Technophobe - Soundcraft external router setup

PolarityMan

Snags said:

As Lee says, you might be able to persuade it to do what you want, but you really need to understand what you're doing for that and it will be a bit of a lash-up.

One question: can your Soundcraft join any wireless network? 

Given the idea is to get round unreliability of the onboard wifi I would assume joining it to the routers wifi prob wouldn't help. Personally Ive had no issues with mine though. 

roundthebend

I think I was expecting the connection chain to be different, due to a lack of basic network understanding.
Because the Soudcraft's default behaviour is to behave as a WiFi hotspot, I thought using a cable connection would do similar - except wired. And so, I thought if I hooked it into the router's WAN port (which it is when in router mode) that I could then connect multiple devices to the router's LAN and then I should be able to get to the Soundcraft.

If I'm understanding correctly, the Soundcraft has a LAN option which means it can connect to the LAN side of the router. Which my router doesn't offer in router mode.

The option is there to connect the two over WiFi. And it might help, as I think half the issue with connections is because phones and iPads are being moved around and often a fair distance away from the Soundcraft. If the mini router stays nearby and offers a better WiFi connection to devices then it might be good. In that case, I believe the Soundcraft is connecting to the router's LAN and it doesn indeed ask for a network SSID and password.

Still, if I can get it to work how it was at one point last night then that would be usable. Though I've no idea what I did and even why it was working that way.

roundthebend

Snags said:

roundthebend said:

I’m confused about what this WR802n router is for then!?
Only cost me £11 delivered.

It says it can do the following. I’d assumed one of those would be useful. Maybe this is my cue to learn more.

Working Modes	Router Mode Access Point Mode Range Extender Mode Client Mode Hotspot Mode (WISP Mode)

Actually, let's have a go. 

ROUTER MODE it will act as a router for wireless devices. The rj45 (probably) becomes the WAN port.

ACCESS POINT you can plug it in to a wired network and it will add wireless capability. It does not route (as such) but let's wireless devices attach to a wired network. Rj45 is it's link to the LAN. Something else handles routing and addressing. 

RANGE EXTENDER it relays an existing wireless network

CLIENT MODE it acts as a bridge, not a router. It bridges a single non-wireless device (via the rj45) in to a wireless network. In this mode it's basically transparent and is an extension of the device it's bridging for. 

HOTSPOT I'm guessing it has a SIM? So it will route wireless devices like using your phone as a hotspot, but the gizmo becomes the phone. 

So the routing modes don't support connection to a LAN device via cable.

All of the above is informed guesswork as I don't know your specific device, but I know the type of device, and that's how they work. 

Or, in short, use a different router

I'm wondering if CLIENT MODE might do a job. I don't need any clever networking beyond the wireless connection to the router. On that side I just need my wireless network to be protected with the WPA2 security, and I can even not broadcast the SSID so only those who know it and the password can connect.

But then I've been speak utter bollocks on this thread so maybe this continues the trend.

Snags

If the desk can join other networks, rather than provide its own, you don't need the bridge function (client mode).

If the desk can't, then you need something else to be the main glue if you use the gizmo you have in client mode, at which point you may as well just use the something else with a patch lead and bypass the gizmo.

Either way, the gizmo doesn't help. 

With what you describe two posts above the problem will be configuring the WAN port so it's on a known static alternate subnet and hard coding a suitable IP in the desk so that the desk becomes "the Internet" and can be routed to. Otherwise a combo of NAT and firewalling and fucked addressing will stop you accessing it. 

So the solution is to go get the right tool for the job, or get a local mate who *really* knows this stuff to come set it up for you. 

@PolarityMan sometimes things that are shit at being the access point/hotspot are fine at being a client to a proper AP, hence asking the question. To which there's consistently no answer, making the only viable response to be, once again, buy a more appropriate fucking router and use a cable

roundthebend

I've moved onto trying a Virgin Media Hub 3.0 which I had laying around.
Not got it working yet but I'm sure it'll be possible.

Snags

Factory reset the hub.

Put all devices on DHCP

Cable the desk in

Assuming the desk LAN port is a LAN port and isn't for sending channels over ethernet, it will work. 

PolarityMan

roundthebend said:

I've moved onto trying a Virgin Media Hub 3.0 which I had laying around.
Not got it working yet but I'm sure it'll be possible.

Maybe your toaster will work.

Snags

I don't think introducing a Kemper is going to help. 

digitalscream

roundthebend said:

Still, if I can get it to work how it was at one point last night then that would be usable. Though I've no idea what I did and even why it was working that way.

I suspect that you'd accidentally got it connected the way we've been suggesting - with the Soundcraft and the iPad both connected to the router's wifi. It's very easy to lose track of what you're doing when you're troubleshooting this stuff, especially if you've reached the "push random buttons out of sheer frustration" stage of the process (I get there frequently).

roundthebend

You could be right, but I don't think I've ever touched the Soundcraft WiFi settings. It's disabled. It seemed to be acting as a repeater. Whatever, I've learned a couple of things.

Stratavarious

https://youtu.be/X5zqiUwp7lY?feature=shared 

We use a UI24r in one of my bands with an external router.   I do know the other other models in the UI range have a reputation for issues with their onboard wireless networking reliability but the instructions above should cover setting the IP ranges to use an external unit instead.  We share the custom IP address with band mates.

You may need to double check you have disabled the UI16r WiFi.

roundthebend

I think I've got it sorted, and I've given the Ui16 a reserved IP so we don't have to check everything.

It does require powering up.the router first, then the Ui16 once the router is ready.