[SOLVED] Access Point Problems

[12Kentos]

I'm working for a school as the IT guy, and they previously had their wifi set up about 8 years before I got here. All of the access points they have are starting to die, and they need to be replaced. I bought an access point from Ubiquiti (I'll post a link at the bottom) and I've gotten it set up and running, the issue I'm running into is it keeps creating it's own wifi network instead of acting as an access point to the current wifi network. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Any ideas would be fantastic.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079DSW6XX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks!!

 

[kanewolf]

I'm working for a school as the IT guy, and they previously had their wifi set up about 8 years before I got here. All of the access points they have are starting to die, and they need to be replaced. I bought an access point from Ubiquiti (I'll post a link at the bottom) and I've gotten it set up and running, the issue I'm running into is it keeps creating it's own wifi network instead of acting as an access point to the current wifi network. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Any ideas would be fantastic.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079DSW6XX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks!!

Since Ubiquiti is a complete ecosystem, how did you setup the AP? Using a phone with the APP? Installing controller software somewhere ?
When you say "creating its own WIFI network" -- what do you mean? Different SSID? Devices unable to connect? The other APs showing up as "rogue" ?

 

[12Kentos]

Thanks for the reply, tbh I don't know as much about networking as I would like to I installed the controller software on my computer, and I installed the app on my phone so I have access to it both ways. So we have our school wifi network that is already up and running, that's the one we connect our computers/phones/tablets etc... to. The AP is currently making it's own network that I can connect to. So we have network A, and the AP has made a network B that people can connect to. From what I understood (and maybe I'm wrong about this) I thought the AP would connect to network A, and extend it's range. So when I'm at one end of the school I'm connected to network A via an AP, and when I go to the other end of the school I connect to another AP on Network A. Currently the way it's set up is I would have to go into my devices settings and tell it to connect to Network B if I wanted to use the AP. If that makes any sense at all?

 

[kanewolf]

Thanks for the reply, tbh I don't know as much about networking as I would like to I installed the controller software on my computer, and I installed the app on my phone so I have access to it both ways. So we have our school wifi network that is already up and running, that's the one we connect our computers/phones/tablets etc... to. The AP is currently making it's own network that I can connect to. So we have network A, and the AP has made a network B that people can connect to. From what I understood (and maybe I'm wrong about this) I thought the AP would connect to network A, and extend it's range. So when I'm at one end of the school I'm connected to network A via an AP, and when I go to the other end of the school I connect to another AP on Network A. Currently the way it's set up is I would have to go into my devices settings and tell it to connect to Network B if I wanted to use the AP. If that makes any sense at all?

Ubiquiti UniFI will only wirelessly connect to other UniFI APs. If that is what you want. But I don't think it is.
Unifi uses the controller to configure the APs. You need to understand the existing network. Are there VLANs? If so are there specific SSIDs associated with the VLANs? You would then define a similar configuration in the UniFI controller and it would get sent to the AP as the configuration.
Starting from scratch with UniFI in a non-UniFI environment with no background is going to be tough for you. UniFI expects the users to be moderately sophisticated networking users. It is definitely not plug and play.

What brand of hardware do you currently have ?

 

[12Kentos]

Ubiquiti UniFI will only wirelessly connect to other UniFI APs. If that is what you want. But I don't think it is.
Unifi uses the controller to configure the APs. You need to understand the existing network. Are there VLANs? If so are there specific SSIDs associated with the VLANs? You would then define a similar configuration in the UniFI controller and it would get sent to the AP as the configuration.
Starting from scratch with UniFI in a non-UniFI environment with no background is going to be tough for you. UniFI expects the users to be moderately sophisticated networking users. It is definitely not plug and play.

What brand of hardware do you currently have ?

No we don't have any Vlans, when I was looking up what AP to get, UniFI had the best reviews, several of which were people using it in a home, so I assumed that I would be able to figure it out. Unfortunately it hasn't been that case. Is there an equivalent to UniFI that is a bit more user friendly/plug and play? As for our current hardware we use extricom. Here's a link.

https://www.amazon.com/Extricom-EXR...=extricom&qid=1607541609&s=electronics&sr=1-1

 

[kanewolf]

What I would recommend is that you take the AP back off the main network. Get a dumb switch and the POE injector setup a network with just a laptop, the switch and the AP. Then read https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/sections/200914610-UniFi-Network-Getting-Started
Watch some UniFI configuration videos on YouTube.

 

[12Kentos]

What I would recommend is that you take the AP back off the main network. Get a dumb switch and the POE injector setup a network with just a laptop, the switch and the AP. Then read https://help.ui.com/hc/en-us/sections/200914610-UniFi-Network-Getting-Started
Watch some UniFI configuration videos on YouTube.

Thanks, I'll give that a try. I have already watched several different UniFI configuration videos, and followed those steps and got it working the same way they did, just can't get it to act as an AP for the wifi network that is already set up and running, instead of creating it's own.

 

[kanewolf]

Thanks, I'll give that a try. I have already watched several different UniFI configuration videos, and followed those steps and got it working the same way they did, just can't get it to act as an AP for the wifi network that is already set up and running, instead of creating it's own.

