Controller doesn't see EAP245

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

Controller doesn't see EAP245

This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
Controller doesn't see EAP245
Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-17 07:58:35
Model :

Hardware Version :

Firmware Version :

ISP :

I purchased 3 EAP245 access points and have them connected to a TP Link Unmanaged POE+ 8 port switch. The switch is connected to my core network via ethernet, of course. The access points have the latest firmware. I have installed the controller software on 2 different computers and neither of them will see the access points, despite them being powered on, connected to the network, with the correct IP, accessible via my web browser, and accessible via wifi connection (with internet connectivity over wifi).

What's the trick to get them to work? There's certain features I'd like to be able to use which are present in the controller app, but it's non functioning.

At present, the 3 APs are configured with the same SSID and different channels (to prevent clash). Devices connected to these devices that roam around the building should hand off from AP to AP automatically, right?
  0      
  0      
#1
Options
10 Reply
Re:Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-18 02:31:11

tbonecopper wrote


What's the trick to get them to work?


If you already did configure the EAPs, you did place them into stand-alone mode. Use the discovery tool to connect them with the EAP controller if you want to change from stand-alone mode to managed mode: http://www.tp-link.de/download/EAP245_V1.html#EAP_Discovery_Tool

Alternatively reset the EAPs to factory settings by pressing and holding the reset button for 5 seconds.

You can either use the EAPs stand-alone (w/o controller) or in managed mode, but not both simultaneously. For more information see the manual, page 4: "Inform the EAPs of the Controller Host's Address".


Devices connected to these devices that roam around the building should hand off from AP to AP automatically, right?

Yes, that's correct.
༺ 0100 1101 0010 10ཏ1 0010 0110 1010 1110 ༻
  0  
  0  
#2
Options
Re:Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-19 10:23:37
AHA! Thank you. That makes more sense. I thought out of the box the APs would be seen immediately by the controller software! Thank you very much.
  0  
  0  
#3
Options
Re:Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-19 18:56:53

tbonecopper wrote

AHA! Thank you. That makes more sense. I thought out of the box the APs would be seen immediately by the controller software! Thank you very much.


Yes, they are immediately seen by the EAP controller if they are in the same subnet. You have two options to assure that they are in the same subnet:

- Set the PC's IP address running the EAP controller to a free IP in the 192.168.0.0/24 range and reset the EAP to factory settings. An EAP will use the default (fallback) IP 192.168.0.254 if set to the factory default.

- Set the EAP's IP address to a free IP in the subnet used by the PC running the EAP controller. You can also use DHCP to have it assign an IP automatically, but that's not necessary, although it's more comfortable since to set an IP for the EAP you will have to temporarily switch your PC into the 192.168.0.0 subnet anyway in order to connect to it.

If using the EAP discovery tool, you don't have to care about IPs at all, since it can discover an EAP even if the IP is different from those used in your subnet.
༺ 0100 1101 0010 10ཏ1 0010 0110 1010 1110 ༻
  0  
  0  
#5
Options
Re:Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-21 09:46:20
Thanks, but still no luck. I just reset all three to factory settings, and despite giving each access point a Static IP of 10.0.1.3, 10.0.1.4, and 10.0.1.5, my computer running the Controller, on same subnet: 10.0.1.x /255.255.255.0 schema, the EAPs are no where to be seen.
  0  
  0  
#6
Options
Re:Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-21 16:02:30

tbonecopper wrote

Thanks, but still no luck. I just reset all three to factory settings, and despite giving each access point a Static IP of 10.0.1.3, 10.0.1.4, and 10.0.1.5, my computer running the Controller, on same subnet: 10.0.1.x /255.255.255.0 schema, the EAPs are no where to be seen.


Try the TP-Link Discovery Tool to configure the EAPs:

+ Stop the EAP controller, so that the DT can use the UDP port for discovery.
+ Start the DT. The EAPs should appear there after the DT did scan the subnet.
+ Batch configure the EAPs by supplying the PC's static IP and EAP username/passwords.
+ Stop the DT, start the EAP controller again. You should now see the EAPs in "pending" state.
+ Adopt them, specify the EAPs username/passwords again if asked for.

If this works, your Windows system did prevent automatic discovery of the EAPs for some reason. That's normal, Windows always makes all kind of problems.
༺ 0100 1101 0010 10ཏ1 0010 0110 1010 1110 ༻
  0  
  0  
#7
Options
Re:Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-21 21:22:54

R1D2 wrote

Try the TP-Link Discovery Tool to configure the EAPs:

If this works, your Windows system did prevent automatic discovery of the EAPs for some reason. That's normal, Windows always makes all kind of problems.


So, if Windows is blocking it, how do we get around it? I already went into the firewall and disabled it for Private Networks... I'm behind an appliance firewall anyway... the policy on that is configured only for WAN to LAN traffic, not LAN to LAN.





  0  
  0  
#8
Options
Re:Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-22 01:07:05

tbonecopper wrote

I'm behind an appliance firewall anyway... the policy on that is configured only for WAN to LAN traffic, not LAN to LAN.


There you have it (you probably meant LAN to WAN?).

Either allow traffic from LAN to LAN or open at least the following ports for the system running the EAP controller:

UDP port 29810, TCP ports 29811 to 29813.

If your PC needs access to the EAP controller running on another PC, also open TCP ports 8088 and 8043, so you can connect to the web UI of the EAP controller (not needed if you start a browser directly on the PC running the controller).
༺ 0100 1101 0010 10ཏ1 0010 0110 1010 1110 ༻
  0  
  0  
#9
Options
Re:Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-22 03:22:10

R1D2 wrote

There you have it (you probably meant LAN to WAN?).

Either allow traffic from LAN to LAN or open at least the following ports for the system running the EAP controller:

UDP port 29810, TCP ports 29811 to 29813.

If your PC needs access to the EAP controller running on another PC, also open TCP ports 8088 and 8043, so you can connect to the web UI of the EAP controller (not needed if you start a browser directly on the PC running the controller).


Sorry, I should clarify. The firewall only blocks certain inbound traffic. It doesn't moderate LAN to LAN traffic, or traffic from the LAN to the WAN (i.e. traffic that requests internet connectivity). Also, I can connect to the web UI of the controller when it's running on my PC fine. There is no need to connect to the controller (running on my PC) from another PC on the network.
  0  
  0  
#10
Options
Re:Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-22 08:10:34
So what do you mean with "policy ... not LAN to LAN"? Are the EAPs able to send UDP/TCP traffic to the mentioned ports on your PC or not?
༺ 0100 1101 0010 10ཏ1 0010 0110 1010 1110 ༻
  0  
  0  
#11
Options
Re:Controller doesn't see EAP245
2017-06-22 10:33:49
What i mean is, my firewall appliance does not care about traffic between devices on my LAN. It only has a policy to perform it's duty on traffic in to my network, i.e. unauthorized exterior access.

That said, this has been resolved, and the APs are in the right site with their correct configuration. Thanks for your help :)
  0  
  0  
#12
Options