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My TP-link modem/router comes with the guest network feature; I was wondering: if I use an AP (connected via Ethernet cable + unmanaged switch to the router) to bring the WiFi to the second floor of my house, the guest network will be available there? Or will be available only the "classic" local one?

I'm asking because I prefer to not connect my gaming console and my friend's phones directly to the main network for safety reasons.

Hope to find an easy way to extend the area of the guest network to the upper floor of the house.

Albin
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Tintinnabulum
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2 Answers2

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It depends:

  • If the TP-link router guest network feature can only be accessed via WiFi, you must extend the signal for guest WiFi SSID directly (via a WiFi extender).

  • If the router lets you access the guest network via an Ethernet port, you can also connect the AP to the port dedicated to the guest network. However, you can not use the same (unmanaged) switch for your regular and your guest network unless it has a VLAN feature.

Albin
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  • Thanks. I'm pretty new to all of this. I currently don't know how to set-up VLANs unfortunately; that probabile could be what i'm searching for. – Tintinnabulum Feb 09 '23 at 15:17
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    VLAN is not difficult, and "smart switches" with VLAN capabilities are not very expensive. Just make sure your router has the option to give access to the guest network via a dedicated LAN port (not all consumer routers have this option) – Albin Feb 09 '23 at 16:13
  • Thanks, really appreciated. – Tintinnabulum Feb 09 '23 at 18:28
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    @Tintinnabulum you're welcome don't forget to accept an answer once your problem is resolved. – Albin Feb 09 '23 at 20:32
  • Of course! I'm far from home these days; I'll try as soon as possible and surely i'll update this post – Tintinnabulum Feb 09 '23 at 20:48
  • You were right @Albin ! The guest network works only via wifi (so no ethernet port feature). I tried as you suggested and the AP does nothing for the guest network; No way to see that. After, I configured the AP as a repeater and It worked well! Thanks for your kind reply! – Tintinnabulum Feb 28 '23 at 17:45
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    Sure thing, btw in case you didn't know, with 23 reputation you can upvote as well (for downvote you need 125) – Albin Feb 28 '23 at 17:52
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Does it need to be an AP?

You should be able to extend the range of a wifi network with... a range extender. The router will determine the network, the range extender just makes the "wifi bubble" bigger.

Yes, you can do this with an AP, as long as the information of the guest network is available to the AP. You'll just have two "wifi bubbles"... your client will move from one AP (the router) to another AP.

Bokkie
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  • The walls are very thick and the signal decay very fast; that's ways I'm considering an access point (wich I already have). I imagined that i cannot extend the guest network because It allows only the internet service and disallow connection with other nodes; if i understood correctly. – Tintinnabulum Feb 09 '23 at 14:15
  • I'm realtively new to networking and I'd like to use the guest network instead of setting 2 separate VLANs. A thing that i never done in the past btw :) – Tintinnabulum Feb 09 '23 at 14:23
  • The AP would not be considered a separate node... it's just an extention of layers 1 and 2 that carry layers 3 and 4. Your guest isn't accessing the AP, but merely travelling the network that is *transmitted* by the AP. – Bokkie Feb 09 '23 at 15:13
  • Thanks for the clarification – Tintinnabulum Feb 09 '23 at 15:14
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    FYI: An unmanaged switch does not know what a vlan is... All it sees is IPs. This packet goes to this IP, that packet goes to that IP. Unmanaged switches are only slightly "smarter" than a hub... – Bokkie Feb 10 '23 at 10:24
  • Maybe because i am in a early stage of learning, but the AP hasn't worked as you suggested: the guest network Is only trasmitted by the router. I resolved configuring the AP as a repeater, instead. – Tintinnabulum Feb 28 '23 at 17:47