Bridge mode is probably the best option here as this will let you use your existing switches and single Ethernet wall sockets. If you want to have separate IP addressing for the Wi-Fi devices, you will either need to run a separate Ethernet connection to each room or use wireless backhaul, i.e. only only connect the primary MW6 WAN socket to your network.
From what I am aware of, Bridge mode is only available after you complete the setup wizard in the Tenda App. To first set up the MW6's for the first time, connect the WAN port of one MW6 to the router and do not connect any network port of the secondary nodes. Go through the Tenda setup wizard, selecting the DHCP option. After you complete the setup wizard, go into Internet Settings -> Connection Type and change this to Bridge, then touch 'Save'. Wait a few minutes to allow the MW6 nodes to restart with the new configuration, then disconnect the power to them, attach only the LAN socket of each node to the switches like below and turn on the power to all the nodes.
(06/11/2023, 11:28 PM)Seán Wrote: Bridge mode is probably the best option here as this will let you use your existing switches and single Ethernet wall sockets. If you want to have separate IP addressing for the Wi-Fi devices, you will either need to run a separate Ethernet connection to each room or use wireless backhaul, i.e. only only connect the primary MW6 WAN socket to your network.
From what I am aware of, Bridge mode is only available after you complete the setup wizard in the Tenda App. To first set up the MW6's for the first time, connect the WAN port of one MW6 to the router and do not connect any network port of the secondary nodes. Go through the Tenda setup wizard, selecting the DHCP option. After you complete the setup wizard, go into Internet Settings -> Connection Type and change this to Bridge, then touch 'Save'. Wait a few minutes to allow the MW6 nodes to restart with the new configuration, then disconnect the power to them, attach only the LAN socket of each node to the switches like below and turn on the power to all the nodes.
ok you are very gently! now I try and after i will write you, many thanks! so in your opinion I don't burden the Vodafone router in bridge mode?
(11/01/2021, 06:18 PM)Seán Wrote: I reckon that should also work, e.g. with an 8 or 16 port switch, you could connect other wired devices such as spare room ports, PCs, etc. in addition to the secondary nodes.
Then main important point is that this switch connects to the LAN port of the primary node and that its WAN port (with the globe icon) connects to the Internet such as an ISP router, like below:
Hi guys, I'm trying to set up a MW12 mesh for a customer who has CAT5 sockets in several rooms.
I'm confused about a couple of things:
1) There seems to be a two ways to connect, one is showing the ethernet feed going to a LAN port on the mesh units, and the other shows it going to the WAN port - the latter seems more obvious to me, as it's the "upstream" port - as opposed to putting the load onto the WAN port and the feed on the LAN port. Does it even matter? Setup with the daisy chain method seems to suggest the feed should come to the WAN port - which will also provide two LAN ports for additional kit.
2) Do you have to initialise the mesh as wired to get it to do wired backhaul, if it's already meshed as wifi, do I need to reset and do it again?
(05/07/2023, 08:56 AM)Seán Wrote: That's a pity about the Powerline adapter not working between the floors. Indeed the signalling usually does not travel well (if at all) beyond RCDs and most newer homes have a separate RCD per floor or even an RCBO (combined circuit breaker and RCD) per circuit.
I've found powerline to be OK within a ring, but it seemingly doesn't pass well between circuits, because of the inductance of RCDs etc.
It's one of the reasons I got into using the Tenda mesh.
Witam, mam zestaw tenda mesh mw6 3 sztuki podłącze Mostkowo (bridge), z routera głównego podłączone do switcha a że switcha rozdziela na gniazda w ścianach. Problem polega na tym że internet w laptopie podłączony przez kabel (nie wpięty do tendy) działa dopiero gdy kostka połączy się z internetem.
It seems like the 3rd node may have a configuration issue, like it didn't store the configuration properly after the initial setup, particularly if the 2nd node is working fine.
Try swapping the 2nd and 3rd nodes around to see if the problem continues with that same node. If this is the case, try doing a factory reset on that node, i.e. hold down its "Reset" button for 20 seconds, then add it back to the mesh in the Tenda App.
If the 2nd node now gives this issue after swapping the two around, the problem could be with the network switch dropping some proprietary data packets the MW6 nodes use for backhaul connectivity or with the Ethernet cabling/ports. For example, try unplugging the two cables from the switch that lead back from the 2nd and 3rd node and plug them into the opposite ports to see whether that causes the problem to swap between the 3rd and 2nd node. If not, then the problem may be with the Ethernet cabling or sockets.
05/01/2024, 11:47 PM (This post was last modified: 06/01/2024, 10:12 PM by Midnorth_Mongerer.)
Hi
Glad to have found this thread.
My "difficult" large stone house has proved a complete PITA and money pit when it comes covering it with reliable wifi.
Currently I'm using Tenda MW5. I have a TP-Link setup as well, but the problems with it are similar to my Tenda experience.
