AP going to Repeater mode

[nipun_m]

Hi All,

What cause to be a Meraki AP going to repeater mode and what are the workaround can be done to prevent the AP going to repeater mode.

[kYutobi]

When the AP is losing connection to it's gateway, it will go into repeater to avoid losing internet connection.

https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/Monitoring_and_Reporting/Gateway_AP_Switches_to_Repeater_Mode  

[rhbirkelund]

To avoid meshing, disable it on the network-wide configuration page.

[nipun_m]

@rhbirkelund , By disabling meshing, are current repeated mode APs which are in operation, converting into normal state?

[rhbirkelund]

Most likely yes, but as @kYutobi mentioned, the reson why they are meshing now, is because they have lost connection to their gateway. So by disabling meshing, they will most likely end up stranded and offline.

The only way back is to either factory reset them, or troubleshoot and fix why they have lost their gateway connection.

[CFStevens · Accepted solution]

Hi @nipun_m, 

As stated previously, APs will failover into repeater mode when they lose connection to their gateway. If this is happening to you now and this is not your intended behavior, we will likely need to troubleshoot the issue. I would advise starting with the following 4 troubleshooting steps. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but may either resolve the issue, or put you very close.

1. Bad cable:

Sometimes a wire, or pair of wires within the cable will fail, allowing PoE to function, but data transmissions will be corrupted or incomplete. Bring the AP back to your server room and plug it directly into the same port you were using prior. If the AP doesn’t go back into repeater mode, you may have a bad cable.

2. Bad port (on switch):

It’s possible some of the pins on the switch are dirty, corroded, or have failed. Test this by moving the ethernet cable connecting your AP to a different switch port, ideally with a known working port configuration. If the AP doesn’t go back into repeater mode, you may have a bad port. I’d advise then following up with this issue by moving the AP back to the port and observing its behavior and factory resetting the switch. If it indeed a confirmed issue, then you will want to reach out to Meraki Support.

3. Bad port (on AP):

You may have a bad port on the AP, and the easiest way to verify this will be to take a known working AP, and plug it into the cable run that is currently supporting your repeater mode AP. Does the issue go away? Does moving the repeater mode AP to a known working cable run exhibit the issue as well? If so, factory reset the AP and observe. If the behavior doesn’t change, contact the Meraki Support team.

4. Misconfiguration issue:

Check the port configuration upstream for possible misconfiguration issues that may stop the AP from talking to, or getting return traffic from the gateway. If using a static IP on the AP, double check the IP, gateway, and subnet configuration for issues. Look for missing VLANs on the uplink port that the AP hangs off, as well as on all other ports leading back to your gateway Ensure there are no ACLs that may impede traffic from your AP to your gateway.

If after running through these steps you still find that you have issues getting this AP out of repeater mode, give the Meraki Support team a call and we would be happy to help.

:]