How can I set up the AP + Client topology successfully?

Usually, we will use two CPEs to establish network coverage in the outdoor areas without long-distance cabling. For example, in the following network scenario, you may use them to achieve transmitting data wirelessly across a long distance and reduce the cabling cost. In this application, you will set one CPE as Access Point, and another CPE as Client. When building this application, you may encounter the problem that clients in site B cannot access the internet. This FAQ can help you to do troubleshooting when facing this problem.

Network Scenario:

The problem may be related to two reasons as below:

(1) CPE_ Client doesn’t connect successfully to the CPE_ AP.

(2) CPE_ Client has successfully connected to the CPE_ AP, but devices in site B cannot access to the internet.

To find the reason, we need to check if the CPE_ Client successfully connected to the CPE_AP firstly, and then check if the devices can access the Internet. You can follow the steps as below to do.

First Step: Check the connection status on CPE_Client

You can log in the CPE_Client management page, go to STATUS > Radio Status to see if the CPE_Client has successfully connected to the CPE_AP.

If it correctly connected to the CPE_AP, you will see the MAC address and SSID name of the CPE_AP and the Tx/Rx Rate, as shown in the following figure. Then you can refer to part II to do the troubleshooting why the devices connected to the CPE_Client cannot access the Internet.

CPE_Client’s Radio Status:

If you cannot see any information about the CPE_AP on this page, it means the CPE_Client doesn’t connect to the CPE_AP; please refer to the steps of pat I to do troubleshooting.

Part I: Troubleshooting about CPE_Client cannot connect to the CPE_AP

When CPE_Client cannot connect to the CPE_AP, you can do the following four steps:

Step 1: Check the installation of CPEs

Make sure the AP side and Client side are powered on properly. Connect the CPE and power adapter as shown in the figure below, then check the LED lights of the CPE display properly. (Suggest using shielded CAT5e (or above) cable with ground wire)

About installation instructions of CPE, please refer to FAQ_2080

Power connection:

Step 2: Make sure the AP and Client are in the same frequency and Channel width

Note: The CPE510 only has 5G frequency band while CPE210 only has 2.4G frequency band. So if the CPE_ AP is CPE510/210, the CPE_Client also needs to be CPE510/210.

Usually, CPE working in Clients mode cannot support to set Channel/Frequency; it will automatically match the Channel/Frequency of the AP’s SSID. So there only needs to check the Channel width you set on AP and Client.

For example, if the Channel width you set on AP is 10MHz, then you’d better select the same channel width on the Client. If not, the Client may not be able to connect the AP.

Wireless settings of AP:

Wireless settings of Client:

Step 3: Make sure the signal of AP can be seen on the CPE_Client

To make sure the CPE_ Client can connect to the CPE_ AP, you can shorten the distance between them, then check if the SSID of the AP can be seen on the Client side.

Next, go to QUICK SETUP page, select Client mode to go to the Wireless Client Settings page. You will see the Survey button, then click it to go to the SSID scan page to see if the SSID of the AP can be seen.

If it can be seen, select the SSID and click connect. If the SSID is encrypted, please enter the correct password to connect the AP.

Wireless Client Settings page:

SSID Survey page:

If the AP’s SSID still cannot be found, here are some suggestions you can do:

1. Check if the CPE_ AP and the CPE_ Client are installed at proper location: both of the devices need to be at the same height, their front panels are facing each other, there is no obstacle between them, the distance between them does not exceed, and the signal strength. There are two FAQs you can refer to do:

(1) This FAQ describes the concerns we needed to note in long-distance wireless connection when using the outdoor access point: FAQ_907

(2) This FAQ describes how to adjust the orientation of pharos outdoor AP for better signal coverage: FAQ_1044

2. Check the firmware version of the CPEs; you’d better upgrade the firmware to the latest version.

If you have done all things above, the Client still cannot see the signal of AP even if they are face to face. It may be the problem of CPE; please contact support@tp-link.com.

Step 4: Next, check if the client can connect to the AP’s SSID

You can check the connection status on the CPE_Client’s Radio Status page, and you also can go to the CPE_AP’s STATUS > Monitor > Stations page to check if the CPE_Client successfully connected to the CPE_AP, like the following figure shown:

If the Client can see the AP’s SSID, but it cannot connect to the AP, you can do the following operation:

1. If the AP’s SSID is encrypted, please make sure the password entered in the Wireless Client Settings page is correct.

2. Adjust the installation angle as the better bead width, and then try to set the transmit power as the max value.

3. Please short the distance between the AP and the Client.

Note: When CPE_Client connecting to the CPE_AP, we suggest setting the IP address of the AP and Client as the static IP address, and make sure they are in the same subnet.

