Using a PepWave SOHO as WAN for a Balance 20 - The Balance 20 is not connecting

Product Discussion Peplink Balance
1

Setup:
Balance 20 -> PepWave SOHO -> WiFi on Verizon modem -> The world

Problem: The Balance 20 is stuck in “Connecting…” when its WAN 2 port is wired to a SOHO LAN port.

Observations:

  1. I have a similar problem under reboot circumstances when the Balance is connected to a Comcast cable modem(there is a ticket on that issue). The Comcast problem can be worked around by rebooting the cable modem. Rebooting the SOHO does not resolve this issue.
    The SOHO is set up as a DHCP server, and the Balance is supposed to pick up its WAN 2 network parameters from the SOHO.

  2. The semi-inverse functions OK (except it does not do what I need done):
    PepWave SOHO -> Balance 20 -> USB on Verizon modem -> The world
    The SOHO connects on its WAN port to the Balance 20 LAN port.

Both routers are at the current firmware level, 6.3.0

Thoughts? Help? (I need the wifi connection from the Verizon modem to the PepWave for house configuration reasons).

2

Hello,

Assuming you want to use both connections at the same time which is the reasoning for this setup (Essentially SOHO is just a wireless bridge/repeater for the mifi to the B20 WAN).

I would disable DHCP/AP in the SOHO and enable it in the Balance 20.

Then set a static IP for the B20 WAN that the SOHO is plugged into.

IP: 192.158.50.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 /24
Gateway: 192.168.50.1 (Assuming SOHO Default LAN is still 192.168.50.1).

3

The bridge objective is right. The setup you proposed did not work, though (and the simple one should).

Here’s what I have observed so far:

  1. Roll back the firmware to 6.2.0 build 1644
    Factory reset
    Set up with WIFI WAN, DCHP on.
    Attach a B20 WAN port to a LAN port of the SOHO
    Connect the rest of the network to the B20 (The SOHO is simply a WIFI bridge to the Verizon modem)
    This works.
    Save the configuration.

  2. Reboot to firmware 6.3.0 (no other changes)
    Same physical setup.
    Problem: the B20 WAN port does not connect with the SOHO. (Hung on “Connecting…”)
    Observation: A mac mini connected to a LAN port of the SOHO also does not acquire an IP address.

Remote assistance is turned on, and configuration files are available upon request.

4

Hello,

Thank you for the updated information and appears that it is working as expected however not on 6.3.0.

If you could open a ticket with us we can certainly take a closer look.

Support Ticket:
https://contact.peplink.com/secure/create-support-ticket.html

5

Done. Ticket #758266.

6

I received a custom firmware a few days ago, and it seems to have corrected the issue.

Wonderful service!

Thanks.
:slight_smile: