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UPDATED-STATEMENT: 20190212@101410@TUE Post created

UPDATED-STATEMENT: 20190219@130809@TUE Netgear's AP Mode doesn't achieve Mesh Network similar to Ubiquity or some Asus routers. Otherwise an opensource firmware called OpenWrt may be a worthy alternative to the default one Netgear uses to experiment.

Linksys WRT1900ac (main-upstream)

Netgear WNDR4500 firmware v1.0.1.46_1.0.76 (access point)

2-Story BLDG. (premise)

"Please explain what Netgear's AP Mode is to an access point configuration if it isn't taking the wifi credentials to match the router it's connecting to."

"In a sense, without AP Mode you're running up & down to do one thing twice when changing Wifi SSID & Password."

I'm trying to get a better wifi signal throughout my house using routers. I have a main router which is my Linksys WRT1900AC wireless router and connected to it's LAN port is my Netgear WNDR4500 wireless router via it's WAN Port. With the two wireless routers, I'll ideally have them placed in each floor of the 2-story building. Where the main router is giving the secondary router internet access and also configured as an access point. The reason for the access point configuration for the Netgear is that I want to avoid changing the wifi login twice for each router when it could be done with 1-sequence beginning with the Linksys. In return changing wifi for the Linksys should make the Netgear match the wifi along with it.

Getting the Netgear to AP Mode is through a factory reset then setup as AP Mode directly with default settings to not assign a static ip which is noted as "Not Recommended". So, this means the wifi is default. But, immediately this is where I noticed i'm not able to match wifi credentials from the main router to the Netgear itself because it simply wouldn't change.

My question is, why is my Netgear WNDR4500 configured as AP Mode not fetching the wifi login from the main Linksys WRT1900AC router? Things to consider is that the plugging may be wrong or there is an extra step besides AP Mode that needs to be done to a Netgear router to achieve automatic matching wifi.

PROBLEM

• Netgear's AP Mode for the WNDR4500 Wireless Router is not changing wifi password to match the main upstream router.
  
  
  
  
  • Any changes to the SSID/PASSWORD for the wifi isn't updating to the Netgear access point
  
  
  
  

SOLUTION

• Unfortunately Netgear AP Mode doesn't configure it's routers to be used as a Mesh Network to have the Wifi Login change as per router if the main one has modified it's original wifi login.
  
  
  
  
  • A worthy alternative is to look into OpenWrt to replace Netgear's firmware to do Mesh Networking between multiple routers. If that's too much there are Asus Routers that do Mesh Networking if you plan to setup multiple Access Points to boost wifi signal that way.
  
  
  
  

• Netgear firmware alternative OpenWrt doesn't support the model WNDR4500
  


• 1-sequence Configuration is a method done by Ubiquity Routers that has the ability to use mesh networks where configuration is done across the board with all hardware within the same LAN which is from router-to-router using same Wifi if it were to ever change.


• 
  Configuration for the Netgear WNDR4500 Wireless Router as AP Mode
  
  
  
  
  • Diagram shows Netgear plugged WAN, but internet still works with Netgear plugged LAN as well
  
  
  
  


• Firmware Download for Netgear WNDR4500

That's simply not how it works. AP mode more or less turns off router related functionality like the dhcp server. It assumes you're using it as a pure AP on it'd own.

On consumer gear there's usually no way to 'centrally' manage things. That said you shouldn't need to run over to change settings.

directly with default settings to not assign a static ip which is noted as "Not Recommended".

Is silly advice. Reserve an IP for the system on the primary router. Set it as a static IP on your AP. Then you can manage it with the fixed AP anywhere on the network. It's immense 'fun' looking for it if things go wrong otherwise.

Prosumer gear like ubiquity have some central management software unique to that brand since you might manage fleets of APs over multiple buildings. It's an additional piece of software or hardware.

In theory if your systems ran Openwrt, you could run a central controller with openwisp. Not tried this myself though but it's the closest low cost option I can find. There's also upcoming support for prplmesh - which is a "standard" mesh system with a certain degree of support on a handful of newer routers.

You could also use a mesh network kit with a wired backhaul option for the same effect.