CPE510 Rogue DHCP Issues and EAP115 Slow Throughput
CPE510 Rogue DHCP Issues and EAP115 Slow Throughput
Hello TP-Link Communnity,
I have a head scratcher. At least it is for me. My Daughter's school was in dire need of a network upgrade to support this new schools year remote students. As part of the upgrade I added two CPE 510 (One in AP Mode and One in Client Mode) to extend the LAN network outside and to another building( less than 500 FT) not wired to the LAN. Additionally I added a EAP 115 inside the main building to replace an 5 year old Airport Extreme.
Initially everything seemed to be working fine. When I came back onsight, After a day of letting the network run without interference, the wireless connection became intermittent and the network thourput would vary significatly from 30 MBps to 300 MBps.
My Current Setup is:
WAN Port Eth0
Ubiqiti Edge Router 4
LAN Port Eth2
Netgear 24 Port Switch
CPE 510 AP
CPE 510 Client
Switch in 2nd Building
Also
Netgear 24 Port Switch
TP-Link 4 Port POE
EAP 115
It seems to me that the CPE 510 is acting as a rogue DHCP Server. Everytime I remove it from the network, everything behaves normally. When I plug it back into the switch I see this behavior when I ping the edge router.
PING <IP> (<IP>): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from <IP>: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=6.537 ms
64 bytes from <IP>: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=9.229 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1787
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1788
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1789
64 bytes from <IP>: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=9.229 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1791
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1792
64 bytes from <IP>: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=9.229 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1794
64 bytes from <IP>: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=6.537 ms
64 bytes from <IP>: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=9.229 ms
64 bytes from <IP>: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=6.537 ms
64 bytes from <IP>: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=9.229 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1799
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1800
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1801
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1802
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1803
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1804
THis is what lead me to think that the CPE510 was acting as a DHCP server. When I setup the device as a AP and when I logged into the Pharos UI to check the Device was set to have a Static IP from the WAN and DHCP was NOT enabled. I checked t se if the Static IP I Assigened was being shared with another device and it was not. I really don't know what to do here. My Thought is that Maybe I do not want the device to be an AP, but a repeater? I don't really know. What I do know is I need this device to work so that the Client 510 can bridge LAN to the other building. Any suggestions or Ideas would be greatly appreciated.
The other issue is that the EAP115 will not speedtest past 65 - 70 MBps download. I'v tested the speed wired itno th switch that the EAP is connected to and I get 250+ MBps on the switch with an ethernet connection. I'm not sure why the EAP 110 is slowing down the connection , but it is rated for 300MBps so Any thoughts hear wuld be helpfule as well.
Thanks!
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JonathanSK wrote
I have a 100FT Shielded Cat 6 cable that I'm running from outside the building to the POE inside the building and then a short Cat 6 LAN to the switch.
Cable looks ok, albeit I prefer PiMF shielding instead of a single foil. For the data wires, a single wire is better for PoE than stranded wire (sp?). Max. cable length for the PoE injector is 60m, but I prefer shortest length possible and longer cables indoor (grounding is extremly important to mitigate against ESD during thunderstorms/lightnings). Ground wires always should be as short as possible.
Everytime I heard of a CPE which got screwed up over the time, it always was due to missing proper grounding, which is extremly important for any outdoor AP, no matter from which vendor. From the CPE's Installation Guide:
For all outdoor APs I use UV-resistant, weather-proof CAT.5e ToughCable »Pro« (not the more robust »Carrier«, it's too fat) from UBNT with an extra ground wire. This is a somwehat expensive solution b/c you will need a crimp tool to assemble the cable, but best cable I know of for outdoor devices.
When intermittent, sporadic reboots (or even factory resets!) did happen with CPEs from forum users, the cause was a flaky power supply (mains power), which triggered the RESET signal on the PoE side (which is a short 0 volt level signalled in-band over one PoE wire).
However, my experiences is related to CPEs HW v1/v2. I have a v3 which will be deployed soon at a customer's site to feed a v1, but so far not a single CPE, EAP-Outdoor or EP-R6 was harmed, even not during the heaviest lightning storm I ever saw which last year raged 100m apart from the antenna pole with outdoor gear.
Edit: I forgot to mention that I'm extending the Wifi Network that is in the First building. It has the same SSID and Password as the EAPs in the first building. I don't think this should be a problem and I have the client 510 locked to the 510 AP, but I thought I'd mention it in case I'm missing something.
Just to be sure: the SSID for the directional link between the CPEs should be different from the SSID use at the local/remote sites. It has nothing to do with the SSID standard clients connect to on the EAPs connected to the LAN via the directional link.
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JonathanSK wrote
Questions:
1) Should I use maxstream between the AP and Client
2) I going to put an AC1200 on the same wall as the CPE510 AP. Is there a minimum distance away I should put the devices?
Edit: I know this might sound a little dumb but I have been setting my gateway and DND to my Router and not the AP. I believe this is correct but wanted to make sure.
1) MAXtream (not MAXstream) makes no sense for PtP link. MAXtream is for PtMP links.
