Mac cloning method causes no repeater wifi to be found

Hello

I have gl inet slate ax. I tried Mac cloning method at Panera and it didn’t work, unsure what I did wrong, so I switched back to factory setting (from manual address), and now when I click on repeater to bring up the wifi list, it doesn’t show wifi options anymore.
The Join Wi-Fi popup window doesn’t show wifi networks available. I’ve tried clicking the reboot at top right, tried disconnecting and reconnecting, tried turning off block all non vpn traffic, tried different laptop, waited a day hoping the passage of time would help, nope haha. Did I fry the software and I need to do clean reinstall? It was working before I entered a manual address in the Mac section and then stopped working when I tried this and then switched back to factory normal address.

Has this scenario happened to anyone else, like issues when you try Mac cloning etc. I’d attach photos but they are too big it says.

Feeling discouraged. I think I should buy a second router as backup in case one craps out like this. I’ll have both on the ready. Maybe add a 3rd like the mango since it’s so small

Generally, change the Mac of router will not affect anything and does not work, but software always is complex, sometimes to occur problem.

It does not need to remove/install software, just reset the firmware: SYSTEM -> Reset Firmware -> Reset, the router will be restored. And then try to Mac clone or random, to see if the repeater scan wifi list and connectivity work ok.

Hi Bruce,

  1. Yes, thank you--resetting the firmware fixes things. I attempted Mac Cloning again at Panera and the same thing happened again. Mac cloning at Starbucks is always a success without issue, in comparison. Going to head back today and test this out again and with my Slate AR and Mango device compared with just trying the Slate AX.

  2. Even when this happens, luckily I've determined that I can still access internet via tethering my iPhone and without resetting the firmware. Usually I go to the coffee shop and connect to internet RIGHT before my shift starts Lol so I'm glad this backup solution is within my toolkit. Also keeping a 2nd router on standby as a backup is what I'm envisioning. But I'm going to keep investigating this issue.

OK, thanks for your testing.
Could you please continue to further test in Luci when you clone the Mac: GL GUI -> SYSTEM -> Advanced Settings -> Go to Luci -> Network Wireless, 'Scan' in the radio 0 (2.4GHz Wi-Fi) or 1 (5GHz Wi-Fi), to see if the wifi client can display in list.

Or login to SSH, execute the command:

iwinfo wlan1 scan

to check if the wifi info around shows in the list when the command completes and print.

Hello,

I've gone to Panera 4 days this week and tested the Slate AX, Slate AR, and Mango, each day in various ways.

1- Slate AR always connects via Mac cloning, connects the fastest (almost immediately)
2- Mango almost always connects via Mac cloning, connects within 1-2 minutes, about 1 minute or less for the green lights to come up (indicating wifi/vpn connected), and 1 more minute for internet to start working after this. Mango had some issues one day but generally almost always connects.
3- Slate AX does not connect majority of the time via Mac cloning. This causes the wifi list to disappear in the repeater tab. I actually managed to connect it once. The one time I successfully connected, I had private wifi enabled on iPhone and used the private wifi Mac address. However, I also failed to connect with this enabled, too. Though I always failed to connect using the private wifi disabled Mac address.

  • I generally had VPN kill switch on while attempting to connect to internet doing the above
  • I usually had on private wifi disabled on iPhone and used the Mac address for this (not the private wifi one)
  • I had cell phone connected to wifi usually and then I turned it off after successful wifi connection with gl-inet. If I didn't turn it off, sometimes internet would drop out, but then it'd be immediately restored once I disconnected from wifi on cell phone.

I tested Luci everyday and scanned on radio0 and radio1. Thank you for mentioning this. Panera wifi is showing per the below. Is this all I needed to check for? It always shows "Panera" in this screen regardless of whether the wifi list disappears or not. So it shows Panera regardless of whether internet is working or not. Unsure about how to do the SSH command but perhaps I've successfully tested what you mentioned, per the below photo?

I'm going to attempt again tomorrow with private wifi enabled on cell phone wifi for Panera to see if the Mac address for that will work again for slate ax. This aspect doesn't seem to affect mango and slate ar, at all.

No clue what does and doesn't affect this so im just trying stuff.
Very curious if I should try out the new Beryl off amazon to see how that does.

Slate AX Worked yesterday at Panera using private wifi Mac address for Mac cloning
Worked again today with private wifi Mac address then I switched to non-private and it worked for the first time in awhile. I dont know if these things are related at all to it not having worked before.

Do you have recommendations for my backup router when I go places? I was going to have two slate AX's but maybe I should do 2 different routers? I'll be in coworkings and coffee shops and have to use Mac cloning method?

Do you guys have recommendations for the beryl as my 2nd router or maybe stick with my older Slate AR or the mango. It's just when I test slate ar at home my max wifi speed is like 60 mbps when my slate ax gets like 150 dl which is closer to the true speed.

Hi,
Could you please upgrade the firmware to beta version for Slate AX? as recently we release the latest version probably can shoot this issue.

And we recommend purchase according to your budget and usage requirements, but can sure that, the newer products can provide the more performance for better experience.

I have the Beryl AX, the Slate AX, and the Slate plus, but I have to say the most reliable router I've got for travel, is my Slate AR 750S. It never fails. And I always take my Mango as a backup, not that I've ever needed it.

I'm sure that the newer routers' firmware will improve, but really - they're so big! For a travel router.

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Bruce--Thank you. I installed Beta. Am I able to do the Mac cloning method with Beta? While connecting to Panera wifi, it asks me for the MAC Mode (1st picture), but then I have to choose Factory, Clone, or Random, and it won't let me choose the manual MAC address I entered in the settings / NETWORK / Mac address menu (2nd picture)

2lame--okay thank you for the information. I was thinking the Slate AR 750S has a great reputation and it seems to be the most consistent of the 3 I have. Debating on trying the Beryl though.


The Mac address content can be customize changed when selected the 'Clone' mode.

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