CPE210 Setup Issues

This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
12

CPE210 Setup Issues

This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
CPE210 Setup Issues
CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-24 15:40:31 - last edited 2020-02-26 10:38:31
Model: CPE210  
Hardware Version:
Firmware Version:

Hi, new to the forum.

 

I just picked up a pair of CPE210's to set up an extended network for our camp, it is about 200' from our inlaws with broadband internet.

 

I am not an IT expert but I have a reasonable amount of networking exerience, I have set up numerous similar networks using Ubiquity Nano's for outdoor events.  I thought I would try the TP-Link units as an experiment for this home project as they are less expensive with similar specs.

 

the first issue is extremely slow and inconsistent connection with ethernet.  Yes I know all about static addressing etc, it takes 3 or 4 tries with rebooting the computer, I have the wireless adapter disabled, and after multiple attemps it will just miraculously connect.  Once connected I can set everything up, I have the AP working and the client runing in repeater mode, it just took several hrs of frustration to do what I could do in 10 minutes on the Ubiquity's.

 

Once set up it actually works very well, speed test looks good and I can WIFI connect from a decent range into the Client/repeater.

 

The second issue is that i can't log into the CPE's over Wireless, I have checked the IP's and they are all in the same range and I should be able to log into them (at least I can log into Ubiquity units wirelessly).  I was trying to log into them both to optimize the signal/frequency but I can only get into them with a direct etherenet connection, which again takes 20 minutes and 3-4 tries....

 

I see lots of other similar complaints about these units on the Forum, is their a fix or am I missing something?

 

Again, they are working well for now but based on this experiment I would never buy any more to replace Ubiquity's for our outdoor evets unless I can make them easier to manage.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

  0      
  0      
#1
Options
11 Reply
Re:CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-27 08:00:26

@Throttlemonkey 

Hi Bill

For the first problem, I have some different thoughts. As i know, TP-link CPE product isn't recommended for repeater mode, although it supports repeater mode.

Because the antenna of CPE is unidirectional, it only faces the AP and receive the signal from the AP. Your client wants to receive the repeater signal and needs to turn the repeater towards your client, but obviously this is a contradiction. So I'm guessing it is very likely that the repeater signal received by your client is poor.

 

For the second problem, The reason is the same as above, if your PC can ping CPE, but can't access the admin interface, it's probably a bad signal. 

 

Above is my experience, welcome to share your opinion with me.

  0  
  0  
#2
Options
Re:CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-27 17:30:41 - last edited 2020-02-27 17:31:30

Hello Scott.Tao ,

 

you are absolutely right regarding Repeater mode of Pharos CPEs. This mode should not be used except probably in very rare situations where stationary (non-moving) clients are inside the CPE's antenna narrow beam width angle, but even then one will get into serious troubles such as, for example, the Hidden Node Problem.

 

IMO repeaters have no place at all in professional setups.

 

I have set up so many CPEs, WBS and also UBNT NanoBeams, AirMAX and AirFiber links, that I can say that in my opinion TP-Link's CPEs are the most easy directional APs to set up even if one did not RTFM.

 

There is also a good reason why a certain browser family which is broken by design :-) is not recommended in the CPE specifications – and also in the User's Guide – for accessing the Pharos web UI:

 

 

Maybe it's this browser (or Windows itself) which caused problems for the thread opener to connect to the CPE, but it's definitively not that difficult to initially connect a laptop or PC to a CPE.

 

Just my two cents.

༺ 0100 1101 0010 10ཏ1 0010 0110 1010 1110 ༻
  0  
  0  
#3
Options
Re:CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-27 19:58:31

 

Thanks for the feedback:

 

First, now that it is set up it actually works quite well in repeater mode, able to stream broadband on the TV wirelessly and have decent connectivity throughout the house.

 

As far as the browser interface I am using Chrome, I know IE has issues with some hardware.

 

The fact that it is so difficult to even access the interface with static IP's and an ethernet cable is what bothers me, I know the signal is passing through the CPE as noted above it works well but I cannot access the interface via wifi no matter what I do.  I am wondering if it is a security setting that may be intentional????

 

Bill

  0  
  0  
#4
Options
Re:CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-27 21:47:20 - last edited 2020-02-27 22:30:21

@Throttlemonkey, no, the IP is not a security setting, it's just the usual way business-class products have a meaningful factory default preset.

 

The fact that the CPE activates the AP only after the very first login is a) to recognize the disclaimer you have to agree upon, b) to assure that you have changed the login credentials from the default settings and c) to give the user a change to set WLAN encryption before its activation.

 

The disclaimer reads (emphasized by me):

 

TERMS OF USE

This TP-Link wireless device must be installed by a certified professional. Properly installed shielded Ethernet cable and earth grounding must be used in compliance with this product's warranty. Installers must abide by European rules and regulations in terms of legal frequency channels, output power, and Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) requirements. The End User accepts responsibility for maintaining the product in accordance with these rules and regulations.

 

I guess it's done this way b/c people don't read docs. 

 

As for the IP setting:

 

All routers, switches, access points etc. almost always have a static IP as their default. This default IP is documented in the Installation Guide for the device; for CPEs it's documented in the Pharos Installation Guide (see section »Software Configuration«).

 

The TP-Link CPE's IP pre-set by the factory is always 192.168.0.254. An UBNT AirFiber's IP pre-set by the factory is always 192.168.1.20.

 

First thing you always need to do is to integrate the device into your network.

