[SOLVED] How can I create a wireless link between two Soft Access Points?

[nohemon]

I have two Wavlink AP/Repeaters https://www.wavlink.com/en_us/product/WL-WN570HA1.html

Each of them is connected through Ethernet to a PC (with the appropriate IP). So I technically have two wired networks. I need to create a wireless link between those two networks. In other words, I want to replace the wired LAN connection between those two computers, with a wireless connection.
Schematically would look like this: PC1 --> Ethernet --> Wavlink1 --> WIFI TRANSMISSION --> Wavlink2 --> Ethernet --> PC2. And vice versa.

Wavlink devices have 3 modes: Access Point (LAN bridge), Router, Repeater. I'm not sure if both have to be in AP mode, or one in AP mode and the other in Router mode and I can't figure out how to connect the first device with the other over Wifi. I'm a little confused. Thanks in advance. Feel free to ask for any clarifications.

 

[kerberos_20]

one as AP mode second as repeater

 

[bill001g]

Without reading the details it depends on how the equipment works.

The best way to do this is if the devices could both be set to a point to point mode similar to ubiquiti outdoor bridges.

So the major issue is the restriction that encrypted wifi sessions use the mac address of the end points as part of the encryption keys. This is done for security to prevent unauthorized device from connecting. The limitation it places on you is that only a single mac address can pass over the connection....ie the router on 1 end and a single pc on the other.

To get around this limitation they use a field called WDS for the non standard method of passing the mac address. Since this was never included in the official standards how exactly it is implemented varies between vendors.

So the method I suspect will work for sure is ROUTER on one end and REPEATER on the other. Since this is the more standard implementation of repeater you would think the vendor will talk to their own router.

The problem with router mode is the 2 pc are on different IP subnets.

After this it all depends on what the vendor supports. If they support WDS on AP mode you can run AP on one end and REPEATER on the other. This is likely your best option but it all depends if the WDS option functions when it is running AP mode.

The other method that might work is repeater mode on both ends. This purely depends if the vendor supports it. This is getting more common because this is how the mesh junk works. Mesh is also not standard.

It would be nice if the wifi guys would define a standard for this junk so we know how it works rather than it being up to each vendor.

 

[nohemon]

I configured one device as Access Point, and the other one as Repeater.
It seems to be on the right track because I can ping the computer which is connected to the Access point device from my laptop which is connected to the Repeater.
The problem is I can't ping the other way around (error: Request time out). Weird.

 

[gggplaya]

Do you have wifi isolation turned on by chance? Needs to be off.

 

[nohemon]

Do you have wifi isolation turned on by chance? Needs to be off.

Those wavlink devices don't have such setting.

 

[gggplaya]

I don't see any kind of router in your system(something with a DHCP that hands out IP addresses).

Change the device you have set as an access point into router mode. Leave the other set as a repeater.

 

[nohemon]

I don't see any kind of router in your system(something with a DHCP that hands out IP addresses).

Change the device you have set as an access point into router mode. Leave the other set as a repeater.

Why do I need a router to bridge two networks?
I give static IPs in all 4 devices (2 Wavlink devices, 2 PC's network cards).
PC1 - 192.168.10.10
Wavlink1 (connected to PC1) - 192.168.10.11
PC2 - 192.168.10.12
Wavlink2 (connected to PC2) - 192.168.10.13

Second Wavlink is set to Repeater Mode (Bridge). It also has Repeater Mode (Gateway) but I don't think I need that.
I'm not sure if I have to ping the address of the Wavlinks or the addresses of the network cards.

 

[gggplaya]

Why do I need a router to bridge two networks?
I give static IPs in all 4 devices (2 Wavlink devices, 2 PC's network cards).
PC1 - 192.168.10.10
Wavlink1 (connected to PC1) - 192.168.10.11
PC2 - 192.168.10.12
Wavlink2 (connected to PC2) - 192.168.10.13

Second Wavlink is set to Repeater Mode (Bridge). It also has Repeater Mode (Gateway) but I don't think I need that.
I'm not sure if I have to ping the address of the Wavlinks or the addresses of the network cards.

It's worth a try.

If your network is properly bridged, you should be able to ping directly between PC IP addresses.

I would also connect 2 devices to each wifi access point and try to have them ping each other. If you can't ping each other, then your devices have wifi client isolation enabled by default. Perhaps there is no setting and it's just always turned on.

 

[nohemon]

It's worth a try.

If your network is properly bridged, you should be able to ping directly between PC IP addresses.

I would also connect 2 devices to each wifi access point and try to have them ping each other. If you can't ping each other, then your devices have wifi client isolation enabled by default. Perhaps there is no setting and it's just always turned on.

I can ping one PC's IP directly, but not the other way. I don't think I can set client isolation to disabled in those Wavlinks devices. I'll try with AP - Router mode.

 

[gggplaya]

I can ping one PC's IP directly, but not the other way. I don't think I can set client isolation to disabled in those Wavlinks devices. I'll try with AP - Router mode.

No, I mean, connect 2 wifi devices to 1 AP. Then see if you can ping between them. If client isolation is enabled, devices connected via wifi won't be able to communicate with each other. That would mean the wifi bridge won't work either.

 

[nohemon]

No, I mean, connect 2 wifi devices to 1 AP. Then see if you can ping between them. If client isolation is enabled, devices connected via wifi won't be able to communicate with each other. That would mean the wifi bridge won't work either.

I indeed tried to ping 2 devices connected to one Wavlink Access point. I can't ping each other. But what can I do now when those devices don't give you the choice to enable/disable client isolation?

 

[gggplaya]

Try router mode to see if that disables client isolation. Make sure you can ping between wifi devices and ping from a wifi device to a LAN device.

 

[nohemon]

I still can't ping another device connected to Wavlink device (router mode).
I can ping from PC and Laptop (those are the devices that are connected over wifi to Wavlink device in router mode), but I can't ping each other.

 

[nohemon]

Try router mode to see if that disables client isolation. Make sure you can ping between wifi devices and ping from a wifi device to a LAN device.

This problem is solved. My firewall was blocking communication. I'll repeat the same tests with firewalls off

 

[nohemon]

Try router mode to see if that disables client isolation. Make sure you can ping between wifi devices and ping from a wifi device to a LAN device.

This problem is solved. My firewall was blocking communication. I'll repeat the same tests with firewalls off