AX55 not working in AP mode

AX55 not working in AP mode

AX55 not working in AP mode
AX55 not working in AP mode
2 weeks ago - last edited a week ago
Model: Archer AX55  
Hardware Version: V1
Firmware Version: 1.3.3 Build 20240628 rel.37017(4555)

I'm experiencing some very weird beahavior from my router (AX55) when i set it up as an AP. It is connected to mi Tim hub Pro modem (ZXHN F6745M from ZTE). I followed this thread from tp link community by:

  • Setting the router in AP mode from the configuration page
  • Setting the IP to a Static one, settings as follows

(the modem originally gave the router this Ip and i kept it)

  • Disabling DHCP (it is active on the modem, which by the way works as exppected)

 

The problem is that this configuration usually fails in various ways after some time i configure it (in some cases 10 minutes): Sometimes devices are unable to obtain ips, sometimes i can connect by setting a static ip for the problematic client,but then i have no access to internet, and generally it is a mess. Sometimes i have trouble connecting the laptop, sometimes the phones, sometimes the tv media stick. then i go back in the room with the modem, try connecting to it and it works instantly, so the modem and it's DHCP settings seem to be working.

 

I know that this explanation of the problem is not very clear, but i am not being able to wrap my head around all the little problems it had across the last two days, so I don't mind doing some more precise tests if they can help, thanks in advance

  0      
  0      
#1
Options
1 Accepted Solution
Re:AX55 not working in AP mode-Solution
a week ago - last edited a week ago

@emachestnut 

 

Only an EasyMesh ON/OFF button but no way to add an EasyMesh satellite device? That's weird.

 

Please try disabling EasyMesh on the ZTE modem and resetting the AX55, then configure it in AP Mode again to check if it can connect to the ZTE modem correctly.

Nice to Meet You in Our TP-Link Community. Check Out the Latest Posts: Connect TP-Link Archer BE550 to Germany's DS-Lite (Dual Stack Lite) Internet via WAN Archer GE550 - BE9300 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Gaming Router EasyMesh Is Available When Wi-Fi Routers Work in AP Mode as A Controller. Archer AX55V2 Supports WireGuard VPN, EasyMesh Ethernet Backhaul, IoT Network, Speed Limit,and More If you found a post or response helpful, please click Helpful (arrow pointing upward icon). If you are the author of a topic, remember to mark a helpful reply as the "Recommended Solution" (star icon) so that others can benefit from it.
Recommended Solution
  3  
  3  
#6
Options
9 Reply
Re:AX55 not working in AP mode
2 weeks ago

Hello @emachestnut 

 

What if you leave the DHCP server setting on the AX55 set to Auto instead of turning it off? If the DHCP server on your ZTE modem is functioning correctly, the AX55 will automatically disable its own DHCP server.

 

How about the LED status on the AX55? Are they all properly on?

 

Please check if there are any advanced settings on the ZTE modem to block the internet access on the AP, such as an access control deny list. Remove those settings on the modem, then check if the internet on the AX55 will be normal.

 

If nothing helps, it's suggested to configure the AX55 in Router mode and confirm if you can access the internet correctly when connecting to its wireless.

Nice to Meet You in Our TP-Link Community. Check Out the Latest Posts: Connect TP-Link Archer BE550 to Germany's DS-Lite (Dual Stack Lite) Internet via WAN Archer GE550 - BE9300 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Gaming Router EasyMesh Is Available When Wi-Fi Routers Work in AP Mode as A Controller. Archer AX55V2 Supports WireGuard VPN, EasyMesh Ethernet Backhaul, IoT Network, Speed Limit,and More If you found a post or response helpful, please click Helpful (arrow pointing upward icon). If you are the author of a topic, remember to mark a helpful reply as the "Recommended Solution" (star icon) so that others can benefit from it.
  2  
  2  
#2
Options
Re:AX55 not working in AP mode
2 weeks ago - last edited 2 weeks ago

  @Kevin_Z thanks for the reply.

