A7 access point problems

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A7 access point problems

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A7 access point problems
A7 access point problems
2021-11-19 19:58:27 - last edited 2021-11-19 19:59:46
Model: Archer A7  
Hardware Version: V3
Firmware Version: N/A

I have read through instuctions I could find for this router. My goal was to use my Archer C7 to have a wifi point on one end of the house and push data to my structured media panel. In that panel to solve a wifi strength issue in the front, I am usin an Archer A7 router. I set this A7 up as an access point however, When I read I was under the understanding that the wifi names and passwords would be the same between 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. With this being said, that is not the case and wifi does not switch when in the front vs in the back of the home with the stronger signal. Am I misunderstanding what should be happening or am I unrealistic with this setup? The A7 from there goes into a switch that distributes to the rest of the home. Any help is appreciated. 

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Re:A7 access point problems
2021-11-23 21:56:20

@digidoggie18 

 

How is the C7 configured?  The A7 being in AP mode it will need to be phyiscally connected to a device acting as a router.  If you are trying to wirelessly link the two routers together than its not AP mode but WDS you would want to use.  WDS essentially turns the 2nd router into a wireless range extender, and the A7 at that point would use the root or host SSIDs.  If you were hoping for a single SSID that would be the Smart Connect option.  Keep in mind only the C7 V5 and up features Smart Connect.  So if you C7 is a V4 or below you would not be able to use smart connect to create a single SSID.  

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Re:A7 access point problems
2021-11-24 03:05:26

@Carl 

 

I apologize, my numbers got mixedd up. I have an Archer C5 not an Archer C7. What do you mean with how is the C5 setup? Please elaborate on this as there's hundreds of settings. It's currently set up as my main router for our internet and also port forwards a lot of the traffic on my network. I have a cat6 cable that goes from the lan port on that router to my archer A7 on the internet port because this is what my instructions stated for the A7 router. From there to broadcast to my wired devices I have a cat6 cable going from the lan port on the A7 router into my 24 port unmanaged network switch. I set the A7 up as an access point but it asked to name the wireless network ssid's. I will fully be keeping these two routers linked with cat6 because I am setting up my desktop eventually for 10gb speeds to link my Nas server and help with the large amounts of data transfer I do over our network. Is what I'm wanting still not achievable? If so what router combos that you guys sell that would allow me to do what I want to do? I was looking into your new wifi 6 routers as well

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Re:A7 access point problems
2021-11-24 15:23:18

@digidoggie18 

 

For the C5 what i was asking about how its configured is if it was configured as a router or AP.  You clarified that in your response that it was configured as a router.  What you are asking for is possible but only if you use the Archer A7's WDS feature and essentially turn it into a Range Extender.  In AP mode the wireless SSIDs would be separate.  Even if you manually change the SSID names and passwords to be what the C5 is broadcasting, it would still be a separate AP and could cause conflicts in your network for clients that at between the two routers.  There is a solution though.  The Archer A7 has a feature called OneMesh.  With this enabled and using Compatible Range Extenders or Powerline Adapters you can create a Mesh network that all devices in the network will broadcast the same SSID and act as a single network rather than a network with 2 APs in it.  

 

If you need Ethernet from the remote nodes (RE or PLC) I would recommend the RE550 or RE315.  a full list of compatible RE and PLC can be found here

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