 

Let's assume your network IP is 192.168.10.0. This are the steps to change the CPE's IP to an IP from your network:

  1. Connect your laptop/PC directly to the CPE (or if you want, connect the CPE to your switch/router).
  2. Set your laptop's IP to any address in this network, e.g. to 192.168.0.8.
  3. Load the CPE's web UI (http://192.168.0.254/) and set its IP to a free, unused IP of your network, e.g. 192.168.10.250 or whatever.
  4. Apply the new setting, connection now drops.
  5. Now change your laptop's IP back to your network's IP (DHCP or whatever you use).
  6. If not done already in step 1, connect the CPE with your switch, but make sure to not power off the CPE, else it loses the IP just set.
  7. Finally, log into the CPE's web UI again and save settings permanently, since you couldn't save it in step 4.

 

That's all. Your CPE is now a permanent part of your network. BTW: the procedure is described in the Pharos User's Guide, section 2.2.

 

I do exactly the same procedure with any UBNT device, too, be it a router, a switch or an AirFiber AP (and yes, I read their setup guides, too).

It's the fastest and most fail-safe way to integrate any device into a network in just a minute.

 

No hassle with software (except probably with Windows itself, which sometimes needs to reboot the PC to activate a changed IP; maybe that's because Windows loves to have the user do reboots all the time).

 

If you use an UNIX-like system such as Linux or MacOS, you can even create a profile to switch IPs between networks on the fly, what becomes very handy when setting up devices often.

༺ 0100 1101 0010 10ཏ1 0010 0110 1010 1110 ༻
  0  
  0  
#5
Options
Re:CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-28 00:25:29

@R1D2

 

everything you stated I am fully aware of, as I stated I am not an IT Guru but have a good working knowledge of IP's etc.  I have followed the instructions, it is set up and fundamentally it works.  Again, here are my issues that I am looking for help on:

 

  • Many times it takes multiple reboots of the CPE and the computer  before I can get to the CPE interface using an ethernet cable (yes I tried several cables to ensure that was not the issue)  you get an error that your cable is unplugged when clearly it is plugged in and working as the LAN lght is illuminated on the CPE
  • No matter how many times I have tried I cannot access the CPE interface via WiFi

 

I have read numerous other similar posts but have yet to see a solution

 

 

 

  0  
  0  
#6
Options
Re:CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-28 01:38:30 - last edited 2020-02-28 01:44:32

@Throttlemonkey, if you have to reboot the CPE and computer just to go to the web UI, then your network has not been set up correctly.

 

I guess that with »your cable is unplugged« you mean the error message »Failed to get data«. This happens if you have no connectivity to the CPE. The LAN LED lighting just shows that there is a physical connection, it also lits if you have different IPs, thus not being able to communicate. The LAN LED lights up as soon as the cable is connected to the CPE and the other side to a switch or computer.

 

Please post a screenshot of the CPE's network settings (or the status page showing IP setup) and paste the output of the »ipconfig« command on your computer here.

 

Can you ping the CPE? How is the CPE connected? How is the computer connected?

 

You say repeater mode works throughut your whole house. I doubt that, it's technically impossible except your CPE is mounted outside at 20m to 40m apart from your house (depending on the length/width of your house).

 

If you connect wirelessly to the CPE you just see the troubles I wrote of when using the CPE in repeater mode and the message »Failed to get data« appears.

 

༺ 0100 1101 0010 10ཏ1 0010 0110 1010 1110 ༻
  0  
  0  
#7
Options
Re:CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-28 03:47:33

@R1D2 

 

CPE is located in a porch window 'bouncing  back' towards the house, maybe that's why repeater mode works?  

 

Not going back to my camp until next weekend, I can take screenshots then.

  0  
  0  
#8
Options
Re:CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-28 09:04:06

@Throttlemonkey, this is the antenna pattern of CPE210:

 

 

We clearly see that the signal is 100 to 1,000 times weaker in the back direction compared with the front direction of the CPE's signal.

 

Depending on obstacles like walls, windows etc. the signal gets bounced in every direction inside the room, leading to strong interferences and an unreliable WiFi signal. If this is what you call »it works«, then why the complaints about »Failed to get data« when loading the web UI?

༺ 0100 1101 0010 10ཏ1 0010 0110 1010 1110 ༻
  0  
  0  
#9
Options
Re:CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-28 13:21:58

@R1D2 

 

Please take the time to actually read the question/issue if you are going to respond, I really don't care about the signal patterns and NEITHER DOES THE ETHERNET CABLE, it should not take numerous attempts and reboots to open the interface when hard wired.  On the WiFi side if I can stream Netflix i would assume the signal is strong enough to open the inteface via WiFi which I can't do at all.

 

Again, i will screenshot all my setup pages next week, I am 100% confident that the IP addressing is all correct but there are lots of other settings in there that I do not fully understand.  With so many others having the same types of issues I thought there would be a common setup solution...

 

 

  0  
  0  
#10
Options
Re:CPE210 Setup Issues
2020-02-28 14:16:53 - last edited 2020-02-28 14:24:36

@Throttlemonkey, I have read the questions, but I have the feeling that you don't understand the answers given to those questions.

 

You are talking about connecting to the CPE by cable having problems with a state of an »unplugged cable«, then you write about problems connecting to the CPE's web UI wirelessly.

 

Next post you claim repeater mode works very well, then you state that you cannot successfully connect to the wireless network at all.

 

If you refuse to learn that the CPE has a directional antenna beam which makes operating it in repeater mode a real pain, you will not be able to systematically track down the cause for the many issues you are experiencing.

 

I'm now out of this discussion. Good luck!

༺ 0100 1101 0010 10ཏ1 0010 0110 1010 1110 ༻
  1  
  1  
#11
Options

Information

Helpful: 0

Views: 5940

Replies: 11

Related Articles