Yes the first time I tried to use it as an access point all the configurations of the DHcp were on AUTO, then, as it was not working, I searched and found the above mentioned thread and tried disabling it. Both configurations fail to assign ips, maybe after some time

 

LEDS where all properly on, including the internet one, and from the tether app i could see that the router thought Internet was working, but my phone was getting no acess to it.

 

On the ZTE modem i could not find any settings, even on the advanced ones, that were blocking the AX55, I even tried resetting it to factory settings to no avail. I have also tried assigning the same static ip (192.168.1.4) from the modem, just to be sure. I am pretty sure that there weren't any setttings to block the router because usually some devices were working and connected to the internet (like for example the laptop I used to set it to AP mode), the main problem was connecting new ones, or, for example, my phone was working right after I configured the router, then i went away for 1 hour and it would not be able to connect again (could not configure ip error from android settings).

 

In router mode everything was working fine, even for long periods after configuration, but I needed an AP to avoid subnets.

 

Another thing i did not mention is that i also tried to connect the ethernet cable to a LAN port instead of a WAN port, since i read a post on reddit that suggested it.

 

Anyways, today i pulled the trigger on a new Mercusys mesh wifi system, and it is working perfectly, but to be fair it is not in AP mode, i just dont need it to be since the mesh makes one whole subnet for everything. I am planning to return this AX55 but if anybody can think of a solution i could try it for the sake of finding out the problem

 

  0  
  0  
#3
Options
Re:AX55 not working in AP mode
2 weeks ago

@emachestnut 

 

That sounds really weird. 

 

Upon checking, it seems that the ZTM modem also supports EasyMesh, would it be possible to add the AX55 as an EasyMesh satellite device?

 

If you require the AX55 to work as AP, please try to disable the EasyMesh on the ZTE modem to observe if the AX55 will work flawlessly.

 

If there is no way to make the AX55 work as expected, would you mind verifying if the Mercusys mesh wifi system can be configured in AP Mode also to confirm if your ZTE modem allows it to connect correctly?

Nice to Meet You in Our TP-Link Community. Check Out the Latest Posts: Connect TP-Link Archer BE550 to Germany's DS-Lite (Dual Stack Lite) Internet via WAN Archer GE550 - BE9300 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Gaming Router EasyMesh Is Available When Wi-Fi Routers Work in AP Mode as A Controller. Archer AX55V2 Supports WireGuard VPN, EasyMesh Ethernet Backhaul, IoT Network, Speed Limit,and More If you found a post or response helpful, please click Helpful (arrow pointing upward icon). If you are the author of a topic, remember to mark a helpful reply as the "Recommended Solution" (star icon) so that others can benefit from it.
  2  
  2  
#4
Options
Re:AX55 not working in AP mode
a week ago

  @Kevin_Z 

Yes you are right, the ZTE should support easymesh, but I am not sure if it is actually tp-link's Easymesh. I did try to pair the AX55 as a satellite but i did not have any success in getting them to talk. (I actually chose this model because I thought it would work with my ZTE modem). If I recall correctly the procedure I did was:
Reset the AX55
Reboot the modem
press WPS on the modem
Press WPS on the router

 

I tried many times (following tp link configuration video) but no success. The only settings in the ZTE modem regarding easymesh are the following: 

so i don't think there is anything i can do from the modem. What i suspect is that ZTE's Easy Mesh is a different protocol from TP-LINK's EasyMesh. Also connecting to the AX55 after the reset and setting it to satellite mode does not solve the problem.

 

Now I'll try to connect the AX55 to the modem with the setting of easymesh disabled and see if it works in the access point mode, but I'd rather not reset the mercusys system right now since i have all the ip's configured correctly and i don't wanna reset it at the moment.

  1  
  1  
#5
Options
Re:AX55 not working in AP mode-Solution
a week ago - last edited a week ago

@emachestnut 

 

Only an EasyMesh ON/OFF button but no way to add an EasyMesh satellite device? That's weird.

