Wireless Bridge/Repeater router keeps disconnecting

[alexT]

Hello,
In this post I finally found out I can't have a wire connection between two routers located in separate buildings because the ethernet cable buried underground is probably faulty.

So I am using Router 2 in Wireless Bridge/Repeater mode. But this works for a few days and then suddenly the SSID that it is rebroadcasting goes down. I know Router 1 doesn't go down because the guest network (which Router 1 is broadcasting but Router 2 is not repeating) stays up. Router 2 usually starts working again after turning off and on again.

Could this be some kind of a IP conflict and how should I troubleshoot it?

(And I thought I thought networking is easy.) Sorry about all the external links below. Forum says attachment quota reached.

Router 1 connections basic
https://pasteboard.co/JwSTxaG.png
Router 1 dhcp
https://pasteboard.co/JwSTKKN.png
Router 1 routing
https://pasteboard.co/JwSTXmX.png
Router 1 overview
https://pasteboard.co/JwSUYUa.png

Router 2 connected hosts
https://pasteboard.co/JwSQDPC.png
Router 2 routing
https://pasteboard.co/JwSSGAj.jpg
Router 2 connections basic
https://pasteboard.co/JwSSVLj.jpg
Router 2 overview
https://pasteboard.co/JwSThAh.jpg

[ispyisail]

I haven't studied this topic.......

Have a look at STA Manager, I've never used it but I understand its designed to reconnect wifi networks automatically

[Lantis]

Doesn't work for bridge mode

[ektus]

Simply enable ping watchdog (destination: Router 1) on Router 2 and select "restart wifi" as action (or issue custom command "wifi" for older versions).

[ispyisail]

[alexT]

@ektus,
there is no "retart wifi" option.
The options for action are:

• Reboot
  WAN reconnect
  Run Custom script

I set it on REBOOT for now.
My setup:

[alexT]

So this is a normal thing, for the bridge to disconnect every couple of days - or something wrong with my setup?

[ektus]

Yes.

Software has bugs, some are very hard to find and eliminate. I've had problems with Bridge disconnecting frequently, thus disrupting the VPN connection that was routed over that bridge. There was an error message on the client, though, stating incompatible mode changes from the host (wide channel in congested area?).

That aside, as you haven't got the "reconnect" entry, select "custom" instead and enter the command

Code: Select all

wifi

there. That's way faster than rebooting.

[alexT]

Hi ektus,

Thanks for the explanation. I've been struggling with this for so long, I was thinking I'm cursed. Everytime it went down I would howl!

Here's my setup now:


Thank you again!

[alexT]

Related questions:

Repeater is broadcasting on a different SSID. Does that reduce reliability of the connection?

Would it help if the channel is different? Right now Router 1 is channel 11. Repeating router is set at 6.

Repeater does not repeat the guest SSDI's of Router 1. So is there a way to create guest networks on Router 2 (the repeating router)?