I am experiencing an issue with my TP-Link AX73 router when configured as an access point (AP). I have followed the standard configuration steps, but my wireless devices are unable to obtain IP addresses via DHCP from my pfSense firewall, which is the DHCP server on my network. Here are the details of the issue and the steps I have taken to try to resolve it.

 

Network Configuration

  pfSense IP Address: 192.168.1.1

  pfSense DHCP Range: 192.168.1.100 to     192.168.1.200

  TP-Link AX73 IP Address: 192.168.1.10

  Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

 

Steps Taken to Resolve the Issue

1. Disabled DHCP Server on TP-Link AX73:

Navigated to Network > DHCP and ensured that the DHCP server is disabled.

 

2. Set Static IP Address for TP-Link AX73:

Navigated to Network > LAN and set a static IP address of 192.168.1.10 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.

 

3. Enabled and Configured Wireless Network:

Navigated to Wireless > Basic Settings and ensured that the wireless network is enabled and broadcasting.

   - Set the SSID and security settings as desired.

 

4. Disabled Client Isolation:

Navigated to Wireless > Advanced Settings and ensured that client isolation and any broadcast traffic filtering settings are disabled.

 

5. Connected TP-Link AX73 to the Switch:

Used a LAN port on the TP-Link AX73 to connect to the switch, not the WAN port.

 

6. Checked pfSense Configuration:

Navigated to Services > DHCP Server and ensured the DHCP server is enabled.

   - Verified the DHCP range is 192.168.1.100 to 192.168.1.200.

   - Ensured the default gateway and DNS servers are set to 192.168.1.1.

   - Navigated to Firewall > Rules and ensured there is a rule allowing DHCP traffic (UDP port 67 and 68) on the LAN interface.

 

7. Used Wireshark for Network Traffic Analysis:

   - Captured network traffic on a device connected to the same network.

   - Filtered the capture to show only DHCP traffic by entering `bootp` in the display filter.

   - Observed that DHCP discover packets are not reaching the pfSense server, and DHCP offer packets are not reaching the wireless devices.

 

8. Tested with a Different Device:

   - Tried using a different wireless device to see if the issue is specific to the device.

   - The issue persists with multiple wireless devices.

 

9. Performed a Factory Reset:

   - Performed a factory reset on the TP-Link AX73 and reconfigured it as an access point.

   - The issue still persists.

 

10. Updated Firmware:

    - Downloaded and installed the latest firmware for the TP-Link AX73 from the official TP-Link website.

    - The issue still persists.

 

Additional Observations

- When the TP-Link AX73 is placed in router mode, my wireless devices can obtain IP addresses from the pfSense DHCP server, even though the DHCP server on the TP-Link AX73 is disabled.

 

- After initially placing the TP-Link AX73 in access point mode, I was able to acquire an IP address once, but it stopped working after a disconnection.

 

I would greatly appreciate any assistance you can provide to help me resolve this issue. If there are any specific settings or configurations I should check or additional troubleshooting steps I can take, please let me know.

 

Both my wireless router and pfsense are connected to same switch.