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I am using a TP-Link Archer AX4400 as my primary router and a TP-Link Archer C2300 as an extender via WDS. ....Or trying.

Following these instructions, it sets up WDS successfully and works fine. https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1084/

I can even turn the C2300 off and back on, and it successfully recreates the WDS bridge.

Great!

Problem: if I unplug the ethernet cable between my computer and the C2300, the WDS keeps working only until the C2300 is power-cycled. If I power cycle it, WDS is disabled and never enters Run status. But as soon as I connect it back up to the ethernet cable to my computer, BAM!, it's back and working.

After reading answers in the following link, I come to the conclusion that the AX4400 must somehow be associating the WDS bridge with my computer's MAC address instead of the C2300's MAC address. WDS Bridge works only the first time

Do you agree that it's an issue with ARP NAT? (whatever that is) If so, how do I fix it? I am a novice. Can I somehow clone my computer's MAC address to the C2300 to make it work? Would that make my computer start having issues connecting to the network with its same MAC address?

Or is there some other test and solution that you recommend?

Please help, but please also use simple explanations since I am over my head.

Thank you!

tyger07
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  • Does [this post](https://superuser.com/questions/1172796/wds-connection-cant-recover-automaticallly-after-rebooting-router) answer the problem? – harrymc Jan 19 '23 at 09:12
  • Yes I have tried manually setting the channel and have done what is posted there. This problem is directly linked to whether the ethernet cable is connected to the computer which initially was used to set up the WDS connection. If it is connected by ethernet to any other device and rebooted, WDS is disabled. If it is connected to that one computer, WDS instantly starts working and works every reboot. – tyger07 Jan 19 '23 at 12:17
  • Did it solve the problem? – harrymc Jan 19 '23 at 12:19
  • No, please see edit. – tyger07 Jan 19 '23 at 12:23
  • Unless someone has another suggestion, I guess I will try resetting the C2300 router for the dozenth time and go through the TP-Link described process again, but this time see if I can set it up over wireless without ethernet plugged in and see if that somehow prevents the device connected by ethernet being associated with the WDS connection. I don't even know if I can set it up wirelessly, but it is worth a try I guess. – tyger07 Jan 19 '23 at 15:59
  • It's a junk router, I think. I have the exact same problem if I set it up via wireless connection. WDS is disabled if I reboot it, until I connect to the router with the same wireless device that I used to set it up. Garbage. Switching back to a Linksys E2500 works just fine. Just the signal strength isn't as good as I wanted. – tyger07 Jan 20 '23 at 14:48

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