 

Please try disabling EasyMesh on the ZTE modem and resetting the AX55, then configure it in AP Mode again to check if it can connect to the ZTE modem correctly.

Nice to Meet You in Our TP-Link Community. Check Out the Latest Posts: Connect TP-Link Archer BE550 to Germany's DS-Lite (Dual Stack Lite) Internet via WAN Archer GE550 - BE9300 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Gaming Router EasyMesh Is Available When Wi-Fi Routers Work in AP Mode as A Controller. Archer AX55V2 Supports WireGuard VPN, EasyMesh Ethernet Backhaul, IoT Network, Speed Limit,and More If you found a post or response helpful, please click Helpful (arrow pointing upward icon). If you are the author of a topic, remember to mark a helpful reply as the "Recommended Solution" (star icon) so that others can benefit from it.
Recommended Solution
  3  
  3  
#6
Options
Re:AX55 not working in AP mode
a week ago

  @Kevin_Z i have tried that and it seems to have fixed it! I havent connected as many devices as before, but the ones that i connected over the last two days. had no problems. Still was not able to make it work in mesh mode but the original problem of this thread seems to have been fixed.

  1  
  1  
#7
Options
Re:AX55 not working in AP mode
a week ago

@emachestnut 

I'm happy to hear that disabling EasyMesh on the ZTE model works. yes

 

Is the Mercusys mesh wifi system still working properly in this network?

Nice to Meet You in Our TP-Link Community. Check Out the Latest Posts: Connect TP-Link Archer BE550 to Germany's DS-Lite (Dual Stack Lite) Internet via WAN Archer GE550 - BE9300 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Gaming Router EasyMesh Is Available When Wi-Fi Routers Work in AP Mode as A Controller. Archer AX55V2 Supports WireGuard VPN, EasyMesh Ethernet Backhaul, IoT Network, Speed Limit,and More If you found a post or response helpful, please click Helpful (arrow pointing upward icon). If you are the author of a topic, remember to mark a helpful reply as the "Recommended Solution" (star icon) so that others can benefit from it.
  0  
  0  
#8
Options
Re:AX55 not working in AP mode
a week ago - last edited a week ago

  @Kevin_Z 

Yes it is, but it is acting as the router, so i guess that could also be the reason.

I'm still wondering if the ZTE modem (ZXHN F6745M) is supposed to be able to connect to the ax55 or not, because i liked the VPN implementation the AX55 has, which the mercusys does not have.

  0  
  0  
#9
Options
Re:AX55 not working in AP mode
a week ago

 

emachestnut wrote

  @Kevin_Z 

Yes it is, but it is acting as the router, so i guess that could also be the reason.

I'm still wondering if the ZTE modem (ZXHN F6745M) is supposed to be able to connect to the ax55 or not, because i liked the VPN implementation the AX55 has, which the mercusys does not have.

 

@emachestnut 

 

Can you please verify how you want to connect the AX55 to the network? Please provide a detailed network layout showing how the ZXHN F6745M, AX55, and Mercusys mesh wifi system are connected.

 

I will then suggest the best way to add the AX55 to the network for optimal functionality and performance.

Nice to Meet You in Our TP-Link Community. Check Out the Latest Posts: Connect TP-Link Archer BE550 to Germany's DS-Lite (Dual Stack Lite) Internet via WAN Archer GE550 - BE9300 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 7 Gaming Router EasyMesh Is Available When Wi-Fi Routers Work in AP Mode as A Controller. Archer AX55V2 Supports WireGuard VPN, EasyMesh Ethernet Backhaul, IoT Network, Speed Limit,and More If you found a post or response helpful, please click Helpful (arrow pointing upward icon). If you are the author of a topic, remember to mark a helpful reply as the "Recommended Solution" (star icon) so that others can benefit from it.
  0  
  0  
#10
Options