RT-AC68W guest network - what is restricted?

[Hank Barta]

I have a guest network configured on my RT-AC68W (configured as a router) with the intent to use it for IoT devices. I'd like to partition them from my primary network. I was a little surprised that I could send UDP messages from a host on the main LAN to the guest LAN, particularly since UDP is connectionless. On a hunch, I associated with the guest network from my laptop. I could access things like my file server (via NFS) and other hosts via SSH. This leaves me wondering what the guest network page on the router means by

The Guest Network provides Internet connection for guests but restricts access to your local network.

What is restricted? Is this how the guest network is supposed to work?

My RT-AC68W is on factory firmware version 3.0.0.4.380_4118-g7f117e6

Thanks!

 

[sm00thpapa]

Guest network is supposed to allow guests access to wi-fi but restrict access to any other device on the network. When setting it up you need to enable or disable Access intranet.

 

[Hank Barta]

You sir are magical! I just looked at the configuration page for guest networks and see that option. I'm quite certain it was not there before or I would have seen it. Yes... quite certain.

Thanks, I should have looked a little more carefully before asking.

Edit: The results of setting that seem a bit awkward. The device that I have on the IoT network is no longer visible in the router web page. I wasn't happy with the display with Intranet enabled in the first place as I could find no place in the web page that would indicate which network a device had connected to. I guess I'm supposed to remember that.

I logged my laptop into the guest network thinking I could then view devices connected to that network. Unfortunately I cannot even bring up the web page when logged into the guest network. I guess the router itself considers itself to only be in the main network. That's a good thing from a security standpoint.

Lastly, now that I have it working, I quickly realize hat I really want is restricted access between the two networks. I'll need to think about that.