Voda router it's saying no Internet connection and you cannot connect to it.
What am I missing and is there a setting I need to change on the Voda GUI page, or is it right that the old Vodafone connect router cannot be used as an Access point.
Click to expand...

No, the Vodafone router has no access point mode and cannot be used as you describe.
 
Well, if you jump through hoops of fire you can probably get it to pass data back through the WAN port but it’s not designed to do it and it doesn’t have an AP mode. It’s a true piece of junk sadly.
 
You don't need to pass any data through the WAN port to use a wireless router as an AP. You can ignore the WAN port completely and connect it to the rest of the network using one of the LAN ports.

If the router allows you to

1. Change the management IP to match the network you're connecting it to
2. Disable DHCP

then you should be able to use it as an AP. This is what the OP is describing.

All a dedicated AP mode does is automate the process. It may also stop the router moaning about not having anything connected to its WAN port, and maybe allow the WAN port to be used as a LAN port, but that's not important.

Does the Vodafone router not allow the two steps above, or otherwise prevent 'AP mode'? I don't know, but it would be unusual.
 
bremen1874 said:
You don't need to pass any data through the WAN port to use a wireless router as an AP. You can ignore the WAN port completely and connect it to the rest of the network using one of the LAN ports.

If the router allows you to

1. Change the management IP to match the network you're connecting it to
2. Disable DHCP
Click to expand...

You can certainly set the IP address on the ‘router’ to be whatever you like and disable DHCP but it won’t pass wireless traffic unless it’s coming through the WAN port. I’ve only used Vodafone’s routing products twice (once with the business hub and once with the home product) to start lines up and they are truly awful things.

It will work if you just plug into the WAN port, set a different IP address subnet and let it double NAT to your internal network then with the same SSID and password it will work as an access point to the rest of your network.
 
It doesn't need to pass traffic through the WAN port.

The router in use as an AP will be on the same subnet as the network's actual router. With the same subnet and everything connected together LAN-to-LAN, there's no need for any routing.
 
bremen1874 said:
It doesn't need to pass traffic through the WAN port.

The router in use as an AP will be on the same subnet as the network's actual router. With the same subnet and everything connected together LAN-to-LAN, there's no need for any routing.
Click to expand...

And I can’t tell why it doesn’t work. I can only say it doesn’t.
 
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