I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake. I finally got everything working except I do not understand why I
can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless. Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it not solvable? Sorry to post this here but this where the most knowledgeable people reside.
--
<Bill>

Brought to you from Anchorage, Alaska

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Bill Bradshaw <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake. I finally got everything working except I do not understand
why I can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless.
Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it not solvable?

Don't have that router, but did find instructions on Access Control at:

https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1535/

Regardless of the fancy name, this looks to be nothing more than a
firewalling feature to allow/block a list of devices by their MAC
addresses. Nothing mentioned there that the wi-fi antennae would get
disabled.

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Whoops, I used the wrong term :

warhackers -> wardrivers

People driving around in search for open WiFi networks.

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Bill,

except I do not understand why I can not use ACCESS CONTROL without
loosing the wireless.

It might well be a security feature (that I seem to remember from some years ago).

To make sure that guests / warhackers on your wifi will not be able to
modify those settings.

I have no idea if the feature can be disabled.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

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On 4/9/2024 5:28 PM, Bill Bradshaw wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake. I finally got everything working except I do not understand why I can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless. Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it not solvable? Sorry to post this here but this where the most knowledgeable people reside.

I have the ax1500 (Archer ax10). I haven't had any problems,
but I also have no use for access control, so I've never tried
that. Any device needs to either be wired or have the password.
Isn't that access control? Maybe it would be used for a child's
device if you suspect they're going to try to plug in and go
online clandestinely?

The manual, as V said,
seems to indicate that AC is just a function you can use through
the router login webpage. Wireless should have any relationship
with that. Though there is a button to turn on wifi. If you somehow
turned that off then you might need to turn it on again.

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Bill Bradshaw wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake. I finally got everything working except I do not understand
why I can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless. Anybody
have this router and solve the problem or is it not solvable?
Sorry to post this here but this where the most knowledgeable people
reside.

I will reply to my own message and just say thanks for trying. It was just
a question wondering why. I did end up with version 1 of this router
instead of 2 and maybe 2 corrected something. I do have the latest for firmware for version 1.

<Bill>

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VanguardLH wrote:

Bill Bradshaw <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake. I finally got everything working except I do not understand
why I can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless.
Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it not solvable?

Don't have that router, but did find instructions on Access Control
at:

https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1535/

Regardless of the fancy name, this looks to be nothing more than a firewalling feature to allow/block a list of devices by their MAC
addresses. Nothing mentioned there that the wi-fi antennae would get disabled.

I have been to that page but my setup program does show a screen like that. What is missing on mine is the ability to tell the control that I am using either wired or wireless.

<Bill>

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Bill Bradshaw <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

Bill Bradshaw <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake. I finally got everything working except I do not understand
why I can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless.
Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it not solvable?

Don't have that router, but did find instructions on Access Control
at:

https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1535/

Regardless of the fancy name, this looks to be nothing more than a firewalling feature to allow/block a list of devices by their MAC addresses. Nothing mentioned there that the wi-fi antennae would get disabled.

I have been to that page but my setup program does show a screen like that. What is missing on mine is the ability to tell the control that I am using either wired or wireless.

FWIW, my router [1] has (had, no longer using it) only ACL (Access
Control List [1]) functionality for the wireless connections.

IMO, that makes sense, because for the wired connections, a culprit
has to physically connect hir device to your router, not a very likely
scenario for a home router.

So I think there's nothing wrong with your router. It probably just
doesn't have the functionality you thought it had.

[1] Sitecom WL-341.

[2] MAC Address Filtering Table.

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On Tue, 9 Apr 2024 13:28:06 -0800, "Bill Bradshaw" <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake.

Circling back to the beginning of this thread, where in the setup manual did you
see that enabling Access Control, which others have said is merely another name for MAC filtering, does it say that doing so will disable WiFi?

I finally got everything working except I do not understand why I
can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless.

Have you added your MAC address to the Allowed list?

What does "loosing the wireless" actually mean? Does it mean that enabling the Access Control feature disables the router's WiFi, or does it simply mean that you can no longer connect via WiFi?

Are you aware that MAC filtering is a very weak form of controlling access to the router? If someone is inclined, it can be worked around quite easily.

Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it not solvable?

I figured it might be worthwhile to have you restate/clarify the actual problem.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Bill Bradshaw <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

Bill Bradshaw <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake. I finally got everything working except I do not
understand why I can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the
wireless. Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it
not solvable?

