Author Topic: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point  (Read 22445 times)

mike_tx

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configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« on: October 14, 2010, 12:44:12 PM »

According to the manual, i should be able to plug the cable coming from my main router into the WAN port on the G300NH and leave the switch set for AUTO.   Then it should detect the other router and work in a "transparent bridge, AP mode".    Is this correct?    I did this and I have full access, but according the to web access menus, the router function is "ON".   Also, all of my machines are getting IP addresses assigned from the Buffalo, not my main router as they should be.    Should I plug the cable from the main router into the Buffalo's switch ports (not WAN port)?  This is what I had to do with my previous router configured as a AP.     


mike_tx

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2010, 01:27:05 PM »

Ok, so I tried plugging the cable coming from my main router's switch to the switch ports on the G300NH while in AUTO mode.   Nope......no access to the net.    So I switched the G300NH to "OFF" (for AP mode only) and move the cable back to the WAN port.    Reboot.    Good......can access the net and I'm getting IP addresses assigned from my main router.

 

However, as expected, I can no longer use web access to the G300NH.    Do I need to change the actual LAN IP address of the G300NH?   I tried using the assigned IP address, according to my main router, but nothing.    I had this same issue with my old AP (a Netgear router with DHCP disabled) and had to change the IP address of the AP itself to match a range in the main router.

 

If I have to go to all this hassle, what is the point of the "AUTO" switch?    At this point, it seems totally useless.     

 

Update:

 

Ok, so I took a closer look at the manual: according to it, "AUTO" should achieve what I want......automatic setup of AP mode when you connect to an existing router.   However, for some reason the G300NH can't tell it is hooked up to my router (a 2wire Uverse router/IPTV gateway.....don't like it, but can't remove it without losing TV service).    As I looked through the manual, on page 25 it has "connect to preexisting network".    Basically the exact process I did: turn the switch to "OFF" (AP only mode), the WAN port becomes another LAN port, and you have to change the LAN IP address on the G300NH to one in your main router's range.     Same basic thing I had to do with my old Netgear AP, but only difference is that I would disable DHCP on it, versus flick a switch.     So I guess for me, "AUTO" has absolutely no useful function.   Have others using their G300NH as a AP had this problem?


mike_tx

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2010, 08:52:09 AM »

Ok, another update: I finally got the AP setup as it is supposed to be.    I figured out that when I was changing the LAN side IP address (so I can access the G300NH on my current lan, which has 192.168.1.xxx range, not 11.xxx range like the default on Buffalo), if I power cycled the router and switched the switch to "OFF", it was losing my settings.   I also figured out if you power cycle and switch back to AUTO at the same time, your settings revert to default (only my SSID name/psw "stuck").  I find that very strange....it appears that changing the switch resets LAN IP settings.....not good in my opinion.

 

Anyway, I followed the instructions on page 25 of the online manual (different than the manual on my CD) and that worked: While the router was running, I set the switch to "OFF", temporarily set my PC to 192.168.11.20 (so I could access the 192.168.11.1 web access).   Now the menus in the router had changed to reflect that it was in AP mode....something it hadn't done in any of my previous trys.   I set my new LAN IP to 192.168.1.150 (in my existing routers range), and bingo......now I'm running in AP mode and can access the AP via any of my machines.

 

What a hassle.   It's not that hard and makes sense, since this is the basic process I had to do with my previous router (which wasn't advertised as a AP).   Only big disappointment is the AUTO switch.....it proved useless.


mikelmages

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2010, 08:08:13 PM »

I hooked my G300NH up to existing LAN network (after using it as the primary), which now uses a wired router to the WAP.  I used AUTO mode and hooked the LAN cable to the WAN port of the G300NH.  Everything seemed to work fine, with all wireles devices getting their IPs from the main router (192.168.0.1).  However, I found I could not reach my G300NH through the web access.  I read this post and have tried as described above: set the switch to OFF, reset my IP address to 192.168.11.20, but was unable to reach 192.168.11.100.  I power cycled the G300NH, nothing.  I RESET the G300NH and repeated the above with no luck.  I RESET, unhooked the main router LAN cable and just had a LAN cable into the G300NH but was unable to log in with either 192.168.11.1 or 11.100.

 

Any ideas?

 

MM 


Odysseus1001

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2010, 02:58:54 PM »

Having just spent more time than necessary getting this to work, I have two suggestions:

 

First, my WZR-HP-G300NH seemed to come pre-set to 192.168.11.1 rather than 192.168.11.100 as suggested in the instructions/documentation/etc.  That made an obvious difference when I was trying to connect to the router.  That may be because it had the DD-WRT firmware installed and (as discussed below) the DD-WRT firmware is not what is described in the instructions in this thread or in the user manual.

 

Second, the unit appears now to come with DD-WRT as the default firmware.  As I read the documentation, the DD-WRT firmware does *NOT* support the "auto-on-off" switch for the router.  In other words, you either (a) have to install the "user friendly" firmware (which reportedly is a little less reliable) to use the switch or (b) you have to hunt around the internet for instructions on how to turn off the router functions in a DD-WRT system.  I did the later (there's a wiki on the subject) but until I manually turned off the DD-WRT router functions in the configuration page within the router, the unit continued to act as a router and play holy heck with my network even though the switch was set to OFF.


sethz

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2010, 03:13:11 PM »

If you haven't done so already, try putting the switch on OFF just to make sure. It sounds like the unit is resulting in a "Double NAT" and rerouting signals that are already broken down for a private network.


keylogica

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2011, 03:39:52 PM »

I know this is a relatively old thread, but here are the proper directions for configuring a WZR-HP-G300NH as a Wireless Access Point ONLY (no routing functions).

