TL-WA850RE changes devices MAC Address
This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.TL-WA850RE changes devices MAC Address
This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
Main router: Archer C7 v4
Wifi extender: TL-WA850RE(EU) v5
My home automation relies on the fact that devices mainteins a fixed mac address.
I just installed an TL-WA850RE and realized that it changes mac address of each connected device
From old docs i've read that WDS should solve this issue, but I can't find the option to enable WDS
Do TL-WA850RE support WDS?
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@meeDamian Hello,
Range extender will create virtual MAC addresses for the Clients behinds it, this is the design since range extender is released many years ago.
And here is an FAQ to explain the Proxy mode on range extender.
https://www.tp-link.com/support/faq/2019/
As you want a fixed IP address on that Wi-Fi client, Is there anyway you could set up static IP manually on that device?
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Hi There,
TL-WA850RE dones't support WDS mode.
Our range extender will create a virtual mac address and comunicate with the router, it's the principle of how it works.
Sorry for the inconvinience caused.
Merry Christmas.
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@Kevin_Z not the answer I hoped but thanks for answering. merry christmas to you too!
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@toxophilitekt You are always welcome, feel free to let me know if you have further concern in the futhure.
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so, given the following requirements
- I want to extend my wifi
- I need to maintain control of all my devices mac-address and ip
- I'd like to remain in tp-link ecosystem
what is my best next solution? I see that ArcherC7 (my current main router) supports WDS, should I add another (maybe smaller) router that supports WDS too? other options?
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Hey,
This feature (which is a bug to me) hurts me. I configure my DHCP server to assign certain IP's to machines based on MAC addresses.
With the extender modifying the MAC addresses this doesn't work.
Did you change this behaviour in later releases? Can a firmware upgrade fix this issue?
Another question: Is the virtual MAC address created by the TL-WA850RE fixed? I mean is it guaranteed that each time it will assign the same machine the same virtual MAC address?
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Hi, the virtual MAC address is a fixed same MAC address every time.
And I am afraid there would be no firmware to fix this issue later.
Thank you very much and have a nice day.
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I am sorry but this is totally unacceptable. Your own routers (I have a couple of C2 routers) don't let we reserve the same ip for two mac addresses, neither using wildcards to define a rule.
It is a nonsense that you invent a new mac address. That breaks all configuration possible.
You should solve it following one of the next options:
a) solve your bug with dhcp in the extender so it only acts for the internal connection and not outside the extender. Add a list of reserved addresses on the extender once this bug is solved.
b) Solve the bug with the mac convenience invention and route things without these disgusting tricks.
c) Let us put different mac addresses to the same reserved ip in the router. It is up to us if we decide to do it, and there may be very different cases were it becomes convenient.
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Hi, thanks a lot for your kind reply.
If your home router is also TP-Link, you could see the virtual MAC address(the MAC addresses of the devices shown in the DHCP list of the main router) on the Archer C2 so that only this MAC address needs to be added for the IP address reservation.
Thanks a lot and wait for your reply.
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The problem is that sometimes a device catches the signal of the extender, so it's the virtual MAC that's sent to the router, other times the same device catches the signal of the router directly, and it's the physical MAC address that's sent to the router. The DHCP function of the router creates two different IP's for the same device.
I can't turn off the wifi of the router because I can't make wired connection between the router and the extender.
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Thanks for your reply.
It is truly a matter of issue and we have already reported to this feedback to the senior engineers.
But it might take a quite a long time before it was changed;
Really sorry for the inconvenience.
Thanks a lot for your understanding and support.
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