Home setup query

Hello,

I have just purchased two RG-EW3200GX PRO devices.
My current home network consists of a Mikrotik router which manages the firewall, DHCP, WAN, routing etc.
Reyee1 is wired directly to the Mikrotik,
Reyee2 is wired directly to Reyee1


I have a few queries regarding the setup:


1) Do the WAN ports operate like LAN ports in this setup? It seems so, I swapped between WAN and LAN ports which made no difference.

2) Reyee1 was the master, I then rebooted it and Reyee2 became the master, is this normal behaviour?

3) I need to extend the network to add a wireless repeater (mesh node) to get full coverage, can I add a wall-mounted RG-EW3200GX PRO to this network via Wireless Mesh?





Thanks!

1. WAN ports do NOT operate like LAN ports here sir. when connecting WAN port to your router, the EW would act as an access point and help get ip addresses from you router. when connecting LAN port to your router, the EW would work at NAT mode, which means it would help allocate ip addresses to your clients. If your router performance is great, we recommend this first one.

2. this should be normal since when you rebooted AP1, AP2 became the master, when AP1 was on, it can not take the master status from your AP2;

3. Yes sir, you can add a wall-mounted
RG-EW3200GX PRO to this network via Wireless Mesh

David replied at 2023-10-26 17:17
1. WAN ports do NOT operate like LAN ports here sir. when connecting WAN port to your router, the EW ...

Thanks for the prompt response.

I just want to expand on this a bit more:

1.
WAN ports do NOT operate like LAN ports here sir. when connecting WAN port to your router, the EW would act as an access point and help get ip addresses from you router. when connecting LAN port to your router, the EW would work at NAT mode, which means it would help allocate ip addresses to your clients. If your router performance is great, we recommend this first one.

So, you recommend I put:
Mikrotik LAN port to the Reyee1 WAN port
Reyee1 LAN port to the Reyee2 WAN port
?

Could you explain for me the differences between NAT mode (if do not use WAN ports) and the AP mode?

Either way all clients receive LAN IP addresses from my Mikrotik.

Michael R replied at 2023-10-26 18:57
Thanks for the prompt response.

I just want to expand on this a bit more:

Dear Sir/Madam,


NAT mode is also known as Router mode,

Router Mode and AP (Access Point) Mode are two distinct operating modes for wireless access points. These modes determine how the access point functions in a network. Here's an explanation of each:
Router Mode:
In Router Mode, the access point acts as a router in addition to providing wireless connectivity. It typically includes features like Network Address Translation (NAT), firewall, and DHCP server.
The access point performs routing functions and manages the traffic between the devices connected to it and the external network, such as the internet. It assigns local IP addresses to devices on the local network.
Devices connected to the access point in Router Mode are usually on a separate network (subnetwork) from the external network, making them less visible to the external network.
Use cases:
Small office or home network where the access point also serves as the main router.
Creating isolated network segments for different purposes, such as a guest network with restricted access to the main network.

AP (Access Point) Mode:
In AP Mode, the access point operates as a simple bridge between the wireless clients and the wired network. It does not perform routing functions, such as NAT or DHCP.
The access point in AP Mode allows wireless clients to connect to the existing wired network without altering the network's routing or IP addressing. It acts as a transparent bridge, forwarding data between wired and wireless devices.
Use cases:
Expanding an existing network by adding wireless connectivity without changing the existing routing and addressing scheme.
Extending the Wi-Fi coverage in a home or office while keeping the existing router or gateway device in control of network functions.
In summary, Router Mode is suitable when you need the access point to perform routing functions and manage network traffic, while AP Mode is used when you want the access point to function as a bridge to extend the wireless network without altering the existing network structure. The choice between these modes depends on the specific requirements and network architecture of the setup.

Michael R replied at 2023-10-26 18:57
Thanks for the prompt response.

I just want to expand on this a bit more:

Dear sir

When you use NAT mode (which is displayed on the router is router mode) the user will get IP from the EW router. When you use AP mode, the EW wan ports and lan ports are all layer2 network and the user can directly get ip from the mikrotik router.

You can also refer to this link for the difference EW router work mode: https://community.ruijienetworks.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=4523

Best regards
Jenny

GTAC-Jenny replied at 2023-10-26 19:47
Dear sir

When you use NAT mode (which is displayed on the router is router mode) the user will ge ...

thank you David and Jenny, it is clear now.