MR2200AC passthrough ethernet?

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MR2200AC passthrough ethernet?

507
189
NAS
DS212J, DS214play, DS216, DS216play, DS414, DS918+, RS212, RS816, RS819, DS223, DS920+
Router
  1. RT2600ac
  2. MR2200ac
Operating system
  1. Windows
Mobile operating system
  1. iOS
I have an RT2600ac and am considering adding an MR2200AC, to get wireless coverage at the far end of the house.

The manual on the MR2200AC is not super comprehensive, unfortunately. Need to know whether the MR2200AC can be connected by (obviously very long) ethernet cable to the RT2600AC and, if so, whether the cable would be connected to the WAN or LAN port on the MR2200AC. If it's connected to the WAN port, can the LAN port be used as an ethernet passthrough?

So for example:

RT2600ac lives at one end of the house; there is an ethernet cable that runs to the other (far) end of the house. That ethernet cable currently connects to (say) a device that has ethernet but no wireless capability.

Can I connect MR2200AC's WAN port to the far end of that ethernet cable, and then connect the wireless-less device to the LAN port on the MR2200AC? (And have wireless coverage from the MR2200AC at the far end of the house?)

Tks!
 
My setup:

RT2600ac as Internet gateway and primary mesh access point (i.e. any MR2200ac that I add as mesh access points will take all their configuration from it). This is wired to my ISP's router, which is in bridge mode, and provides wired LAN and wireless LAN for the home network.

MR2200ac as mesh access point controlled by the RT2600ac using an ethernet backhaul/uplink connection to the RT2600ac's LAN port (actually I've two unmanaged TP-Link switches in between and the MR and RT connect to these and then switches to each other).

The initial configuration has to be done wirelessly, meaning: place the MR2200ac close to the RT2600ac but do not connect with ethernet and then add the MR to the RT's network using the RT's SRM portal (think it is the Wi-Fi Connect application, so long ago). Once the configuration has completed you will be able to select the backhaul/uplink connection, but this is defaulted to 'automatic' so really you don't need to do anything.

Now you can unplug the MR and place it where you want and connect ethernet back to the RT. It will auto-sense the best connection and use that (unless you change that setting).


You're lucky, I could just test this without getting moaned at...

Connecting a local device to the ethernet ports of the MR works like this:
  • WiFi uplink: No. I get no DHCP assignment to a Mac Mini's ethernet interface regardless of plugging into MR's LAN or WAN port.
  • Ethernet uplink using WAN port: Yes. The Mac Mini get's an ethernet DHCP assignment when connecting to the LAN port.
  • Ethernet uplink using LAN port: Yes. The Mac Mini get's an ethernet DHCP assignment when connecting to the WAN port.

This surprised me as I thought that the local ethernet connection would get backhauled over a WiFi uplink. But I repeated the quick test and it was the same. I used to use two Airport Extremes to create a wireless link to wire-only devices. Sometimes I've used small TP-Link client/router devices make wired devices wireless (TL-WR802N | 300Mbps Wireless N Travel WiFi Router)
 
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@akahan I need to correct my previous statement on MR2200ac LAN/WAN port to wireless backhaul. I repeated this recently in another thread (will repeat this there) and it still seemed odd that the wired port wouldn't bridge over the wireless backhaul.

I've now had more time to redo the test and ensure that the Auto backhaul setting has settled down after pulling the backhaul ethernet cable from the MR2200ac. It took quite some time for the MR and RT to complete the switch from wired to wireless backhaul. So here's the new result:

Connecting a local device to the ethernet ports of the MR works like this:
  • WiFi uplink: Yes. The Mac Mini get's an ethernet* DHCP assignment when connecting to the LAN port.
  • WiFi uplink: Yes. The Mac Mini get's an ethernet DHCP assignment when connecting to the WAN port.
  • Ethernet uplink using WAN port: Yes. The Mac Mini get's an ethernet DHCP assignment when connecting to the LAN port.
  • Ethernet uplink using LAN port: Yes. The Mac Mini get's an ethernet DHCP assignment when connecting to the WAN port.

I'd still recommend a wired uplink between the devices because even what I thought was a short distance through an uncomplicated ceiling/floor caused the >900Mbps link to drop to ~200Mbps.


