Small business network - guest network AP configuration

[joecool]

Hi,

I need to add AP to small network that will be purely for guests. Can you advise on how to easily separate it? Can I do it with SUBNET MASK?

Standard Comcast modem/router with WIFI network enabled - across the rooms, there is apple airport express in bridge more over ethernet cable. Functioning as another AP for main business WIFI.

I want to add additional AP purely as guest network, separate from them main, but still on the same ethernet - is that possible?
Can u advise?

 

[Bill_Bright]

Check your current router. They typically support guest networks to allow those users access to the Internet while at the same time, isolating them from your side of your local network.

 

[elghinnarisa]

What you want to look at is VLAN.
If your Comcast thingy supports VLAN I do not know, but its the way to go since it will then be separate from the rest of the network.

The guest network setting many consume routers have is very varied in how seperate it actually is depending on how they implemented it.

 

[Operandi]

Check your current router. They typically support guest networks to allow those users access to the Internet while at the same time, isolating them from your side of your local network.

Not sure I've ever seen a router that couldn't do that but I've never used an IPSs router in anything other than bridge mode. Can you swap out the Comcast router/modem and set them up with a dedicated modem and router? If not I would at least setup the Comcast thing to bridge mode and jsut have it function as the modem, then just get another AP of whatever you already have (assuming its good and worth using). And yeah you could setup another subnet or VLAN for the guest SSID, that would be the pro / badass way to do it anyway.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Not sure I've ever seen a router that couldn't do that

Me either. I would be surprised if it couldn't.

 

[joecool]

This is Comcast business router - it actually does not support guest network setup.
So there is no AP that can be configured with different subnet to achieve that separation?

 

[Operandi]

This is Comcast business router - it actually does not support guest network setup.
So there is no AP that can be configured with different subnet to achieve that separation?

Any AP probably can but the routing between the subnets is done on the router so thats where this needs to be configured. Unless the goal is to have only have the guest clients communicate with each other and nothing else but that sounds odd.

 

[Bill_Bright]

This is Comcast business router - it actually does not support guest network setup.

That would be especially odd since business routers need guest access even more so. A coffee shop, for example, would want their guests to have wifi access, yet for sure, not access to their business/local network.

What is the exact model number?

 

[joecool]

Found easy solution - this AP supports guest network with 1 click in the configuration:

TP-Link Omada AC1350 Gigabit Wireless Access Point (EAP225)​

 

[claes]

As others pointed out, basically every router/AP on the market these days will support a guest network.

That model looks fine, but you could certainly do better...

FYI, it looks like the airport express also supports guest networks when in router mode:

Set up a guest network in AirPort Utility on Mac

A guest network allows wireless clients to connect to the internet without accessing your private network.

support.apple.com

Edit: looks like you can use the express in bridge mode if your router supports VLANs

Use Airport Extreme Guest Network in Bridge Mode

Is it possible to use Apple’s Airport Extreme Guest Network without using the Airport as your main router? YES. This is one of those situations where Apple really pisses me off. Apple loves to make their technologies proprietary and compatible with only other Apple gear. And that really sucks...

www.thegeekpub.com