Having problems accessing network devices connected to my wireless repeater

[Bageland2000]

Hello all,

My main router/switch/Wireless AP is a Netgear Nighthawk R7000. Since I have concrete walls in my house, I needed to get another device to extend the wireless signal to the other side of my house, even with the range capabilities of 802.11ac. I bought a ASUS RT-AC68U, and set it to repeater mode. Main AP's IP address is 192.168.1.1 and repeater is statically set to 192.168.1.2. It's set to mirror the SSID so both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz SSIDs for both the AP and the extender are all the same. My devices are successfully connected, and they now have a much higher bandwidth (IP speed tests and connections on the network are much quicker than before). The problem I have is that when I look at connected devices on the main router/AP, the MAC and device names of all devices connected to the repeater are all the same (that of the ASUS RT-AC68U; the extender/repeater device). Consequently, I cannot, for instance, detect a printer on the network, since it's connected to (presumably) the repeater, and thus shows on the network as the MAC/device name of the repeater. Can anyone help me fix this? Thanks!

 

[don256us]

First, I love my ASUS AC68W which is only different than yours in color. I live is a stick built house but because it is a ranch, I have a problem of reaching from one end to the other similar to your issue. I attacked the issue differently though. I made the ASUS the main router/switch/AP. I then took my old Linksys E3000, turned off DNS and then ran a wire from the ASUS to the Linksys. This way, fewer devices wirelessly connect to my remote AP.

My thought is that your ASUS is still acting as a router in that it is NAT'ing your devices that go through it. Until I look at mine more closely, I don't know anything in more detail.

I will add that I got the mobile app for my ASUS the other day and it is cool. If you look in the firmware of the ASUS, it has links to get the app.

 

[Bageland2000]

I wish I could run a wire to the ASUS, but that isn't possible. I'm almost 100% sure that NAT is turned off in "repeater" mode, but I'll check when get home.

 

[Bageland2000]

"In Repeater mode, RT-AC68U wirelessly connects to an existing wireless network to extend the wireless coverage. In this mode, the firewall, IP sharing, and NAT functions are disabled."