Travel Router TL-WR3002X as network TAP / Web Access
I would like to use a Travel Router TL-WR3002X as a network "TAP" with internet access.
1) Often, we are required to perform work on building automation controllers (BAC) that are installed in mechanical rooms without WIFI Access or poor LTE reception due to being in basements.
2) Campus IT doesn't always provision a second network drop in these locations for us to connect our laptops to.
3) IT Security requires them to bind the network ports to the BAC's MAC address durning install. So, we cannot just plug a switch into the BAC's drop and connect the BAC and our Laptops. Even just unplugging the BAC and connecting a laptop doesn't work unless we clone the BAC's mac address into the laptop. But this setup defeats the purpose of troubleshooting the BAC because now its unplugged from the network and our laptops are using the drop.
In a perfect world I would like to plug in the Travel Router's WAN port into the BAC's network drop. Have the MAC Cloned to the BAC's, set a static IP,SN,GW,DNS that all match the existing BAC controller. Then plug the BAC controller into the LAN port. And then have the Travel Router's WIFI available to connect a laptop too. This way IT only see a brief network drop, reconnect with same MAC and IP. The BAC is able to talk on the WAN as if nothing has changed. We can use our laptops to connect to the frontend software and perform repairs and then remove the Travel Router at the end and everything returns to normal. The goal would to be NOT to have to change any configuration in the IT's side or the BAC.
More info
- The BAC controller only ever communicates on UDP port 47808
- Web Access to the frontend is over TCP port 80 or 443
- BACnet communication protocol uses a network Broadcast function to discover devices (WHO-IS). If the travel router is setup as a router it blocks these network broadcast. The work around is a BBMD (BACnet Broadcast Management Device). Would love the setup to not require one and the broadcast to just make if from the WAN to the LAN port of the travel router. If not then maybe add a network switch with a third party BBMD that could act as the bridge from WAN to LAN.
Current setup before using Travel Router
+---------------------------------+
| WebServer Front-End |
| IP: 172.33.97.120 |
+---------------------------------+
|
|
+---------------------------------+
| Campus Network |
+---------------------------------+
|
|
+-----------------------------------+
| BACnet Controller (BAC) |
| IP: 172.10.1.99 |
| SN: 255.255.255.0 |
| IP: 172.10.1.1 |
| MAC: 02:01:E6:94:FF:FF |
+-----------------------------------+
Suggested Travel Router Usage
+---------------------------------+
| WebServer Front-End |
| IP: 172.33.97.120 |
+---------------------------------+
|
|
+---------------------------------+
| Campus Network |
+---------------------------------+
|
WAN Port
+-----------------------------------+ +-------------------------------------+
| Travel Router | | Work Laptop |
| IP: 172.10.1.99 | | IP: 192.168.0.2 |
| SN: 255.255.255.0 |-------------WiFi-------------- | SN: 255.255.255.0 |
| IP: 172.10.1.1 | | GW: 192.168.0.1 |
| MAC: 02:01:E6:94:FF:FF | | Access 172.33.97.120 URL |
+-----------------------------------+ +-------------------------------------+
LAN Port
|
+-----------------------------------+
| BACnet Controller (BAC) |
| IP: 172.10.1.99 |
| SN: 255.255.255.0 |
| IP: 172.10.1.1 |
| MAC: 02:01:E6:94:FF:FF |
+-----------------------------------+
Any ideas?
Thanks
