Hi, I own a GL-AX1800(Flint) which just works flawlessly as a Wi-Fi router for my own property (2 floors, great signal.)
Router is running 4.5.0.
I now would like to have a relative whom lives in a different building at a small distance of approx 65/70 feet away, across the parking lot (in metric, that is about 20 meters) connect to my network via Wi-Fi.
I plan on having them buy the same router GL-AX1800(Flint) and set it up as a repeater.
My question is: when selecting “repeater” in the admin interface, does it also set it up as a bridge? In which case it would not create its own subnet and NAT, etc.; which seems preferable as my router already has NAT and I would like to avoid double NAT situations.
I am basically trying to extend the Wi-Fi Signal from my house to my relative’s house and have them be on the same subnet, getting an IP from MY router’s DHCP server, etc.; in other words, setup their router as a bridged extender. Not sure it if bridge is done automatically when selecting “repeater” under the admin interface “Network” or if it will want to create its own subnet and we’ll get into a double NAT situation.
Furthermore, my limited understanding is that 5GHz is better for speed but 2.4GHz better for distance (spatial coverage.)
I also see these options in repeater:
Band Selection (Auto, 5GHz or 2.4GHz)
Force 20MHz Bandwith for 2.4G => is that something I should use? (assuming the 2.4GHz is indeed better for distance?)
Is it better to use WDS instead of Repeater?
Any suggestions as to accomplish the above would be appreciated.
Any further advice as to what to avoid during the setup or on the contrary what to do to have the best possible signal would also be appreciated.
@Sergio1 I will post the solution with details once the back and forth is done. There is some conflicting info at the moment which I am trying to solve.
This is what I did to configure the second router once I received it.
Log into it at 192.168.1.1. Follow the prompts to setup an admin password for the GL-iNet admin panel.
(I think I might have power cycled the router at that point.)
I had to log back in at 192.168.8.1 thereafter. (Not sure why gateway changed.)
Once I logged back in to admin panel with new password, the interface showed “no network or no internet”, etc., and was just laggy, I could not really even click on the different settings, etc. I power cycled the router to log back in again.
I did NOT make any changes here
but went directly to this screen and selected Extender.
I then chose 2.4 GHz (based on the theory that 2.4 GHz would have better spatial coverage than 5 GHz, with the tradeoff of speed) and router scanned and seemed to connect but access to admin panel was gone.
I scanned wifi networks on my box to see if I could locate new SSID’s and at first didn’t see or understand which SSID to use (as I thought I would have gotten to that step during Extender setup.) Then it dawned on me to check the bottom of the new GL-AX1800. I used the SSID and password shown there and connected right away. (I do not like the fact that I was not taken to a step during “Extender” config where I could myself define the name of the SSID and its password. But I may have done this incorrectly, not sure.)
Result is that the new AX1800 connected to the main router, receiving its IP address from DHCP of main router and it is now broadcasting on both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz inside the relative’s home. So looks like its fully bridged. I can see the IP address the secondary router is getting when logging in to admin panel on main router ( secondary router is now a client of main router.)
If you want to change SSID (and WiFI password) so as not to necessarily use the pre-defined ones on the label underneath the router, change the SSID and pw as soon as you log into second router, and before you choose “Extender”.
Admin Panel no longer accessible once router is in “Extender” mode. To access again, needs a reset using “reset button”.
You can turn it back to router mode by press the reset (4 sec, when you see LED blinks 4 times)
In extender mode, the admin is not accessible. Only when it is in router mode and AP mode.