Wireless router (mode) PC cannot ping AP (mode) PC on 2nd router

[wistar38]

For ASUS RT-AC66U (2 routers, up-to-date firmware):
Router 1 (wireless router connected to cable modem) with Ethernet connection to Router 2 in AP mode 75 feet away.
PC on Router 1 cannot ping IP for PC on Router 2.
PC on Router 2 can ping IP for PC on Router 1.
PC to PC pings fine on Router 1 to Router 1.
Setups checked multiple times. No duplicate IPs or MACs.
Any thoughts?

 

[Tech9]

Sure Router 2 is in AP Mode? All devices on the same subnet?

 

[wistar38]

Yes, have checked Router 2 many times and even re-set it from default everything to AP Mode. All on the same subnet. It is mystifying, frustrating.

 

[Atlantica]

Can you ping the AP from the PC on router 1?

Can you ping Router 1 from the PC on router 2?

Can the routers themselves ping the PCs, etc. (using the built in diagnostics)?

 

[wistar38]

Yes and Yes.
arp -a yields IPs from both sides for the routers and the PC at the other end. No MAC conflicts.

 

[wistar38]

A seemingly unrelated problem that was escalated to (highest) Level 3 support at MS is for the desktop's roots C and D not sharing while subfolders are shareable....to laptop on Router 1. MS had resolved the issue this past week after multiple interventions, now problem is back. I will contact them on Monday. I had not been able to connect from R2 with laptop to R1 (new) desktop....which is why I started this whole separate inquiry.

 

[Atlantica]

Weird. Do they work otherwise? Can both access the internet, through router 1?

And if you swap PC1 and PC2?

 

[Tech9]

RT-AC66U is a MIPS router from 2012. What up-to-date firmware are yours running? AP Mode is basically a switch with wireless bridge. Nothing there to prevent ping between two devices on the same network.

 

[wistar38]

Firmware is up-to-date on both, checked, 3.0.0.4.382_52745-g55be4f1
Oh heavens, 2012, a bit old, I'd not realized. Maybe time to move both to the present.
I have moved PC2 (Thinkpad X1 Gen10) from R1 over to R2 where I also use it....and had been seeing problems there.
It is fine on R1, apart from the separate (I think) issue with the (new) desktop on R1 not sharing at root but sharing any and all shared subfolders (the MS tech issue that has now recurred a few days after being fixed by MS).
It may be time to buy routers of 2025....and bring MS back onto the desktop to resolve its issue.
Having 2 separate or not-separate issues together is maddening. Time to re-group, I fear.
Thank you for all suggestions.

 

[Tech9]

Maybe time to move both to the present.

Not a bad idea. End-of-Life devices may be patched for known vulnerabilities from time to time, but usually the firmware development stopped some years ago and existing bugs remain. Good luck!

 

[wistar38]

Thanks to both of you for the help. It's clearly time to move on, as I just did with a new super-powered desktop (Puget Systems silent PC) to handle Lightroom with its incredibly enhanced AI tools built in that require a real computer. So, on to a real (or 2) WiFi 7 system, probably Asus RT-BE88U that seems to get the highest marks of that set. Time and technology move on.

 

[wouterv]

My guess would be if you set up two new ASUS routers the same as you do now (one as Router, the other one wired up as Access Point), the result will be the same.
You didn't share much about how you did configure both the Router and Access Point.
A few basic steps I suggest:

• Assuming the Router IP address = 192.168.1.1
• In the Router set the IP Pool Starting Address to 3.
• Manual configure the Access Point:
  • IP address = 192.168.1.2
  • Subnet Mask = 255.255.255.0
  • Default Gateway = 192.168.1.1 (the Router IP address)
  • DNS Server 1 = 192.168.1.1 (the Router IP address)

I believe to know that the RT-AC66U as Access Point can (or even shall) be wired from it's WAN port to one of the LAN ports of the Router.

 

[wistar38]

Thank you. Yes, I had tried all of those and variations as well, over a frustrating day of trials and tribulations. No improvements seen, unfortunately. While old tech can work with new tech, I've seen that they don't always play well together. I am a fan of upgrading pieces and parts in sync....and 12 years on the routers seems an adequate time since I had seen other curiosities appearing before this on the network. Fingers crossed.

 

[bennor]

When was the last time you performed a hard factory reset or performed a router GUI Factory default Restore with Initialize all the settings, and clear all the data log for AiProtection, Traffic Analyzer, and Web History, then performed a manual configuration (do not import a saved router.cfg file, disconnect any router attached USB drives)?

To which port have you connected Router 1 to Router 1, the WAN port or one of the Networking ports? If the WAN port; maybe as a troubleshooting step, try using a Network port on the Router 2 rather than WAN port for the uplink to Router 1.

Another troubleshooting step would be to remove Router 2 from the equation and use a network switch, then test to see if the issue persists. This assumes PC 2 is wired to the router and not using WiFi.

 

[wistar38]

Thank you. I had done all of this, over the course of a long day. In retrospect, the network had become a bit wonky many months before I had brought in the new Win 11 desktop. The peculiar sharing issue with the new box and the ThinkPad had opened up a new problem, seemingly software and resolved by MS Level 3 tech support. But that has again become unstable. So I await new routers from 2025 as upgrades from 2013.

 

[Atlantica]

Good luck with your time travel!

 

[wistar38]

I have my Space Cadet uniform ready to put on as soon as the routers appear later today.

 

[Tech9]

AiProtection, Traffic Analyzer, and Web History

RT-AC66U is pre-Trend Micro model on 382 firmware. It doesn’t have any of the above. It’s from the time when ASUS routers did not need much reboot and reset.

 

[wouterv]

I always get a bit nervous when people say like "I tried everything and followed the suggestions" without being very specific what you did.
The basic network functions, Windows 11, file sharing all are not affected by "old" ASUS routers, the RT-AC66U is pretty well capable to all those basic functions.
Hence my concern that new routers will not solve your issues.
The concerns for the RT-AC66U you can raise are: they are old, they only support an early subset of 802.11ac, they don´t get firmware / security updates, they lack features like WPA3, they are not the fastest. Still, your basic network needs should work with those routers.
I don´t believe in a partial failure (broken bits) causing the RT-AC66U work half.
Please confirm for both RT-AC66U you reinstalled the latest firmware, did a factory default reset, manual configured the routers (did not load an old configuration backup file).

 

[bennor]

Thank you. I had done all of this...

Done all of what exactly?
Did you try using a network switch in place of the second router if the clients on the second router are wired Ethernet clients?
Post a screen shot of the second router indicating it's in true AP mode.
Have you made any configuration changes beyond the default settings for either router? Be as specific as you can if you have many any changes beyond the default router settings.
Are the two routers connected by a uninterrupted Ethernet cable? As in no extenders, power line adapters, MoCA adapters, splitters, couplers, etc. between either router.