2) The further away the EAP-Outdoor is (I assume you mean this model, AC1200 is a term describing WiFi capabilities, not a model name) from the CPE, the better. Also note that an EAP-Outdoor should be mounted about 2.4m to 3m over ground when it should serve clients there. CPEs are most often mounted much higher over ground to ensure enough fresnel zone clearance.
3) That's correct, the gateway and DNS server is the main router if the CPEs operate in AP and Client modes.
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JonathanSK wrote
and when I logged into the Pharos UI to check the Device was set to have a Static IP from the WAN
Why an IP from the WAN? It must be set to an IP from the LAN.
In AP mode, DHCP is disabled by default. The packet loss must have other causes, maybe not properly aligned antennas of CPE510 or not enough fresnel zone clearance.
Repeater mode is no option. Both CPEs must have a wired connection: CPE #1 must be wired to the LAN, CPE #2 to the distributing switch at the remote site. The wireless link extends the LAN over the PtP link from the first to the second building. Note that this directional WiFi signal is not suitable to be used by standard wireless clients.
I'm not sure why the EAP 110 is slowing down the connection , but it is rated for 300MBps so Any thoughts hear wuld be helpfule as well.
300 Mbps is the WiFi throughput at highest WiFi rate (N300). Since WiFi is a half-duplex medium and WiFi frames have a certain protocol overhead, the maximum full-duplex Ethernet goodput you can achieve over an N300 device in 802.11n mode with 40 MHz channel width is ~95 Mbps. Therefore, 70 Mbps are o.k., e.g. if the device is further away from the EAP and a lower WiFi rate has been negotiated or if interferences occur (with 40 MHz channel width the EAP needs to allocate 8 channels, so expect interferences).
With 20 MHz channel width max. WiFi rate is 144.4 Mbps, subtract 30% protocol overhead for 802.11g/n (50% for 802.11b) and you get the maximum possible (still half-duplex!) WiFi goodput under ideal conditions.
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First, Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate the help. The 2nd question is solved. I didn't take into account half-duplex.
As for the first problem. When I wrote
and when I logged into the Pharos UI to check the Device was set to have a Static IP from the WAN
I meant LAN, Sorry.
What I don't understand is that if the CPE 510 AP had a misaligned antena, I would be experiencing packet loss connected to the AP. What I am experiencing is packet loss direectly connected to the switch when I connect the AP to the same switch. And I don't know if packet loss is the right term. What I am seeing is an intermittent ability to reach the gateway when the AP is connected to the same switch that I'm connected to via ehternet cable. When I remove the AP from the switch. The network stabalizes. It doesn't make sense to me at all.
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JonathanSK wrote
What I am experiencing is packet loss direectly connected to the switch when I connect the AP to the same switch. And I don't know if packet loss is the right term.
Ah, I see. Yes, packet loss is the right term if ping packets are dropped. Did you check whether all static IPs are really unique? You wrote that there are no duplicate IPs, but this kind of behavior is typical for a device with an IP in use already, in this case the IP used by the gateway.
If all IPs are unique, you should trace down the device which makes problems. Is it only the local CPE? Or the remote one? Or a device at the remote site? They are all part of your LAN!
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Great Point. I didn't think it could be the client causing the issue or one of the devices behind the client. Here is what I'm going to do. I'm going to take all the devices off the netwrok behind the AP. I'm going to factory default the AP. I'm going to set it to a static IP. Reserve that IP on the Router. Test. And then setup the Client by setting it to a static IP, reserving it on the router, and also locking it to the AP. Test. Then setup the APs behind the Client. Test.
Thanks for your help!
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JonathanSK wrote
I'm going to set it to a static IP. Reserve that IP on the Router. Test. And then setup the Client by setting it to a static IP, reserving it on the router, and also locking it to the AP. Test. Then setup the APs behind the Client. Test.
That's the way to go.
Here are some more tips (similar issue) about setting up a PtP link using CPEs successfully.
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So I did all those things mentioned above. It worked for a couple of hours and then the CPE 510 in AP mode went down again. At this point I suspect that I'm attempting PoE over too long a distance. I have a 100FT Shielded Cat 6 cable that I'm running from outside the building to the POE inside the building and then a short Cat 6 LAN to the switch.
Is it possible that this distance is to long for PoE. I read up on the standard and I thought PoE was usable up to 328FT. Regardless my plan now is to move the PoE connector closer to the AP in a weatherproof outside box next to the CPE510 and have the LAN run the 100ft to the switch. I this a good solution, or is it that my cable is bad and I need to run a new cable? When I tested the cable it was showing all channels were good. Any advice here would be greatly appreciated.
Edit: I forgot to mention that I'm extending the Wifi Network that is in the First building. It has the same SSID and Password as the EAPs in the first building. I don't think this should be a problem and I have the client 510 locked to the 510 AP, but I thought I'd mention it in case I'm missing something.
Edit #2: Here is the link to the cable I bought:
https://amzn.to/3iUiQFR
I'm starting to believe that it's the cable that is the problem. PoE 24V over 100FT should not be a problem, this cheap cable may not be able to handle the distance though.