*I make DHCP reservations for each device's interfaces so that x.x.x.NN is the ethernet and x.x.x.1NN is the wireless. So I know which one I'm connecting to and which is also being used. The correct IP was assigned to the Mac Mini's ethernet interface when connected to the MR's LAN/WAN ports regardless of uplink type.
 
You’d think but the advertising of mesh networks at consumers is wireless and fast connections everywhere. It’s as is marketeers have no technical aptitude.
@akahan I need to correct my previous statement on MR2200ac LAN/WAN port to wireless backhaul. I repeated this recently in another thread (will repeat this there) and it still seemed odd that the wired port wouldn't bridge over the wireless backhaul.

I've now had more time to redo the test and ensure that the Auto backhaul setting has settled down after pulling the backhaul ethernet cable from the MR2200ac. It took quite some time for the MR and RT to complete the switch from wired to wireless backhaul. So here's the new result:

Connecting a local device to the ethernet ports of the MR works like this:
  • WiFi uplink: Yes. The Mac Mini get's an ethernet* DHCP assignment when connecting to the LAN port.
  • WiFi uplink: Yes. The Mac Mini get's an ethernet DHCP assignment when connecting to the WAN port.
  • Ethernet uplink using WAN port: Yes. The Mac Mini get's an ethernet DHCP assignment when connecting to the LAN port.
  • Ethernet uplink using LAN port: Yes. The Mac Mini get's an ethernet DHCP assignment when connecting to the WAN port.

I'd still recommend a wired uplink between the devices because even what I thought was a short distance through an uncomplicated ceiling/floor caused the >900Mbps link to drop to ~200Mbps.


*I make DHCP reservations for each device's interfaces so that x.x.x.NN is the ethernet and x.x.x.1NN is the wireless. So I know which one I'm connecting to and which is also being used. The correct IP was assigned to the Mac Mini's ethernet interface when connected to the MR's LAN/WAN ports regardless of uplink type.
I've just purchased 2 x MR2200 and 1 x RT2600, I have the MR2200 in wireless and the Router in Router mode.

If wiered, can the MR2200's be connected back to router via a switch or do the have to link back in series for best performance?
 
I've just purchased 2 x MR2200 and 1 x RT2600, I have the MR2200 in wireless and the Router in Router mode.

If wiered, can the MR2200's be connected back to router via a switch or do the have to link back in series for best performance?
My wired connection is this, with default config on the SG108E:

RT2600ac <-> TP-Link TL-SG108E <-> TP-Link TL-SG1008D <-> MR2200ac
 
I would like to add that I have tried many solutions to my Wifi issues in the house and having the RT2600 and multiple MR2200's is by far the best performing I have used.

I chose the Synology over the Ubiquiti because of the simple setup and low maintenance and admin, These just work out of the box.

Our house is about 15m long with lots of steel from extending, I have 2 x MR2200 about 7m apart on the ground floor and the RT2600 is also approx 6m from the 1st MR2200, There is also a 9 inch solid wall between the rooms.

I now get wireless throughout the house on both the 1st and ground floor at speeds of around 400Mbps on my Mac book Are and when I do the tests within the Router. Highly recommended.
 
I'm running 2600 and 2200 in a house that's 120m2. The coverage is great. 0 problems since day one. For my needs (atm) more than enough.

Planing to put 1900 model in the basement (rack) as an AP node considering mesh is not visible (3 stories down around 12m in height difference) to give also access to wifi devices in that zone.
 
Last edited:
I haven't measured the floor space of my house. I'm probably only at WiFi-prosumer level in this game.

Generally I rate the effectiveness of tech I've deployed on this scale:
LevelMy viewFamily
GreatWorks as expectedSomething's annoying me but I'm not mentioning it
OKGenerally working well but may have to tweak something every so oftenSomething's annoying me but I'm not mentioning it
Not OKGenerally working well but may have to tweak something every so oftenSomething's annoying me but I'm only mentioning it to let you know: I don't expect you to fix it now and I don't want to say exactly what's the problem
End of the worldPeace at lastThe WiFi's off; The printer stopped working a while ago, I didn't mention it but I really need to print NOW, I've leaving in 2 minutes. Argh!!!
 

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