Don't have that router, but did find instructions on Access Control
at:

https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/1535/

Regardless of the fancy name, this looks to be nothing more than a
firewalling feature to allow/block a list of devices by their MAC
addresses. Nothing mentioned there that the wi-fi antennae would
get disabled.

I have been to that page but my setup program does show a screen like
that. What is missing on mine is the ability to tell the control that
I am using either wired or wireless.

Typically, MAC access control doesn't care how you got to the router.
The firewalling is after the wifi radio and wired connections. That is,
it is a joint firewalling feature applied regardless of connect type.

You want to control the access *method* to the router for a device, like
you want one of the following scenarios?

- A device can have wifi access but not wired (Ethernet) access.
- A device can have wired access but not wireless access.

I've been through only maybe half a dozen routers from D-Link, Linksys
(before and after Cisco acquired them), and Netgear, but never ran
across a consumer-grade wifi router that differentiated its MAC access
control between connect methods (wired vs wireless). Guess such a
feature depends on the router's firmware. Mine lets me define MAC
control regardless of access method. That is, MAC control os common or
shared across both wired and wireless connects. You were disappointed
the AX3000 did not have that feature, so did your prior router have it
(if so, what was it)?

The TPlink article I found (which was supposed to be for your router)
says the MAC control is for either wired or wireless access method.
There is a Pro model, but you didn't say Pro, so I didn't check if
instructions were different for the Pro.

https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/faq/3774/
(talks about using the router as an AP, but MAC control is still shared
across wired and wireless connections)

Even when configuring the AX3000 as an AP (access point) instead of the
router (you have the AP point to the router), its Access (MAC) control
is still shared for wireless and wired connects to the AP.

If you're looking to have separate MAC allow/block lists for wired
versus wireless connects to the AX3000, doesn't look like that router
will do that. I cannot find info (doesn't mean there isn't info, just
that I didn't find it) that shows there are separate Access Control
lists that are used separately for wireless than for wired.

MAC control is a firewalling function, and that's usually irrelevant of
the connection method. I haven't been a network sysadmin in a corporate environment to know if far more expensive and much more programmable enterprise-grade routers have the feature you desire: one MAC list for
wired connects, and another MAC list for wireless connects.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Bill Bradshaw wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake. I finally got everything working except I do not understand why I can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless. Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it not solvable? Sorry to post this here but this where the most knowledgeable people reside.

I have the ax4400 router. "Access control" controls MAC address access.
It does not differentiate between wifi and wired.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Char Jackson wrote:

On Tue, 9 Apr 2024 13:28:06 -0800, "Bill Bradshaw" <bradshaw@gci.net>
wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake.

Circling back to the beginning of this thread, where in the setup
manual did you see that enabling Access Control, which others have
said is merely another name for MAC filtering, does it say that doing
so will disable WiFi?

I finally got everything working except I do not understand why I
can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless.

I had a problem getting wireless to work because I did not know you could
not have Access Control on to use it. I found that by searching the
internet and not from the TP-Link operating manual. Spent a lot of time
before I found that.

Have you added your MAC address to the Allowed list?

Everyting is listed by MAC address even the 2 switches and printer. This router handles a network with 3 computers connected to it.

What does "loosing the wireless" actually mean? Does it mean that
enabling the Access Control feature disables the router's WiFi, or
does it simply mean that you can no longer connect via WiFi?

It does not disable the WiFi because I can see SSIDs including mine if they
are enabled. Just will not connect.

I do not normally publish my SSIDs. So to let you use a Guest account I
have to provide both the SSID and password.
So when I try the wireless I enter the SSID and password but it will not connect with ACESS CONTROL on.

Are you aware that MAC filtering is a very weak form of controlling
access to the router? If someone is inclined, it can be worked around
quite easily.

Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it not solvable?

I figured it might be worthwhile to have you restate/clarify the
actual problem.

I also listed everything in the IP & MAC BINDING section.

It would nice if in these manuals they would explain how info entered in one place applys to other data entry areas.

As time goes on hopefully I will understand more about the modem.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Thu, 11 Apr 2024 09:10:49 -0800, "Bill Bradshaw" <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

Char Jackson wrote:

On Tue, 9 Apr 2024 13:28:06 -0800, "Bill Bradshaw" <bradshaw@gci.net>
wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual. Big
mistake.

