Using a second router as an access point

[zdemigod]

Hello all, this is kind of a follow up to an older post that got resolved but now I'm hoping to do everything right. I'm trying to use an older huawei router as a second access point or switch to give myself wifi in my room and ethernet to my pc. I followed this guide but I'm unclear in multiple steps https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/huawei-hg8546m-router-as-access-point.3244500/ I got a few questions. also just in case I missed anything I will list all the steps I took and my results.

 

Questions:

 

1. Does the DHCP range have to be set up on both primary and secondary address to have the same amount? 
2. What exactly is the subnet? is this the range of addresses I input in my "DHCP server configuration" that defines how many devices can i connect to my router? 
3. Where can I change the Gateway of my second router so I can make it match to the IP of the first? I don't see the option anywhere I would assume this is essential and is probably what is screwing me up.

 

Process of what I did: 

 

Notes: every time I use internal IPs here I did the process with both primary and secondary addresses just in case, when I did something only using secondary address ill denote it with X instead. maybe that's part of my mistake?

1. Changed the address range on Router 1, took note of the range and IP. IP is: 10.0.0.1, range is: 10.0.0.3 - 10.0.0.254
2. Made sure both primary and secondary DHCP server settings where enabled with the range above
3. Disconnected my first router from my PC, connected my second router to my PC
4. Looked for my second routers Mac address (written behind the box) and using the "DHCP static IP configuration" page gave it a static IP of x.x.x.2. Additionally changed the lan host ip to 10.0.0.2 and now to access my device I have to use 10.0.0.2 in the browser. static IP was given only inside the admin page of the second router using secondary IP, as it wouldn't let me do both primary and secondary and the guide uses secondary so I went with that
5. I restarted the second router, However I couldn't enter the router admin page (address unreachable error) using the secondary IP, only with the primary. So i entered the admin page with 10.0.0.2 again.
6. In the "DHCP server configuration" Page I disabled both primary and secondary DHCP server. I left the other options alone (Enabled DHCP relay was on and Enable option125 was on)
7. Connected the first router to my PC again to check that the subnet mask was the same as the second router and the address was as intended.
8. Connected the first router to my second router, and then my second router to my PC
9. Went back and enabled Primary DHCP server on the second router as my device wouldn't connect through wifi without it, the range was the same as above as the first router 10.0.0.3 - 10.0.0.254

Result: 

• I have 2 separate Wifi access points and I can access both of them on wifi
• The second router wifi does not give internet Main error
• When connected through the second router to my PC through internet it appears as it was the first (the setup is Router 1 > Router 2 > My PC) but my PC reads Router 1 
• I can only access my second routers admin page when I give my PC a static IP on the ipv4 settings. (annoying)

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by zdemigod
I suck at grammar

[homeap5]

You probably configured everything good. Just plug second router not by WAN port, but by LAN1 port and use it as managable switch with separate wifi access.

 

All you need in fact is to configure WIFI settings on second router, set his internal IP to 10.0.0.2 and that is all. The only functions from second router you get will be three additional LAN ports (like in 4 port switch) and separate WiFi. Everything else (port forwarding etc.) will be on first router.

 

[zdemigod]

1 minute ago, homeap5 said:

You probably configured everything good. Just plug second router not by WAN port, but by LAN1 port and use it as managable switch with separate internet access.

 

I have no internet on the second internet AP though which is why I'm asking for help. My router has 4 LAN ports and 2 Tel ports. Im using 2/4 LAN ports.

[akio123008]

I believe you're making this too complicated. That second router should just be set up as a switch/AP and should therefore not handle DHCP. The primary router takes care of that. Just turn off all IP/DHCP related stuff on that second router and use it as an AP. The fact that it's an access point doesn't mean it needs to have it's own DHCP server or it's own subnet.

 

14 minutes ago, zdemigod said:

Where can I change the Gateway of my second router so I can make it match to the IP of the first? I don't see the option anywhere I would assume this is essential and is probably what is screwing me up.

The secondary router is just an access point/switch. It doesn't need a primary gateway. Devices that connect to it will have the first router as their primary gateway.