If the Client still cannot connect the AP after doing this, it may be the problem of CPE; please contact support@tp-link.com.

Part II: Troubleshooting about devices connected the CPE_Client can not access the Internet when CPE_Client can connect to the CPE_AP.

After checking the CPE_Client can connect to the CPE_AP, but the devices still cannot access the Internet, you can do the following four steps:

Step 1: Check LAN settings of the CPE_AP and CPE_Client

Connect the device directly to the client CPE, keep the single connection. Confirm the Link status on the device to make sure the connection is fine.

Single connection topology:

Then make sure the IP addresses of the AP, Client, and Router are at the same subnet, as shown in the above topology, they are both in the subnet 192.168.7.0/24.

You can log in the management page, go to Network > LAN to Check their LAN settings:

CPE_AP’s LAN settings:

1. If the connection type is Static, the IP address needs to be in the same subnet with router’s LAN, configure the gateway as router’s LAN IP, DNS as 8.8.8.8.

2. If the connection type of AP is Dynamic, it doesn’t need to set this information.

CPE_Clients' LAN settings:

1. If the connection type is Static, the IP address needs to be in the same subnet with CPE_AP’s LAN, configure the gateway as CPE_AP’s LAN IP, DNS as 8.8.8.8.

2. If the connection type of AP is Dynamic, it doesn’t need to set this information.

Step 2: If you set the CPE_AP as DHCP server for the devices, please check the DHCP Server’s settings. If not, skip this step.

As shown in the figure below, it is also in the LAN settings page:

1. IP address range needs to be in the same subnet of the Router’s LAN, and Gateway needs to set as the IP address of the Router’s LAN IP.

2. The DNS information usually sets as 8.8.8.8.

Next, connect the device to CPE_Client with a good network cable. And check if it can get the IP address. As shown below, you can go to the Status > Monitor > DHCP Clients page on the CPE_AP to check if the device is in the DHCP clients list.

If there is no device in the client list, set static IP which is in the same subnet with the DHCP server for the device. Then try to ping the DHCP server to see whether it can ping successfully. About ping operation, please refer to FAQ_425

1. If it cannot ping the DHCP server successfully, change the different device to try.

2. If all devices cannot work when they respectively connect to the Client, the CPE’s DHCP function may have some problem; please contact support@tp-link.com.

Note: When doing Ping operation, please turn off firewall software on the PC. Because if the PC enables the firewall, it may block the ping packets to cause the ping operation failed.

Step 3: If the devices need to get the IP address from the Router, you may need to check the DHCP Server’s settings on the Router. If not, skip this step.

1. After checking the DHCP Server’s setting, if the devices still cannot get the IP address, please set the devices’ IP to be in the same subnet with the CPE_AP, CPE_Client and Router’s LAN. And then try to ping the CPE_Client, CPE_AP, and Router’s LAN one by one. (Before doing Ping operation, please disable the firewall on the device.)

2. If the device can ping them successfully, the DHCP Server may have a problem.

3. If all devices cannot ping successfully, please contact support@tp-link.com.

Step 4: If the device uses static IP address, please check the device’s IP settings

You need to check the devices’ IP address, subnet mask, Gateway, and DNS.

1. The device’s IP address needs to be in the same subnet with the router’s LAN. And note its IP needs to be different from other device’s IP in the whole topology.

2. Gateway needs to set as the IP address of the Router’s LAN IP.

3. The DNS information usually needs to set as 8.8.8.8.

As shown in the picture below, it is an example of setting the static IP for PC. About how to set static IP for computers, please refer to step 2 of the FAQ_710.

If the device still cannot access the Internet after checking the above information, next try to ping the CPE_Client’s IP, CPE_AP’s IP and the gateway. (Before doing Ping operation, please disable the firewall on the device.)

If the device can ping the gateway successfully in the simple connection, there may exist IP conflict; please check your network environment.

If it cannot ping successful, please keep the single connection and change the different device to try. If all device both cannot ping successfully. It may be related to the network environment; we need to capture packets to confirm, so please contact support@tp-link.com