Circling back to the beginning of this thread, where in the setup
manual did you see that enabling Access Control, which others have
said is merely another name for MAC filtering, does it say that doing
so will disable WiFi?

I finally got everything working except I do not understand why I
can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless.

I had a problem getting wireless to work because I did not know you could
not have Access Control on to use it. I found that by searching the >internet and not from the TP-Link operating manual. Spent a lot of time >before I found that.

I don't think that's correct. See the message(s) from ...winston.

Have you added your MAC address to the Allowed list?

It sounds like you haven't done this step. You'd need to do it before you enable
Access Control, of course.

Everyting is listed by MAC address even the 2 switches and printer.

The switches and printer are unlikely to attempt to initiate access to your router, so that's probably overkill.

This router handles a network with 3 computers connected to it.

What does "loosing the wireless" actually mean? Does it mean that
enabling the Access Control feature disables the router's WiFi, or
does it simply mean that you can no longer connect via WiFi?

It does not disable the WiFi because I can see SSIDs including mine if they >are enabled. Just will not connect.

See above. It sounds like you neglected to add your MAC address to the Allowed list before you enabled Access Control. See ...winston's posts for more info.

I do not normally publish my SSIDs.

That's annoying because it's inconveniences legitimate users without improving security, but it's not the problem here.

So to let you use a Guest account I
have to provide both the SSID and password.

My house is like a public coffee shop. We have the Guest SSID and password written on a whiteboard in the kitchen. When guests come over, I can just point to that whiteboard. The Guest network provides Internet access, but no access to
my LAN. Yours is probably similar.

So when I try the wireless I enter the SSID and password but it will not >connect with ACESS CONTROL on.

Your MAC address needs to be in the Allowed list.

Are you aware that MAC filtering is a very weak form of controlling
access to the router? If someone is inclined, it can be worked around
quite easily.

Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it not solvable?

I figured it might be worthwhile to have you restate/clarify the
actual problem.

I also listed everything in the IP & MAC BINDING section.

I don't know what you mean by that but it's probably not significant.

It would nice if in these manuals they would explain how info entered in one >place applys to other data entry areas.

To be fair, no consumer equipment manufacturer probably wants to take on the responsibility to fully educate the folks who buy that company's equipment. The defaults usually work, and to go beyond that some additional research might be required.

As time goes on hopefully I will understand more about the modem.

It's a router, not a modem. ;-)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Char Jackson wrote:

On Thu, 11 Apr 2024 09:10:49 -0800, "Bill Bradshaw"
<bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

Char Jackson wrote:

On Tue, 9 Apr 2024 13:28:06 -0800, "Bill Bradshaw"
<bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

I purchased this ax3000 without first reading the setup manual.
Big mistake.

Circling back to the beginning of this thread, where in the setup
manual did you see that enabling Access Control, which others have
said is merely another name for MAC filtering, does it say that
doing so will disable WiFi?

I finally got everything working except I do not understand why I
can not use ACCESS CONTROL without loosing the wireless.

I had a problem getting wireless to work because I did not know you
could not have Access Control on to use it. I found that by
searching the internet and not from the TP-Link operating manual.
Spent a lot of time before I found that.

I don't think that's correct. See the message(s) from ...winston.

Have you added your MAC address to the Allowed list?

It sounds like you haven't done this step. You'd need to do it before
you enable Access Control, of course.

Everyting is listed by MAC address even the 2 switches and printer.

The switches and printer are unlikely to attempt to initiate access
to your router, so that's probably overkill.

This router handles a network with 3 computers connected to it.

What does "loosing the wireless" actually mean? Does it mean that
enabling the Access Control feature disables the router's WiFi, or
does it simply mean that you can no longer connect via WiFi?

It does not disable the WiFi because I can see SSIDs including mine
if they are enabled. Just will not connect.

See above. It sounds like you neglected to add your MAC address to
the Allowed list before you enabled Access Control. See ...winston's
posts for more info.

I do not normally publish my SSIDs.

That's annoying because it's inconveniences legitimate users without improving security, but it's not the problem here.

So to let you use a Guest account I
have to provide both the SSID and password.

My house is like a public coffee shop. We have the Guest SSID and
password written on a whiteboard in the kitchen. When guests come
over, I can just point to that whiteboard. The Guest network provides Internet access, but no access to my LAN. Yours is probably similar.