There are Gigabit ethernet ports in most rooms so setting up backhaul would seem the best solution.
If only....
The instructions here and elsewhere seem straightforward, leaving me frustrated why things aren't working for me:
Internet comes from the internet service provider's supplied router. I'm on 100Mbps in rural Australia. By our standards the connection is as good as it gets.
The router connects to the primary Tenda MW5 node's WAN port. The primary node serves as the router for the LAN and wifi, feeding into an 8 port unmanaged Gigabit switch. I need to do it this way because I require guest access.
The LAN cables to the rooms are connected via the switch.
From my reading I should now be able to connect the primary node LAN output to the secondary node's WAN port to get backhaul working. It doesn't. The secondary node LED goes green for 30 seconds and then blinks to negotiate to reconnect wirelessly.
It seems I must be missing something.
One further question; when using backhaul, assuming it can be made to work, do all secondary nodes have to be back-hauled or can it be a mix?
UPDATE: No sooner posted this, fart arsed around again resetting the nodes with backhaul and it's working. Technology is great. When it works.
Hi Guys, best thread i can find on Google for the novas.
I got 3 of the mw12 for my House.
My question is what i have to configurate in the App?
I wanna use 2x mw12 with wired backhaul and 1 with wireless.
The reason is, I have cat6 in the first and second floor but not in the basement.
Have i to configurate bridgemode or not?
What I have to do first? Get them all Green and then start with the cable fot the second and thierd device? Or start directly with the cable when i plug the power on?
Sorry for my bad english i try my best
And thanks for the help
For the first time set up, connect the WAN port of one node to your ISP router and do not connect any Ethernet cable to the other two. Turn on the power to all three nodes. Go through the wizard process in the Tenda App. You can try them first without bridge mode, which is how the set up wizard configures them after it completes.
After you finish the set up wizard and all three nodes have a solid green light, you can then move the second and third nodes to where you would like them. Before you connect the Ethernet cable, switch off the power to all three nodes and run the Ethernet cable from the LAN port of the primary to the LAN port of the node you want to use wired backhaul. Turn on these two nodes and wait for the LEDs on them to go solid green. Go into the Tenda App, touch the secondary node and it should show a green <---> symbol on the Connection Quality line. Finally, turn on the third node and it should connect by wireless backhaul.
02/03/2024, 09:55 AM (This post was last modified: 02/03/2024, 10:41 AM by ajama13.)
Hi,
Came across this forum post and some excellent discussion regarding Tenda Nova. I have 3 Tenda Nova MW12 and I would like to implement ethernet backhaul. Please see the network topology of my home network.
I know this wont work. How can I make it work with the least amount of reconfiguration.
(02/03/2024, 09:55 AM)ajama13 Wrote: Hi,
Came across this forum post and some excellent discussion regarding Tenda Nova. I have 3 Tenda Nova MW12 and I would like to implement ethernet backhaul. Please see the network topology of my home network.
I know this wont work. How can I make it work with the least amount of reconfiguration.
I figured it out. I connected the ethernet from the 1st switch to the LAN1 port of the primary node rather than the WAN/LAN port, and did the same of the others and it works. Weird. Has to put it in bridge mode before doing this. On the Tenda app it shows the ethernet backhaul symbol for the secondary living room.
Hi all, this is a super thread for discussing this subject. It has helped me with some success but I am still struggling.
I am running 3 x MW12 devices connected to my Fritz Router.
I have the Fritz router providing internet to MW12-1 and MW12-1 providing a link to a gigabit switch.
MW12-1 connects to MW12-2 via both Ethernet (via switch on WAN) and WiFi - Although it is not clear how to understand what connection type is active at any point. I understand the symbol <--> is reflective of Ethernet, which is shown on MW12-2 in MyTenda App.
During first setup I connect only MW12-1 to Power with Router and Switch Ethernet in place.
I then powerup MW12-2 and MW12-3 in the same room. Green light sync verfiied.
I then place MW12-2 in bedroom, hook LAN (On WAN Port) and power on.
Speed test validates 650mb/s = Gigabit communication via Switch to MW12-1 and Router. Success!
However, at some point it appears to revert to WiFi backhaul. This is noted as speed tests results show 13ms ping and 650mb/s at first power on vs 21 ms and 100mb/s some time later. When it is switching back I do not know and not sure how I force it back to Ethernet, or if that is possible?
I'll also note that I connected Switch to WAN/internet on M12-2. I attempted the LAN1 connect but I was never able to produce the same performance as WAN, it was indicative that it was reverting to WiFi backhaul with the 100mb/s performance.
The 100Mbps throughput may be Ethernet connection dropping to 100Mbps. If the <--> icon is still present on the secondary node when the speed drops, try unplugging its Ethernet cable temporarily. If the connection drops, then it's still using the Ethernet cable, but with a 100Mbps connection rate. I'm not sure if there is a way to force Ethernet backhaul as the MW6 I have only switches during a power cycle.
