Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark

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Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark

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Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-26 19:13:27
Model: Archer C6  
Hardware Version: V4
Firmware Version:

I have an Archer C6 router set up as an access point. Everything seems to be working ok but there's an exclamation mark over the network icon. See below:

 

Does anyone have a clue what the exclamation mark means?

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#1
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Re:Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-27 02:38:37

@loll80 

It probably means that the C6 device does not have an access to the internet.Try to go to System Tools, Firmware Upgrade and then press Check for upgrade to see if that's the case.

If that's not the case be sure to use the internet port of C6 for uplink connection.

 

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Re:Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-27 09:36:18

@Ivaylo 

 

Thanks for the reply...

 

The internet is running fine, as far as I can tell, which is why I can't understand the exclamation mark!

 

I tried the firmware update but I got a "No Internet connection" error - which is bizarre because, like I say, the internet is running fine! It does look like I'm running the latest firmware as my version is '1.3.0 Build 20200402 rel.52000(4555)' and the website says the latest version is '1.3.0 Build 20200402 rel.52000'. (i.e. it seems the same except the version I have has (4555) at the end for some reason)

 

Any other ideas why it could be showing the exclamation mark?

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Re:Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-27 11:36:50
So that message "No Internet connection" error is the reason for the exclamation mark indeed. If you could have reached the tp-link server from the router itself it should not have appeared. Check/change your DNS settings (primary router), I believe all your devices are on 192.168.0.0/24 network ? Which port are you using for uplink on the C6 device ?
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Re:Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-27 12:06:20

@Ivaylo 

 

I've set up a static IP for the router - 192.168.0.192.

 

I've put the Default Gateway as 192.168.0.1

 

Yes, if I've understood your question correctly, all of the IP addresses on the network start with 192.168.0.

 

I have switched the DHCP Server to 'Off'

 

I'm using one of the 4 LAN ports on the Archer C6 to connect to one of the LAN ports on the main router which is a Virgin Superhub 3.... I watched a video guide which showed me to do it this way.... Is this way correct?

 

You have mentioned to "Check/change your DNS settings (primary router)".... How do I find out what these settings should be? (i.e. what I need to change them to if they are wrong)

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Re:Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-27 12:28:44 - last edited 2020-10-27 12:35:29

Yes, that's correct. Just ensure that 192.168.0.192 is not in the DHCP range of the main router and try to use the Internet port (not a LAN port) of the Archer C6 to connect to the main router LAN port and see if that helps.

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Re:Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-27 20:20:10 - last edited 2020-10-27 20:27:10

 

Ivaylo wrote

Yes, that's correct. Just ensure that 192.168.0.192 is not in the DHCP range of the main router and try to use the Internet port (not a LAN port) of the Archer C6 to connect to the main router LAN port and see if that helps.

 

I've done both of these things but I'm still getting the exclamation mark and it still won't let me connect to the tp-link server :( ....

 

The video guide that I followed said that I should use one of the LAN ports on the Archer C6 so I wasn't expecting your suggestion, of using the internet port instead, to work - but it did! As both ways seem to work can you plz tell me which is the best port to connect to (internet or LAN)?

 

The only thing I can think of now is that my DNS server settings are wrong but there doesn't seem to be any option to allow me to change them on the Virgin Superhub 3 settings page! Either that or the Default Gateway on my Archer C6 is wrong.... this is currently set to 192.168.0.1 which is the same IP address as my Virgin Superhub 3... is this how it should be?

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Re:Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-27 21:22:03 - last edited 2020-10-27 23:06:49

Yes, this is the way it should be configured. The video guide for Archer C6 you followed is for so called "manual access point mode" probably. If you configure the router through the Operation mode menu to be in AP mode, you should use the Internet port for up-link. Thus you'll have 4 available down-link ports for LAN clients. If the main router IP address is 192.168.0.1, then Archer C6 gateway IP should be the same. Other than the DNS problem with the main router, it could be a firewall or similar issue (depending on your LAN topology). From your computer/phone you can check what's the DNS server that your main router (your ISP) assigned to the LAN clients. If you have access to the main router interface try to change it to 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1 and see if that helps.

By the way I believe there should be a newer FW for your Archer C6 on the support website - I would update it and see if that helps.

If nothing helps the other option you have is to configure the Virgin Superhub 3 in Modem mode and use the Archer C6 as the main router.

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Re:Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-28 11:14:20

@Ivaylo 

 

Unfortunately putting the Virgin Superhub 3 into modem mode and use the Archer C6 as the main router isn't an option due to the setup of my network....

 

I've found the manual download page for the firmware here: https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/archer-c6/#Firmware ...... however, the latest version on that page is dated 2019-12-16 whereas my version has 20200402 in the filename which I assume means 2020-04-02..... Doesn't this mean that I already have the latest version?

 

Any other ideas?

 

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Re:Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-28 13:20:24 - last edited 2020-10-28 13:24:44

@loll80 

 

Is your Archer C6 US or EU version ?

If it's EU version then the latest one should be here. if that's the case upgrade to that one (v1.3.6) and see if that helps.

The final option I can think of is to configure the Archer C6 in manual AP mode and see if that will resolve the issue.

In that case you should put the Archer C6 back in Router mode instead Access Point mode.

Then watch this video from 06:48 onward (Part 2) - observe the physical connections - in that case you are using LAN to LAN port (like you did that initially).

 

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Re:Archer C6 as Access Point showing an exclamation mark
2020-10-28 14:36:38

@Ivaylo 

 

Yes it's the EU version.... doh!.... feel like an idiot now!.... Have now updated to the latest firmware but still getting the exclamation mark :(

 

I've also tried putting the Archer back into router mode but I'm getting this bizarre error when setting up a static IP address:

 

Any idea what's causing that?

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#11
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