So when I try the wireless I enter the SSID and password but it will
not connect with ACESS CONTROL on.

Your MAC address needs to be in the Allowed list.

Are you aware that MAC filtering is a very weak form of controlling
access to the router? If someone is inclined, it can be worked
around quite easily.

Anybody have this router and solve the problem or is it not
solvable?

I figured it might be worthwhile to have you restate/clarify the
actual problem.

I also listed everything in the IP & MAC BINDING section.

I don't know what you mean by that but it's probably not significant.

It would nice if in these manuals they would explain how info
entered in one place applys to other data entry areas.

To be fair, no consumer equipment manufacturer probably wants to take
on the responsibility to fully educate the folks who buy that
company's equipment. The defaults usually work, and to go beyond that
some additional research might be required.

As time goes on hopefully I will understand more about the modem.

It's a router, not a modem. ;-)

It is modem and not a router. There was 1 MAC I had not listed under access control that was in my DHCP list. I did not list it because the name
referred to the Laptop and is not shown on the laptop tag. So I decided I
had nothing to loose by listing it as accessible. The wireless now works
with the ACCESS CONTROL set on. So I will search the MAC address on the internet for info on what it is attached to. Maybe the wireless in the
laptop. Sometimes I feel pretty dumb to getting this stuff figured out but
I always push until I beat it in submission.

Thanks for all your help and sticking with me.

<Bill>

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Fri, 12 Apr 2024 09:13:35 -0800, "Bill Bradshaw" <bradshaw@gci.net> wrote:

It is modem and not a router.

I still think it's a router, but OK.

There was 1 MAC I had not listed under access
control that was in my DHCP list. I did not list it because the name >referred to the Laptop and is not shown on the laptop tag. So I decided I >had nothing to loose by listing it as accessible. The wireless now works >with the ACCESS CONTROL set on. So I will search the MAC address on the >internet for info on what it is attached to.

You might be able to quickly see your laptop's MAC address by opening a Command Prompt window (on the laptop, of course) and typing:

ipconfig /all | find "Physical"

The result should be the physical address, which is another name for the MAC address. Mine looks like this:

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : D4-BE-D9-50-51-08

Maybe the wireless in the
laptop. Sometimes I feel pretty dumb to getting this stuff figured out but
I always push until I beat it in submission.

Thanks for all your help and sticking with me.

No problem.

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Char Jackson <none@none.invalid> wrote:

You might be able to quickly see your laptop's MAC address by opening
a Command Prompt window (on the laptop, of course) and typing:

ipconfig /all | find "Physical"

"ipconfig /all" shows all your NICs. I have 2 wired in my desktop (so
it could be used as, say, a bridge). It also shows I have 3 wifi NICs,
and a Bluetooth NIC. So, you have to be sure which network adapter on
which to focus. You can see which got assigned an IP address, and which
did not.

winston mentioned getmac which I was not aware of. It shows the MAC
addresses, but also shows which ones are are connected, or not. New bit
of info to remember.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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winston <winstonmvp@gmail.com> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

Char Jackson <none@none.invalid> wrote:

You might be able to quickly see your laptop's MAC address by opening
a Command Prompt window (on the laptop, of course) and typing:

ipconfig /all | find "Physical"

"ipconfig /all" shows all your NICs. I have 2 wired in my desktop (so
it could be used as, say, a bridge). It also shows I have 3 wifi NICs,
and a Bluetooth NIC. So, you have to be sure which network adapter on
which to focus. You can see which got assigned an IP address, and which
did not.

winston mentioned getmac which I was not aware of. It shows the MAC
addresses, but also shows which ones are are connected, or not. New bit
of info to remember.

Try Powershell's
get-netadapter

Provides even more detail than getmac
Name, Interface Description, ifIndex, Status, MAC address and LinkSpeed

Even more if you add the -includehidden switch, as in:

get -netadapter -includehidden

More info at: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/netadapter/get-netadapter?view=windowsserver2022-ps

I've been trying to avoid Powershell as often as possible, but sometimes
have to use it (after having to look online for help). I suppose one of
these days I'll have to get a Powershell for Dummies book, or similar.
My public library has several books on Powershell. So much for a quiet retirement.

Ow, my brain hurts.

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