Seperate network on hotel network

[Cyluca]

TLDR: How do I prevent my own router from acting like the router it is plugged into?

I've just moved into a new flat that has a managed network that requires every device to log into a portal similar to what you would get at a hotel.

This is fine for my desktop and phone, but prevents my chromecast from being able to access the internet.

The network also prevents devices from seeing each other.

 

In the past, I have had a TP-Link AC750 Wireless Travel Router TL-WR902AC that would relay the flats WiFi into its own network.

This allowed devices connected to the TP-Link router to talk to each other and to the flat's router it was only the TP-Link router connected meaning I only had to log in with one device to connect all devices.

 

However, I no longer have the TP-Link router, instead I now have a Netgear AC1900 Nighthawk. The flat's wifi is a bit far away, but I do have a network port in my room which I can plug the Netgear into.

When I plug in the netgear, it acts like the flat's router where I can log in with each device which is fine for the phone, but not the chromecast.

Hunting for a solution over the last few days has shown me MAC Cloning which should allow me to use my phone to log in for all the other devices, and using a different IP on the Lan settings (192.168.X.1 changing X from the default to something else) to create a different network. which both together should solve my issues, however when I set everything up, reboot the router all is fine until I plug in the cable from the flat's router, at which point it forgets everything and acts like the flats router again (just pipes everything along, doesn't allow logging into the netgear control panel, requires log in for all devices ect).

 

Is there a way I can prevent the Netgear from just piping everything though to the router and instead act as a second network like the travel router does?

 

Thank you for any suggestions.

 

[The Flying Sloth]

Every range extender I've used still shows separate devices on the main router, and I've got a bunch of them in my house, like, a bunch.

[brwainer]

3 hours ago, Cyluca said:

instead I now have a Netgear AC1900 Nighthawk.

Did you link the correct one? If so, you bought the wrong device. That one is meant to be used with the WAN connection being a phone line (DSL/ADSL). You need one where the WAN connection is ethernet, just like the WAN ports. Then it will do what you are looking for without any fuss. 
 

this is also the reason why MAC Cloning isn’t working - it only clones the MAC to the WAN port.

[Cyluca]

I didn't buy it, was given to my by my parents when they went to fiber.

The 4th Lan port on it is also Wan Ethernet and does allow me to access the internet, but it kinda acts like a bunch of pipes that just lets everything though to the main router like its not there. The TP-Link travel router on the other hand acted like its own network with only one pipe so the flats router only saw one device.

I feel as it should be as simple as changing a setting that prevents it from just passing things though, I just cant find it.

[FarmerBob]

I'm reading the TP manual and have Netgear routers. I see that the WAN access settings are basically the same as are available in the NG.

 

Just a thought and I'm curious . . .

What settings and info did you use on the TP to access the network? And in the WAN setup page on the Netgear at the bottom in the MAC area there should be 3 selections, one being "Use Computer MAC Address". If your computer has been connected changing this setting may forego you needing to login again if the system thinks it's the same device that has logged in or by using your computers MAC Address it may allow you to use PPPoE, PPT or L2TP to sign in using the credentials you used on your computer.

 

P.S.

Love the diagram. Better than mine . . .

[Cyluca]

The TP router has a slider on the side, I can't remember what I had set it to, but it was pretty much set that to the right settings then wifi connect it to the main router like you would a wifi extender.

 

On the Netgear I have tried using the "Use Computer MAC Address" option, but when I plug in the flats router it seems to forget to do that and just goes full dummy mode like its an extension of the flats router, rather than its own network that gets its internet access from the flat router