WiFi Relay
A WiFi relay, also known as a WiFi repeater or WiFi extender, is a feature that allows a router to connect to an existing WiFi network and rebroadcast the signal to extend the coverage range.
The OutdoorRouter can be configured in WiFi client mode to connect to an existing WiFi hotspot as a client device. When joining another WiFi network, the router will obtain internet connectivity through that target wireless access point.
The WiFi relay function requires connecting to a single-band, single-channel WiFi network, and a mixed 2.4/5.8G hotspot is not supported.
When the OutdoorRouter has both 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi hotspots. Each WiFi frequency band can be configured as a separate WiFi relay.
Step-by-step
To set up the router as a WiFi relay client, log into the router and go to "Network > Wireless." Click the "Scan" button and wait a few seconds for the scanning result. Select the target upstream WiFi network, and click the "Join Network" button.
After clicking the "Join Network" button, it jumps to step #1 of the WiFi relay configuration page. Enter the full WiFi password for the upstream network in the "WPA passphrase" field. Leave all other settings unchanged.
Replace wireless configuration - Leave it unchecked. Check this to clear existing WiFi settings from the radio interface.
WPA passphrase - Enter the password of the upstream network here.
Name of the new network — Leave" wwan" as the default. When connecting more than one WiFi relay, use a different network name for the new WiFi relay link.
Create/Assign firewall zone - Leave it as "wan + Mobile" to deploy the prebuilt firewall rules.
Then, click the "Submit" button to save settings and move to the next step. You can review and check the target WiFi hotspot information, then scroll down to the bottom and click the "Save & Apply" button.
After successfully joining a WiFi network, as the image below shows, with a "Mode: Client," the router has successfully joined the defined network and authenticated. Traffic will flow from the upstream WiFi network through the router and be used by devices connected to the router's LAN and master WiFi hotspots.
Do not modify the default Operating Mode, Channel, or Bandwidth settings under Interface Configuration when joining a WiFi network for relaying. Keeping the defaults allows automatic matching of the upstream network's settings, which is required to associate as a client device successfully.
To prevent IP conflicts, ensure the router's LAN subnet differs from the upstream WiFi network's subnet. For example, set the router's LAN IP to 192.168.20.1 if the upstream network uses 192.168.1.x.
Debugging
Delete Before Retry
If the WiFi relay configuration does not successfully connect and bridge traffic from the upstream network, click the "Delete" button on that specific Client SSID entry to remove the incomplete relay configuration. Repeating the relay setup process from scratch can clear invalid settings if the router had issues associating as a wireless client on the first pass. Ensure accurate WiFi password entry and compatible settings to allow proper joining as a client station device.
WiFi Channel & Reconnection
Before setting up the WiFi relay, we suggest setting custom WiFi bands on the target upstream router. When the upstream WiFi band is on auto mode and has changed after rebooting, the WiFi relay will be unable to reconnect.
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