If the SSID and password are the same, then there is some other problem. That is why I asked about VLANs or other "fancy" network things.
I still don't understand what "its own WIFI" means. What is the behavior? Password doesn't work? No internet connectivity? Can't see other devices?

 

[12Kentos]

If the SSID and password are the same, then there is some other problem. That is why I asked about VLANs or other "fancy" network things.
I still don't understand what "its own WIFI" means. What is the behavior? Password doesn't work? No internet connectivity? Can't see other devices?

So, when I want to connect my phone to the wifi, I go to the wifi settings, and I need to choose a wifi network to connect to right? See image to see what I'm talking about. (These are not my actual wifi network names, just examples to help explain) using the examples in the image you have the Drury wifi, the Trustee wifi, and the DUSports wifi. When I set up the AP I want it to be part of the Drury wifi and extend the signal that wifi network offers. However when I set it up, it is creating it's own fourth wifi network. So now we would have the Drury, the Trustee, the DUSports and this fourth network the AP has made. Currently we have 8 APs using the Extricom hardware throughout the building. All of them are using the Drury signal this way no matter where I am in the building I'm connected to Drury. Which ever AP has the strongest signal is the one my phone connects to. I want to set up this new AP so it is also part of the Drury network, acting in unison with the other APs, rather than separate. I hope that makes sense?

 

[kanewolf]

What is the name of the 4th network?
If it is "element-xxx" then read this thread -- https://community.ui.com/questions/SSIDs-named-element-xxx/3de45b45-83bc-4480-a066-68f404029ae7
It is related to the wireless uplink capability. You want to disable that function in the controller.

 

[12Kentos]

What is the name of the 4th network?
If it is "element-xxx" then read this thread -- https://community.ui.com/questions/SSIDs-named-element-xxx/3de45b45-83bc-4480-a066-68f404029ae7
It is related to the wireless uplink capability. You want to disable that function in the controller.

Ok, so I tried your suggestion, and it worked in the sense that it's not making it's own network anymore (also to answer the other question it wasn't element-xxx it had me make a name for the new network when I set up the AP so it could have been whatever I set the name to, currently it's just testing.) however it still isn't broadcasting on the correct network. It's not sending out the wifi signal via the Drury network. Any ideas on how to get it to do that?

Thanks!

 

[gggplaya]

In the Unifi software, you need to set up user groups, where you can also set access permissions and/or bandwidth limitations. That must be done first. Group 1 could be Faculty(main wifi) and the other could be Guests which you can ISOLATE the network and set bandwidth limitations.

Then in the Unifi software you need to set up your WLANs with ssid's that match your old system, and then select which user groups get access to each WLAN.

Then on the Access point through the Unifi software, you need to select which WLANs are on the each radio and DEPLOY it.

 

[kanewolf]

In the Unifi software, you need to set up user groups, where you can also set access permissions and/or bandwidth limitations. That must be done first. Group 1 could be Faculty(main wifi) and the other could be Guests which you can ISOLATE the network and set bandwidth limitations.

Then in the Unifi software you need to set up your WLANs with ssid's that match your old system, and then select which user groups get access to each WLAN.

Then on the Access point through the Unifi software, you need to select which WLANs are on the each radio and DEPLOY it.

For a basic installation, user groups are not required , there is a default "ALL" group. WIFI networks and maybe LAN are all that is required.
In the UniFI controller, did you create the wireless networks you desire ?
To help you more, you need to post a picture of the system config -- system -> maintenance -> show configuration
Post that to imgur or other image hosting site and link to it.

 

[12Kentos]

For a basic installation, user groups are not required , there is a default "ALL" group. WIFI networks and maybe LAN are all that is required.
In the UniFI controller, did you create the wireless networks you desire ?
To help you more, you need to post a picture of the system config -- system -> maintenance -> show configuration
Post that to imgur or other image hosting site and link to it.

Sorry it took me so long to reply, I really appreciate all of the help that's been given up to this point. From the sound of it I'm not going to be able to get it to do what I want it to do with my limited knowledge, is there a different access point I can get that is more user friendly/plug and play. Ultimately I need to replace the ones that we are currently using, but I don't want to have to set up a new network, I would rather be able to get new devices and connect them to the existing network. Any suggestiongs?

Thanks!

 

[kanewolf]

Sorry it took me so long to reply, I really appreciate all of the help that's been given up to this point. From the sound of it I'm not going to be able to get it to do what I want it to do with my limited knowledge, is there a different access point I can get that is more user friendly/plug and play. Ultimately I need to replace the ones that we are currently using, but I don't want to have to set up a new network, I would rather be able to get new devices and connect them to the existing network. Any suggestiongs?

Thanks!

"Connecting to the existing network" means that you have to configure them somehow. You don't have to create new networks for UniFI to work, but you have to tell the APs what you want.
"Plug and play" is not the territory you are in. You are in commercial networking. Some knowledge is required. If you aren't up to it, then you need to bring in a contractor that is.