Use Wifi AP as mesh bridge? (aka, WiFi WAN port as LAN instead)

Product Discussion Feature Requests
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1

I’m hoping there is some way to use an AP product as a wireless bridge. That is, connecting to another AP in mesh mode, and using its RJ45 port as a LAN connection rather than WAN. My dealer has informed me that they don’t believe this to be possible. I don’t see an option for this myself, reading the relevant documentation. Perhaps I am missing something.

I know the Device Connector previously was the device for this use case, but I’m told that it has been EOL’d, and even still does not accept 12VDC power making it less useful in my case.

Is there any way to accomplish this, even with beta firmware? Is this a feature that is coming to APs in the future?

This is a really useful feature present in a lot of other AP/mesh type products, even crappy consumer ones costing far less money, and I think there is a demand for it. Clearly Peplink agreed at one point, given the existence of the Device Connector.

Fingers crossed! Thanks.

1 Like
2

This can be done on the AC Mini in mesh mode, I have it working that way. Never tried it with the AX but I would imagine it works there as well.

3

Hello Paul,

Did you make it working?
I really need this setup but can’t find a way to make it working.

5

+1 for this feature request! I am surprised it is not implemented yet

6

You can do it by creating a mesh network. It ap joins the mesh network for backhaul, and the ethernet port works for a client device.

Its been ages since I set that up, but it did work.

7

Unfortunately it doesn’t work for me.

My setup is AP One AX as main AP and AP One AX Lite as a satellite.
They are connected over mesh and definitely work (I see clients that are connected to satellite AP and they are connected to the internet).

Client that is connected to satellite’s ethernet port is not available to the network.

I would appreciate if you could share how you have set it up in your network.

8

Hey there,

With the AP Rugged things are a little different.

But for your setup, why not make a LAN that is isolated, and run through as a VLAN WAN through the infrastructure?

For example,
AP One AX (Site A)
VLAN 1001 = Wireless WAN, DHCP, inter-vlan etc… is disabled

AP One Mini (Site B)
VLAN 1001 = port mapped to an L2 or L3 switch with the WAN port mapped on VLAN 1001.

Back at site A you have your AP One AX on a switch with the same VLAN WAN 1001, map a trunk port to the AP One AX and map a port 1001, connect to your Peplink Router - OR, configure the same LAN port with VLAN WAN on the router.

We’ve done that heaps with switches, heck even cross WAN, and surely this could work on a wireless link also…

Make yourself a favour and make a drawing of this network, with VLANs drawn in, and input and output sides.

Alternatively, you use a product like Ubiquiti Wireless Bridge - but then you obviously can’t monitor it via IC2.