GR10 coming up as meshed repeater

[mm-418]

I have two GR10's.  One of them keeps coming up in meshed repeater mode (even through mesh is turned off in the config).  They both connect to a Cisco PoE switch.  Even if I swap ports on the switch this one still comes up as meshed repeater.  I'll over-explain the test process here to avoid any confusion. 

By swap, I mean I take the cable going to the one coming up as a gateway and I move it to the one coming up as the repeater and vice versa (leaving the cables connected at the switch to their same ports).  Start with switch port 1 to the gateway, switch port 2 to the repeater.  Swap so gateway is on port 2 and repeater is on port 1.  The gateway stays the gateway and the repeater stays the repeater.  This eliminates cabling and switch ports as the issue.  What else could cause this?

[hidden0]

@mm-418 you get a kudos for some solid troubleshooting. Perhaps we can pin this down if I shed some light on mesh and why it happens.

The trigger, in all scenarios, for a GR access point to start a mesh is the lack of a working IP address. For example, if you want to setup a remote AP as a mesh repeater, plugging in the power without an ethernet connection counts as a lack of IP address and the mesh procedure starts. The focus should be on why the IP assignment isn't working as a next step.

It is odd that the problem follows the access point, but I think that is a strong clue. Are you using DHCP or a static IP? If you can, run a port mirror capture on the switch port the AP is connected to as this will give some indication where the issue is occuring. My best guess is that there is a config to whitelist MAC addresses or something failing at Layer 2.

The fact the GR comes online as a mesh repeater indicates you are working, at the least, with a functioning piece of hardware. There is a small chance the ethernet jack is facing a problem, hence the IP assignment failure...but if it is getting PoE through the port it must be functional to some degree.

[mm-418]

I will dig into the cable modem side as it is providing DHCP.   The part that makes no sense is that it comes up as a mesh repeater when mesh is disabled in the configuration.

[mm-418]

I have a feeling I have uncovered a bug.  I had just the one AP showing online and the other showing meshed repeater (even when I had meshing turned off).  I unplugged the online AP and everything still works.  The connected AP still shows meshed repeater, but clearly it is providing gateway services because none of my clients have dropped.  I notice that a third AP that I have which is unwired so it should be meshed, shows LAN IP = NONE.  On the one that is wired but showing meshed, it has a LAN IP assigned.

[hidden0]

Hello @mm-418 

Perhaps you should name each of these access points so it gets less confusing in our conversation.

Even if you turn meshing off, the device has to pull that configuration change down from the cloud so it has to check in and be online successfully first.

If you disconnected the online AP and everything still works, the meshed repeater couldn't possibly remain a meshed repeater with no gateway and everything remain functional. It sounds like the app did not update to show the new status of the access point. It can take up to 5 minutes, and you have to pull to refresh in the app to be sure the most recent data is pulled down.

The third AP which is unwired so it should be meshed sounds like it is. It is reporting LAN IP = None, which has to first get to the cloud then back down to your mobile app. It is impossible to report LAN IP = None without a mesh connection, as it would need an IP address to actually succeed in doing so.

Finally, I wonder if you have an IP conflict between the two access points? I don't sense a bug with the provided information thus far.

[mm-418]

If not a bug, it appears one of the APs is faulty and will be replaced under warranty.  Support agrees that all of the symptoms indicate an AP that is malfunctioning even after factory reset.  With only the problem AP connected (the other two unplugged from power and data), all client wifi functions continue as normal, but the AP still shows as a meshed repeater.  This is after several days so waiting the 5 minutes has been ruled out.  There is no IP conflict.