 

1. Connect your WZR-HP-G300NH to your computer using an ethernet cable attached to one of the LAN ports (not the blue WAN port).

2. Login to the router (default: 192.168.11.1), change your password as directed

3. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > WAN SETUP, Connection Type = Disabled

4. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, Local IP Address = an unused IP address in the subnet of the network of your existing router. Example: If your current router's IP address is 192.168.1.1 (subnet 255.255.255.0) use 192.168.1.xxx where xxx = any usused IP address that is not in the DHCP pool (depends on your router). I used 192.168.1.99

5. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, Subnet Mask = same subnet mask as the existing network

6. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, Gateway = IP address of your existing router

7. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, Local DNS = IP address of your existing router (usually)

8. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, Assign WAN Port to Switch = ON (checked)

9. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, DHCP Type = DHCP Forwarder

10. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, DHCP Server = existing router IP address (or DHCP server address if you have separate stand-alone DHCP server)

11. Click "Save" button on the bottom of the screen

12. Configure your wireless settings however you like on the WIRELESS > BASIC SETTINGS and WIRELESS > WIRELESS SECURITY tabs

13. Click "Apply Settings" button, allow a couple minutes for the WZR-HP-G300NH to reboot

14. You can now disconnect the ethernet cable from the WZR-HP-G300NH and your computer

15. Connect ethernet cable from existing router to blue WAN port on WZR-HP-G300NH, allow it to boot up completely if it was unplugged, and then join wireless network

 

Now if you need to go back into the WZR-HP-G300NH configuration screen, you access it with the IP address you chose in step 4 above.

 

Hope this helps everybody. Good luck!


BirdOPrey5

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #7 on: July 13, 2011, 12:07:21 PM »

keylogica - that was awseome thank you for posting that, not sure I ever would have figured it out. Never occured to me to disable the WAN. Made my morning much easier! Thank you!


scajjr2

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2011, 09:41:08 AM »

Is this for the Buffalo or DD-WRT firmware? I have a 2-year old WZR-HP-G300NH running Buffalo's 1.74 firmware (no issues ever with this router or firmware) and am thing of adding a 2nd WZR-HP-G300NH (flashing firmware from DD-WRT to 1.74) as an access point/repeater to increase signal strength to our upstairs wireless computers.

 

Sam


keylogica

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #9 on: July 18, 2011, 12:15:47 PM »

@ BirdOPrey5?:

You're welcome.

 

@scajjr2:

This is for Buffalo's implementation of the DD-WRT firmware, not Buffalo's own firmware.


graphix8

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #10 on: October 14, 2011, 10:44:33 AM »

Keylogica.....for the wireless settings....do you use the same SSID as your primary router or would it be different?


keylogica

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2011, 11:30:20 PM »

You can use whatever you want for the SSID of the WZR-HP-G300NH.

 

The wireless function of the other, "primary router" should be completely disabled.


xcomptech

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2012, 06:27:06 AM »

Awesome support dude thanks a lot for the idea, because the company i work with am always selling buffalo router of our clients and customers....so thanks a lot for the support.


DTDC

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Re: configuring WZR-HP-G300NH as access point
« Reply #13 on: December 22, 2018, 02:14:58 PM »
<p>I know this is a relatively old thread, but here are the proper directions for configuring a WZR-HP-G300NH as a Wireless Access Point ONLY (no routing functions).</p><p> </p><p>1. Connect your WZR-HP-G300NH to your computer using an ethernet cable attached to one of the LAN ports (not the blue WAN port).</p><p>2. Login to the router (default: 192.168.11.1), change your password as directed</p><p>3. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > WAN SETUP, Connection Type = Disabled</p><p>4. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, Local IP Address = an unused IP address in the subnet of the network of your existing router. Example: If your current router's IP address is 192.168.1.1 (subnet 255.255.255.0) use 192.168.1.xxx where xxx = any usused IP address that is not in the DHCP pool (depends on your router). I used 192.168.1.99</p><p>5. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, Subnet Mask = same subnet mask as the existing network</p><p>6. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, Gateway = IP address of your existing router</p><p>7. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, Local DNS = IP address of your existing router (usually)</p><p>8. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, Assign WAN Port to Switch = ON (checked)</p><p>9. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, DHCP Type = DHCP Forwarder</p><p>10. SETUP > BASIC SETUP > NETWORK SETUP, DHCP Server = existing router IP address (or DHCP server address if you have separate stand-alone DHCP server)</p><p>11. Click "Save" button on the bottom of the screen</p><p>12. Configure your wireless settings however you like on the WIRELESS > BASIC SETTINGS and WIRELESS > WIRELESS SECURITY tabs</p><p>13. Click "Apply Settings" button, allow a couple minutes for the WZR-HP-G300NH to reboot</p><p>14. You can now disconnect the ethernet cable from the WZR-HP-G300NH and your computer</p><p>15. Connect ethernet cable from existing router to blue WAN port on WZR-HP-G300NH, allow it to boot up completely if it was unplugged, and then join wireless network</p><p> </p><p>Now if you need to go back into the WZR-HP-G300NH configuration screen, you access it with the IP address you chose in step 4 above.</p><p> </p><p>Hope this helps everybody. Good luck!</p>

Years later, this was still PERFECT for repurposing my old WZR-HP-G300NH as an Access Point in my outbuilding (connected via LAN cable back to the house router)!