NetGear R7800 from router to AP mode

[LeKeiser]

Hello everyone,

So right now, I have this configuration at home :

Internet Box (bridge)-> R7800 router DHCP mode -> 10+ WiFi connections // 5+ Ethernet connections

I just bought a small PC ( https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B01MSW5RXS/ ). I'm going to configure it as a PFsense/OpnSense FW/router.
I think it will look something like that :
Internet Box (bridge) -> PfSense/OpnSense router FW DHCP mode -> R7800 AP mode -> 10+ WiFi connections // 5+ Ethernet connections.

My first stupid questions in this thread is : when I change my R7800 from router to AP mode, will I have to register all my WiFi devices again ?
Second stupid question : do you have to reset your R7800 when you switch it to AP mode ?

I'll continue to feed this thread as my config grows, if you don't mind

Cheers and thanx for your responses and comments

 

[Kitsap]

If you maintain the same Wi-Fi SSID and password, your iOT devices should reconnect automatically. However, some are more finicky than others and may have to be registered again.

In my experience, changing the mode from router to AP does not require a reset. Lots of variables in network configurations, your downstream devices will be obtaining an IP address and lease from a different router device. A reset would seem to be good practice.

 

[NetBytes]

About two years ago I essentially changed my network layout similar to what you are doing. I did not change the SSID at all.
After the cut-over I restarted everything and the network devices were happy.
In AP mode I would suggest not using the WAN or Port1 connections. I did this after some research here about data corruption on the R7800 in AP mode and a quick search shows a few threads talking about this in 2020. I had finicky results until I switched to using Port4.

 

[LeKeiser]

About two years ago I essentially changed my network layout similar to what you are doing. I did not change the SSID at all.
After the cut-over I restarted everything and the network devices were happy.
In AP mode I would suggest not using the WAN or Port1 connections. I did this after some research here about data corruption on the R7800 in AP mode and a quick search shows a few threads talking about this in 2020. I had finicky results until I switched to using Port4.

Hello
What do you mean when you say "not using the WAN or port 1 connection"? I thought I would plug the PFsense/OpnSense router to one of the switch port of my R7800, definitly not the WAN port. But you're saying I should stay away also from pluging it to port 1 ?

 

[NetBytes]

Hello
What do you mean when you say "not using the WAN or port 1 connection"? I thought I would plug the PFsense/OpnSense router to one of the switch port of my R7800, definitly not the WAN port. But you're saying I should stay away also from pluging it to port 1 ?

Yes. In early 2020 when I started using my R7800s as AP I was unhappy with the performance. Around this time people were discussing that the Port1 on the router has some kind of issue with transferring data reliably in AP mode. I was having some issues using the AP and I had connected the wired upstream connection into port1. Once I moved the wire to port4 the issues went away. I chalked it up to Netgear quirkyness and haven't looked back. I have two and did this on both.

 

[ddaenen1]

I had an R7000 and an R7800 configured as an AP for some time. I never had too much issues with them but i do recall i used the WAN port for the connection to the switch. I tried both connecting them via WAN or a LAN port but never could detect any noticeable difference. I did replace them in the end with real AP's for 2 reasons: 1. they didn't always play together nicely meaning that sometimes i had issue connecting from the laptop connected to the R7000 via wifi to the wifi printer which was connected to the R7800 via wifi whilst but were connected to the same switch/router and 2. my switch had POE+ so i wanted to eliminate all the separate power supplies occupying sockets.

 

[Kitsap]

Hello
What do you mean when you say "not using the WAN or port 1 connection"? I thought I would plug the PFsense/OpnSense router to one of the switch port of my R7800, definitly not the WAN port. But you're saying I should stay away also from pluging it to port 1 ?

Any of the Netgear routers I configured as a wired access point (R6700v3, R7000, R7800, R9000), were connected with the access point input to the WAN port. Why do anything else? Never had issues with any of the Ethernet connections on the normal output ports. When the mode of the device was changed from router to access point, standard practice was to do a firmware default reset prior.

 

[LeKeiser]

Hello everyone,
I still haven't done anything yet. I'm practising OPnSense on VMs.
Stupid question : how many SSIDs can I create if I use my R7800 in AP mode ?

Thank you for your feedback

 

[Kitsap]

One for each band, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

See here: https://kb.netgear.com/26765/Which-...n-my-NETGEAR-router-when-it-is-set-to-AP-Mode

 

[LeKeiser]

Hello,

Where does it say just two SSIDs ? No more guest network, alright. But that's all I see on that page.

 

[Kitsap]

Hello,

Where does it say just two SSIDs ? No more guest network, alright. But that's all I see on that page.

If you think you can put in more than two, have at it. Let me know how it works out for you.

 

[LeKeiser]

If you think you can put in more than two, have at it. Let me know how it works out for you.

Huh ?
I never said I could create more than 2 SSIDs. Where did you read that ? You showed me a link, where it says nothing about SSIDs.

 

[Kitsap]

Huh ?
I never said I could create more than 2 SSIDs. Where did you read that ? You showed me a link, where it says nothing about SSIDs.

With no guest network, you are limited to two. One for each band, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

 

[LeKeiser]

Alright then. Got my answer. Thanx (y)

 

[LeKeiser]

Another stupid question : I have 2 R7800 (one was a backup during the Covid pandemic). I guess the backup on one router cannot be used on another one, right ? I mean, if I backup the settings of router#1, if I load it on router#2 and configure this one as an AP router, my WiFi devices will not work because the router has changed, right ? Backups can only be used on the same router, correct ?

 

[Thang]

Another stupid question : I have 2 R7800 (one was a backup during the Covid pandemic). I guess the backup on one router cannot be used on another one, right ? I mean, if I backup the settings of router#1, if I load it on router#2 and configure this one as an AP router, my WiFi devices will not work because the router has changed, right ? Backups can only be used on the same router, correct ?

u can do it

 

[ddaenen1]

Another stupid question : I have 2 R7800 (one was a backup during the Covid pandemic). I guess the backup on one router cannot be used on another one, right ? I mean, if I backup the settings of router#1, if I load it on router#2 and configure this one as an AP router, my WiFi devices will not work because the router has changed, right ? Backups can only be used on the same router, correct ?

You mean backing up the configuration of the router and then loading the config file on the other one, correct?

 

[LeKeiser]

You mean backing up the configuration of the router and then loading the config file on the other one, correct?

Exactly. Trying to mirror the configuration on another one. I would like to keep my actual router as it is, and try the other one configured as an AP device, with a OPnSense server replacing it as a router.
EDIT : of course, there would be only one R7800 on my network