Can't see NAS over Access Point

LimeItLess · Sep 17, 2015

Hi,

So I am having some issues with my NAS. Whenever I connect using wifi through my router (acting as a AP with DHCP and UPNP disabled), the NAS doesn't appear on the network. However, when I use the ethernet cable connected directly to the modem (different from the router), I can use the NAS.
I've looked up everywhere and can't find a solution for this... maybe I've missed something?

Here's my setup in more details:
I have one modem (300Mbps Wireless N ADSL2+ Modem Router given by the internet provider company) who handles all the ethernet cables of my house including the NAS but with wifi disabled. The router, acting an AP using Ethernet, gives wifi. It also has DHCP and UPnP turned off. The two later devices are using static IP addresses.

Any suggestion are greatly appreciated

thanks!

Ralston18 · Sep 17, 2015

Hello,

What router (acting as AP) and what NAS are you using?

To confirm:

1) The ADSL2 Modem Router is providing DHCP for your network.
2) The ADSL2 Modem Router has its wireless disabled.
3) The Router AP is using a wired ethernet connection to the ADSL2 Modem Router
4) The Router AP is to provide wireless connectivity to wireless devices (i.e., the NAS).
5) You have set up a static IP for the Router AP and the NAS.

As I understand your setup description I would suspect a mismatch in the wireless configuration between the AP router and the NAS.

Here are some other suggestions:

Read the AP tutorial available here within Tom's Hardware.

Make sure that those static IP's are not within the DHCP range being used by by the ADSL2 Modem-Router. Check the number of allowed connected devices on the Modem-Router.

Also you need to confirm that the router being used as the AP is correctly configured for your network by using another wireless device (not the NAS) to see if that device will appear on your network.

As a side question/concern: I would expect that the NAS would perform better if used wired. Nice to be able to tuck the wireless NAS somewhere away but the performance lost may not be acceptable. If being used for backups etc. I think you are just making it more vulnerable to connectivity problems by using wireless. Just a thought, no criticism intended.

LimeItLess · Sep 17, 2015

Ralston18 :

Correct, however the NAS is connected directly to the modem by Ethernet. I've tried doing the same but with the Router AP (which is a TL-WR941ND if that can help). With both configuration, either the cabled devices see the NAS or the wireless devices, not both at the same time.

And as for the static IP's are within the DHCP for the moment but they don't conflict with the dynamic ones. Should I assign them outside that range?

The Router AP's configuration seems to work, all my wireless devices can access the internet without any problem. However, when I deactivate its DHCP server hoping the modem will handle it, I can't seem to have Internet wirelessly with my laptop and my phone can't connect to it anymore after 1-2 hours. Is there something else I should configure in my router?

Ralston18 · Sep 17, 2015

I would assign the static IP's outside of the dynamic range. Or at least reserve those IP's by the MAC for the device(s) assigned static IP's.

However unless there is some specific driving requirement for static I would first try using all DHCP. Very possible that a DHCP device could be given an IP assigned to an offline device with a static IP. Turning on the static IP device then creates the conflict.

You can only have one router assigning IP addresses as I believe you already know. The Router AP (when DHCP is disabled) needs to receive and communicate IP's from the ASDL2 to the wireless devices using the AP. And those IP's must not duplicate another IP address in use.

First, read this:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/36406-43-convert-wireless-router-wireless-access-point

Then see if you can get the "big picture" of your network and map out the device IP's and subnet masking.

Turn on all of your network devices.

Then use a tool such as nmap/zenmap or Advanced IP scanner to see all connected devices. There are other such tools.

Run ipconfig /all on wired and wireless computers to see where they are looking for IP's and what IP they are assigned.

Determine what is what on your network plus the IP's being assigned/used by those devices.

Compare "what is" to "what should be". The latter comes from/starts with the ASDL2 router address and the required IP configuration necessary for the AP and NAS to be part of your network.

Work through it as best you can and then post accordingly.

LimeItLess · Sep 17, 2015

Thank you! Got it to work!

The problem was this: "Finally connect one of the four LAN ports of the AP to the main router, do NOT use the WAN port." from your link. For some reason I thought that the line coming from the modem was supposed to go to the WAN as an input and the LAN going to output devices... Now everything is managed by the modem's DHCP server.
I spent my whole day looking into the software side so I was pretty confident everything was good to go.

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Can't see NAS over Access Point

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