How do I access a router that I turned into an access point !! ???

[alarmguy]

Ok to you networking group out there.
So as all my posts stated I successfully have everything set up the way I want it. Not sure how I "got there" but Im there and its been working fine.
If you remember I have a modem/router that I turned off the wifi and connected it through a power line adapter to my Motorola AC2600 which is serving as an access point for my wifi. I think I did it right, wifi only sees the Ip of the modem/router and not the Motorola AC2600. Turned off DHCP ect ...ect and whatever else I could turn off, everything except the wifi.

Now with that said ... *L* How do I get into the Motorola AC 2600?
I would like to change some wifi settings and cant get into it by typing the address of the router. Either through wifi or directly though Ethernet.
Did I just turn this into a dumb router, now access point with no access to it?
I know I could default it and make my changes but its working so good and I am not sure how I did it, I hate to mess it up, even though I know I wont. I know there is a simple solution I think for someone who is in the know...
So Ill hope to hear from some of you, explaining in detail how to address my Motorola turned access point since the default address no longer works.
No rush to try anything right away, just curious, if I had too I could default it.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Can you log into your T-Mobile router and see the list of assigned IP addresses (DHCP list)? One of them should be the IP address assigned to your Motorola router. You can tell which one it is by comparing the MAC address on the DHCP list to the MAC address that may be listed on the back label of your Motorola router.
Enter that IP address in your web browser and see if it responds.

Also, tracert command executed from one of the connected clients might show what the first hop is, which would be the address of your access point, that is if the client actually connected through the access point and not through the T-Mobile router directly.

How to run a Traceroute (Mac OS)

Learn how to run a Traceroute on a MacOS. Traceroute is a computer networking diagnostic tool that displays the path internet data takes from your computer to a specified destination, for example, a website. How to run a Trace Route Internet data is broken into small pieces by your computer...

support.shaw.ca

 

[AandPDan]

A factory reset should also work.

 

[wwillson]

You can look at the arp cache on windows with "arp -a" it will tell you the IP of the MAC address of the router.

 

[mk378]

Using a router this way you would have set it to a static IP address. Stock firmware usually doesn't support any other type of configuration of the LAN network.

It is important to remember what that IP address is.

If that IP address is inside the network it is now connected to, you can simply browse to it. So it is recommended to set up a router being used as an AP in that way.

If the IP address is not inside the network it is connected to, you need to define a static IP on your computer matching the router's network, then log in. This may be the case if you left it at the default usually 192.168.1.1. Set the PC to 192.168.1.2 with a netmask of 255.255.255.0.

 

[OVERKILL]

As mk378 noted, when you were going through the steps of disabling the DHCP server on it, you should have set it a static IP in the subnet being handed out by your ISP router. I tend to use the top of the range for AP's, so if it was 192.168.1.0/24 I would have made it 192.168.1.254 for example. Did you perform this step?

 

[alarmguy]

^^ Oops! Well, I guess when motivated I will default the router and start over... so no, didn't set a static IP.
Thanks for the info everyone.

Quattro, not possible to do anything with TMobile Router/Modem except set the SSIDs and passwords. Nothing else except view cell signals and status of them. Zip, nothing no other information or options.

Wilson, beyond my scope and think it will be more simple to just default the router when the time comes and remember to set the IP.

Im really struggling with this router/access point thing, understand it completely but going about it is another story and why I just shut everything off except the wifi, figured that was the safest way to not have the double NAT, *LOL* now Ill reset it at some point and set a static IP so if I want to get back into it Ill be ok.

One last question, not applying a static IP would not in any hinder performance correct? Other then not being able to get into the access point that is.

Its a learning experience, will all be worth it if TMobile gets my issues resolved. Time will tell, if not, however very unlikely it would be back to Spectrum.

 

[Touring5]

One other, rather general purpose, suggestion (at least if using windows). Download Angry IP scanner - it's invaluable for finding devices on your network.

I don't know if it would help, but when I was messing around with open-wrt it helped me to locate the router after I 'did something'. lol

 

[OVERKILL]

^^ Oops! Well, I guess when motivated I will default the router and start over... so no, didn't set a static IP.
Thanks for the info everyone.

Quattro, not possible to do anything with TMobile Router/Modem except set the SSIDs and passwords. Nothing else except view cell signals and status of them. Zip, nothing no other information or options.

Wilson, beyond my scope and think it will be more simple to just default the router when the time comes and remember to set the IP.

Im really struggling with this router/access point thing, understand it completely but going about it is another story and why I just shut everything off except the wifi, figured that was the safest way to not have the double NAT, *LOL* now Ill reset it at some point and set a static IP so if I want to get back into it Ill be ok.

One last question, not applying a static IP would not in any hinder performance correct? Other then not being able to get into the access point that is.

Its a learning experience, will all be worth it if TMobile gets my issues resolved. Time will tell, if not, however very unlikely it would be back to Spectrum.

No, it has no impact on performance at all, you just missed a step, lol.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Quattro, not possible to do anything with TMobile Router/Modem except set the SSIDs and passwords. Nothing else except view cell signals and status of them. Zip, nothing no other information or options.

Did you try the traceroute command from your Mac?

 

[alarmguy]

No, it has no impact on performance at all, you just missed a step, lol.

*LOL* thanks for the quick reply and good to know, work week starts today and no rush to do anything since no performance issue.

Touring5 - I downloaded that app, pretty cool, however unless I pay it only goes up to 10 devices. Since this isnt an emergency I can maybe someday unplug all our Roku boxes and whatever else leaving the Router within that 10. Hopefully the router identifies itself as Motorola.
If not, its really not a big deal to default it when time.

Quattro Pete - I suppose I can "trace route" it, if I knew what I was doing *LOL* I love all this stuff and learning but at this point, not sure if the learning part will be faster then just defaulting it this one time and remembering to write down the ip. No emergency anymore now that I know its not affecting anything other then the ability to get into it. Between work this week and wife working from home limiting my time to mess around plus TMobile Internet working on issues, this can sit on the back burner for almost forever until I see if TMobile is going to be able to address issues or I go back to Spectrum for a while until they perfect this 5g Home Internet. (another thread)

 

[alarmguy]

^^ I am curious about one thing, I wasnt going to ask because it seems silly, but maybe its not.
Im trying to understand why the TMobile Router/Modem was displaying "CPU Overheat" alert on its LED screen.
Now I already know since that time and around that time, the unit can no longer get the secondary 5g cell signal so could be something with the tower.
But, is it possible to have too many devices on one ethernet cable plugged into the back? The Motorola router which is plugged into the back of the TMobile modem/router has at any one time up to 18 active devices showing up on one ethernet connection on the TMobile Device.

 

[mk378]

Traceroute will not work because the 2600 is not routing. It's a bridge, it converts wifi to wired looking at MAC addresses, it does not even need an IP address to do that-- thus your setting a wrong IP has not broken anything.

The first hop on the traceroute will be your main router. Then it's outside the house and you will see several of T-Mobile's routers, and finally the general Internet.

Also note that you're connected through two powerline adapters which also bridge not route, so they don't show up as route hops either.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Traceroute will not work because the 2600 is not routing. It's a bridge, it converts wifi to wired looking at MAC addresses,

Duh. You are of course right. My bad.