Devices not connecting to Archer VR1600v

[david64]

@dch53 . RE450 is the extender. Check the label.

The system log can be saved on your computer as a txt file. Open it in Notepad, copy and paste it into your reply.

[david64]

@dch53 . Download the user manual from TP-Link website.

Check  Change LAN Settings  and  Specify DHCP Server Settings  sections.

Can you provide the settings as they are now.

DHCP Server should be Off since Archer does all address assignments.

LAN setting: Obtain ip address automatically.

In Archer, set address reservation for extender, say 192.168.1.10 (not in dynamic pool).

To check the extender gets proper address, put the address in your computer browser (like when you login to Archer).

My previous comment about the number of ip addresses for the single mac address might be how an extender works. Windows needs to know the mac address for each ip address. But extender might not have been renewing its lease so the address ages out.

Can you check the firmware of the extender to see if it is the latest. Maybe as last resort.

[david64]

@dch53 . There's a bit more to it.

Is the RE450 configured as Range Extender or Access Point?

If access point, it is cabled to Archer LAN port. 

If range extender, it picks up the Archer wifi signals and extends them.

Either way, the DHCP function should be off as Archer is the DHCP server.

The other consideration is whether the RE450 should get a specific ip address so you can login to it to change config. 

[dch53]

Thanks again for all the directions. The TP-Link RE450 is configured as a Range Extender. I have the manuals.

TP-Link_Extender_2.4GHz isn't coming up in the list of WiFi networks on my iPad so I'll pull out my old laptop and connect to it via Ethernet cable. I'll go through your instructions later.

I would have used the Quick Installation Guide when I originally set it up.

[dch53]

The RE450 is configured as a Range Extender.

The extender status page is attached. DHCP Server is set to Auto (Off).

Network settings has Obtain an IP address automatically checked. It's currently 192.168.1.147 which I got from the Archer's Wireless client list and  is the address I just used to log on to it.

The extender didn't have the same time zone set as the router so I fixed that.

Do you reckon I should set address reservation for the extender and instruct it to use that address?

[david64]

@dch53 . Does DHCP server Auto(Off) mean it is really OFF, or does it mean usually off but may come active if the extender thinks it should?

It looks like you are extending the SSIDs of the router. Are you using the same channel numbers on the extender as on the router? Same channel number on router band and extender band could give interference as the wifi device gets close to the extender.

This is from the arp list shown previously:

192.168.1.102 d8-47-32-fa-72-9c dynamic
192.168.1.103 de-47-32-fa-72-9d dynamic

The mac address for 103 starts "de". Wondering how that got changed since it must be "d8" for the 5GHz band shown on extender status page.

How do the wifi devices show up in the router client list? Do they have client names? Does each mac address correspond to one of the mac addresses shown on extender status page?

How does the device on 147 show up? Is its client name RE450? Is its mac address the same as either of the mac addresses on extender status page?
If it is, you can't make an address reservation for that mac address because multiple wifi devices use it.

You can give the extender it own address outside router dynamic pool, eg. 192.168.1.10, with the other settings as required.

For some reason, the extender might not be renewing its ip lease. This could be why the router tried to allocate an ip address it thought was vacant while the extender was still active.

[dch53]

I just had to reboot the router to get an iPad to connect. The IP address of the Extender is now 192.168.1.124.

Only the router lists 2 devices with that IP address.

ID Name IP Address MAC Address

11	192.168.1.124	D8-47-32-FA-72-9C
12	192.168.1.100	F0-FE-6B-F4-6B-29
13	192.168.1.124	DE-47-32-FA-72-9D

These are the 2 MAC addresses you just mentioned.

I'll compare the MAC addresses listed by the router and extender to see if I can answer your questions.

Giving the extender its own address as you've suggested seems like a good idea. I'll set that up.

[dch53]

I've setup fixed IP Addresses for the Extender and 4 PCs. I'll post back here how it goes.

[dch53]

No problems during the week since I allocated fixed IP addresses for the 4 desktop PCs on our home network.

I'm going to do the same for our Samsung TV which also has connection issues that are resolved by cycling the power on the router.

Thanks very much for your help!