I suggest try different Ethernet cables just to rule out a bad Ethernet cable, particularly if it's an old cable that may have dirty or corroded connector pins.
Hi, I bought tenda mw3 a month ago and since then I'm trying to figure out how to get all the three nodes connected via ethernet. I tried a lot of the configurations listed in this topic but none of them worked so far. I also bought three mw6 for a friend and they connected via ethernet after some troubleshooting. Has anyone managed to make mw3 work with ethernet backhaul?
Hello, I have a problem with mw12 system... I originally bought one new mw12 3 cube set, and now I bought another mw12 3cube set, but now it was already used ... I tried very hard to fix thsi problem, but I cannot figure it out.. I have around 500-600 MBps internet speed on my router speedtest. On my 1st mw12 cube I have around 400-480 MBps, and on my other cubes I have around 20-50MBps... In the diagram I scetched, I have two switches, second only for mw12 signal switching... Please look at the diagram and help me... I did set it in Bridge mode... before I tried DHCP mode... Does it matter if I plug the cable to LAN1 or LAN2?
Thank you in advance
JArni
(07/01/2024, 06:23 PM)Seán Wrote: For the first time set up, connect the WAN port of one node to your ISP router and do not connect any Ethernet cable to the other two. Turn on the power to all three nodes. Go through the wizard process in the Tenda App. You can try them first without bridge mode, which is how the set up wizard configures them after it completes.
After you finish the set up wizard and all three nodes have a solid green light, you can then move the second and third nodes to where you would like them. Before you connect the Ethernet cable, switch off the power to all three nodes and run the Ethernet cable from the LAN port of the primary to the LAN port of the node you want to use wired backhaul. Turn on these two nodes and wait for the LEDs on them to go solid green. Go into the Tenda App, touch the secondary node and it should show a green <---> symbol on the Connection Quality line. Finally, turn on the third node and it should connect by wireless backhaul.
Hello, this procedure describes first connection with Method 1... does anyone know what is the procedure for Method 2? I am connecting via Method 2...
Yesterday I posted my network scheme - two posts up... Today I started new and fresh install...
I erased app form my android, hard reseted all 6 mw12 nodes (with inserting pin into the hole and holding until they start fast blinking), unplugged all nodes from all cables. Then I gathered them all in one room and started the procedure. Inserted ethernet cable from router to wan port in prime node, and then powered them all up. All 6 connected with excellent wifi signal. Then I turned them all off and started relocating the nodes to their positions, putting ethernet cable from prime node to switch, putting ethernet cables to all relocated nodes into LAN1 port. Then I turned them on. Turned the Bridge mode on. Fast roaming is set to ON. Capacity oriented mede to OFF. Smar assistant OFF.
All the nodes have the same latest firmware.
Again very bad and erratic speeds on most wired nodes...
All the wired nodes have signal <...> but the speeds are very different... prime node 480MBps, on secondary nodes from 20 MBps to 80 Mbps...
Is there someone who can try helping me... what can be wrong here?
There are some other settings that I do not know how to set...
I suggest try a process of elimination just in case one node is faulty and causing this:
Turn off all the nodes apart from the main one labelled 'C1' in the picture.
Turn on the node labelled 'C2'.
After this node finishes booting, toggle your phone's Wi-Fi off and on to ensure it is connected to it (and not a further away node) and run a speed test.
If the speed test is similar to the primary node, repeat steps 2 and 3 for the next node, e.g. C3, then C4.
If the speed drops way down, turn this node off and check that the speeds are still fine on the other nodes before turning on the next node.
The other settings mentioned above are fine, i.e. Bridge Mode On, Fast Roaming On and Capacity Oriented Mode Off.
(30/08/2024, 10:39 PM)Seán Wrote: I suggest try a process of elimination just in case one node is faulty and causing this:
Turn off all the nodes apart from the main one labelled 'C1' in the picture.
Turn on the node labelled 'C2'.
After this node finishes booting, toggle your phone's Wi-Fi off and on to ensure it is connected to it (and not a further away node) and run a speed test.
If the speed test is similar to the primary node, repeat steps 2 and 3 for the next node, e.g. C3, then C4.
If the speed drops way down, turn this node off and check that the speeds are still fine on the other nodes before turning on the next node.
The other settings mentioned above are fine, i.e. Bridge Mode On, Fast Roaming On and Capacity Oriented Mode Off.
I tried all your suggestions with no success... , but then all of a sudden, the mash started to deliver some serious speeds (200-400Mbps)... I do not understand what happened that made it start working, but now the speeds are awesome!
Thank you for suggestions!
![[Image: pfsense-tenda-nova-Public-drawio.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/MZ7rjM12/pfsense-tenda-nova-Public-drawio.png)
![[Image: share-1188774148119365453.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/vH4NPQK3/share-1188774148119365453.png)