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JonathanSK wrote
I have a 100FT Shielded Cat 6 cable that I'm running from outside the building to the POE inside the building and then a short Cat 6 LAN to the switch.
Cable looks ok, albeit I prefer PiMF shielding instead of a single foil. For the data wires, a single wire is better for PoE than stranded wire (sp?). Max. cable length for the PoE injector is 60m, but I prefer shortest length possible and longer cables indoor (grounding is extremly important to mitigate against ESD during thunderstorms/lightnings). Ground wires always should be as short as possible.
Everytime I heard of a CPE which got screwed up over the time, it always was due to missing proper grounding, which is extremly important for any outdoor AP, no matter from which vendor. From the CPE's Installation Guide:
For all outdoor APs I use UV-resistant, weather-proof CAT.5e ToughCable »Pro« (not the more robust »Carrier«, it's too fat) from UBNT with an extra ground wire. This is a somwehat expensive solution b/c you will need a crimp tool to assemble the cable, but best cable I know of for outdoor devices.
When intermittent, sporadic reboots (or even factory resets!) did happen with CPEs from forum users, the cause was a flaky power supply (mains power), which triggered the RESET signal on the PoE side (which is a short 0 volt level signalled in-band over one PoE wire).
However, my experiences is related to CPEs HW v1/v2. I have a v3 which will be deployed soon at a customer's site to feed a v1, but so far not a single CPE, EAP-Outdoor or EP-R6 was harmed, even not during the heaviest lightning storm I ever saw which last year raged 100m apart from the antenna pole with outdoor gear.
Edit: I forgot to mention that I'm extending the Wifi Network that is in the First building. It has the same SSID and Password as the EAPs in the first building. I don't think this should be a problem and I have the client 510 locked to the 510 AP, but I thought I'd mention it in case I'm missing something.
Just to be sure: the SSID for the directional link between the CPEs should be different from the SSID use at the local/remote sites. It has nothing to do with the SSID standard clients connect to on the EAPs connected to the LAN via the directional link.
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What I got from your reply:
A) Use better shielded cable and gound the cpe with the shortest possible path
B) Because my main is potentially unstable locate the PoE injector as close to the CPE as possible
D) Put the AP and Client on a different SSID than the rest of the network
Questions:
1) Should I use maxstream between the AP and Client
2) I going to put an AC1200 on the same wall as the CPE510 AP. Is there a minimum distance away I should put the devices?
Edit: I know this might sound a little dumb but I have been setting my gateway and DND to my Router and not the AP. I believe this is correct but wanted to make sure.
Thank you for all your help. I would be stuck without you assistance.
Regards.
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JonathanSK wrote
Questions:
1) Should I use maxstream between the AP and Client
2) I going to put an AC1200 on the same wall as the CPE510 AP. Is there a minimum distance away I should put the devices?
Edit: I know this might sound a little dumb but I have been setting my gateway and DND to my Router and not the AP. I believe this is correct but wanted to make sure.
1) MAXtream (not MAXstream) makes no sense for PtP link. MAXtream is for PtMP links.
2) The further away the EAP-Outdoor is (I assume you mean this model, AC1200 is a term describing WiFi capabilities, not a model name) from the CPE, the better. Also note that an EAP-Outdoor should be mounted about 2.4m to 3m over ground when it should serve clients there. CPEs are most often mounted much higher over ground to ensure enough fresnel zone clearance.
3) That's correct, the gateway and DNS server is the main router if the CPEs operate in AP and Client modes.
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I thought you'd like to know that the reason for the extreme network instability which was a rogue DHCP server in the form of an Apple Express that I didn't know was on the network. The slow speeds was due to the router not being set to foward DNS. Once I fixed thos issue speed was fine. Thanks for all your help.
I have another issue I was wondering if you could assist me with. I've put the inside and outside EAPs on the same SSID, let's call it Main Buidling. Inside there is one EAP 115 broadcasting this SSID on 2.4 and outsid their is an EAP AC1200 Broadcasting Mainbuilding in 2.4 and 5 hz. Outside is on a 100ft POE cable and Inside is on a 3 ft cable. They are both getting thier IP Addresses via DHCP.
1) My first question is how does a device decide which WAP to use? From my research this is based on detected signal strength and there is little I can do to affect that on the nework side correct? Some of the devices are prefering the outside signal to the inside signal.
2) How can I tell which AP I'm connected to if they share the sam SSID and they are bridging the LAN side of the network.
3) My third question is I am recieving low throughput connected to the Main Building 2.4 SSID when I'm inside the building. Any thought as to why the speeds might be intermittenty slow coming from the WAPs? I've tested wired into the switch and speeds remain stable 300/300 after the DNS fix, but connected to the AP I sometimes get 80/80 more often I get 3 to 4. Should I assign them static IPs? Could the Wifi signals be interfering with each other?
Edit 1: I came acoss another one of your forum posts, https://community.tp-link.com/en/business/forum/topic/202474?replyId=428282. I'm going to change the channels of my three 2.4 APs to 1, 6, and 11. I'm going to leave my 5hz on auto. I'm also going to reduce the singnalstrenth in the m ain building a little as to not interfere with the outside AP.
Thanks!
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