X. WAN
ExpiredUsing a Wireless network as a WAN interface on the Vigor 2860 / 2925
Wireless variants of the DrayTek Vigor 2860 and Vigor 2925 routers, with an "n", "n-Plus" or "ac" suffix, can use the 2.4GHz wireless interface as an internet connection. This utilises the WAN2 interface, which can be switched between Ethernet and Wireless 2.4G modes. When in Wireless mode the Ethernet WAN port will be disabled.
This makes it possible to use a nearby wireless network as an internet connection, either as a primary or a backup connection. It is also possible to connect to the wireless network broadcasted by a mobile phone's personal hotspot / tethering feature or a dedicated MiFi device that broadcasts a wireless signal, providing a mobile broadband connection to the router without requiring USB driver support for the modem or phone used.
The Vigor 2860 series requires 3.8.1 firmware to support this feature.
The Vigor 2925 series requires 3.8.2 firmware to support this feature.
Please Note: Connecting to a wireless network as a WAN interface requires using the same wireless channel as the wireless network that the router is connecting to.
To set up this feature, go to [WAN] > [General Setup] and select WAN2:
In the settings for that WAN interface, set the Physical Mode to Wireless 2.4G and select the Active Mode as required:
Click OK and the router will then need to reboot to apply the changes:
Once the router has restarted, go to the [WAN] > [General Setup]. The Physical Mode of WAN2 should now show as "Wireless":
Go to [WAN] > [Internet Access] to configure the WAN interface. Set the Access Mode to Static or Dynamic IP:
Click the Details Page button to continue:
- On the details page, set the Static or Dynamic IP setting to Enable
- Set the WAN to "Obtain an IP address automatically" if the address would be provided using DHCP, or specify an IP address manually if there is a fixed address to use on the wireless network that the router will be connecting to
- Set the WAN Connection Detection to ARP Detect for the router to check basic connectivity with the wireless network's gateway IP, or set the mode to Ping Detect and configure an IP address on the internet that the router can ping to determine functionality that way
- The MTU setting should be the MTU that the remote network supports
In the Universal Repeater Parameters, either enter the details manually or click AP Discovery to detect nearby wireless networks to determine the SSID, MAC Address and Channel details automatically:
Clicking the AP Discovery button will pop-up a list of nearby access points and may take a few seconds to perform the detection. Once the list of access points is shown, select the wireless network to connect to from the list and click the "Add to" button, which will close the pop-up window and put the details into the WAN settings:
With those details entered, set the Security Mode for the wireless network that it's connecting to and the Encryption Mode, then enter the Pre-Shared Key of the wireless network that the router will connect to:
Click OK to continue and the router will then need to restart, click OK again to restart the router and apply the changes.
Once the router has restarted, go to the [Online Status] > [Physical Connection] page to view the state of the wireless connection:
If the connection is successful, the details will show in green text; the router and its clients will be able to use that WAN interface for internet access.
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- First Published: 27/10/2015
- Last Updated: 22/04/2021