[akio123008]

 

I have a setup just like this, here's the settings I used on the router that I use as an AP/switch.

[zdemigod]

3 minutes ago, akio123008 said:

I believe you're making this too complicated. That second router should just be set up as a switch/AP and should therefore not handle DHCP. The primary router takes care of that. Just turn off all IP/DHCP related stuff on that second router and use it as an AP. The fact that it's an access point doesn't mean it needs to have it's own DHCP server or it's own subnet.

 

The secondary router is just an access point/switch. It doesn't need a primary gateway. Devices that connect to it will have the first router as their primary gateway.

After disabling primary DHCP server on the second router I cant get my wifi devices to connect to it, they get authenticated and then get stuck on "obtaining for an ip address"

[akio123008]

1 minute ago, zdemigod said:

After disabling primary DHCP server on the second router I cant get my wifi devices to connect to it, they get authenticated and then get stuck on "obtaining for an ip address"

Then the device apparently can't connect to the first router, because that one I assume has DHCP turned on.

[Viper9]

On the second router you need to enable "AP mode" if there's one or disable everything except Wi-Fi. So no routing, no DHCP server, no firewall etc. 

[akio123008]

Make sure the IP address of the second router is static, set it to something like 10.0.0.7 with subnet 255.0.0.0

[akio123008]

35 minutes ago, zdemigod said:

I can only access my second routers admin page when I give my PC a static IP on the ipv4 settings. (annoying)

This indicates there's probably something wrong with the primary IP config of that router. Otherwise you'd be able to access it in the network just fine. What exactly is the IP of the second router, and what do you have to configure the PC to in order to access it?

[zdemigod]

10 minutes ago, akio123008 said:

This indicates there's probably something wrong with the primary IP config of that router. Otherwise you'd be able to access it in the network just fine. What exactly is the IP of the second router, and what do you have to configure the PC to in order to access it?

This is router 2:

 

Router 1:

 

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by zdemigod
wrong screenshots

[hpesik]

does turning on DHCP relay on the second router make it work?

[zdemigod]

Just now, hpesik said:

does turning on DHCP relay on the second router make it work?

it allows the wifi devices to connect to the second router but without internet access.

[hpesik]

also setting up the dns server to point to your main router. i was doing the same thing but on a TP Link router. that was my solution. the forwarding and dns

[homeap5]

Do you really tried to connect your second router through LAN1 port as I described in my post and leave WAN port not used? Because as I read all that answers I think you skip that part of my solution.

 

[zdemigod]

1 minute ago, homeap5 said:

Do you really tried to connect your second router through LAN1 port as I described in my post and leave WAN port not used? Because as I read all that answers I think you skip that part of my solution.

 

Yes, I responded by saying I used Lan ports 2/4, I dont see any WAN ports in the first place unless you refer to the TEL ports which the jack doesn't even fit to. 

[homeap5]

Use lan1 as input.

[akio123008]

This router should only have 1 IP address, as it will be used as an access point. You should turn off the "secondary address". You want this thing to be an access point, you don't want it to do any kind of routing. 

 

Turn off the secondary address

Turn off primary DHCP server

Turn off secondary DHCP server

Turn off DHCP relay

 

and make sure the primary IP is in the same subnet as your first router, so that devices can connect to the first router and therefore also to the internet.

 

 

 

[akio123008]

Also you masked an IP address in those images. Is that your public IP? What on earth is that doing in a secondary router?

[Windows7ge]

Did you check if the router supports AP mode? That would be your easiest option. From there I'd just plug both into a switch that runs to your primary router. Daisy-chaining equipment like your diagrams appears to be laid out can always lead to issues if it's not configured correctly.

[zdemigod]

44 minutes ago, akio123008 said:

Also you masked an IP address in those images. Is that your public IP? What on earth is that doing in a secondary router?

I don't know much about networking so only thing i know for sure its that the local ips are fine so just to be safe i censored it xd. Removing the second IP fixed it and its working now. Thanks for all the help!