Pro and Mini will not connect to macard wifi extender

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Bill Mac

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May 12, 2023
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I've had a Mini for quite some time that is used in my main system. It has worked fine as my wifi router is close by. Recently I bought a Pro and the Mini was moved to a bedroom system on the second floor. The Mini will not connect as the wifi signal is too weak. I bought a macard wifi extender and it is providing full coverage on the second floor.

The problem is that neither the Pro (1st floor) or the Mini (2nd floor) will connect to wifi when the macard extender is used. Both go through the setup process but end with "DHCP timed out". I'm not the most gifted with computer tech so I'm at a loss as to how to fix this. My laptop and iPhone 13 have no issues connecting to the macard wifi extender. The macard is only 2.4 mhz and not 5 mhz capable.

Any help with this issue would be appreciated!

 
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Bill Mac said:
I've had a Mini for quite some time that is used in my main system. It has worked fine as my wifi router is close by. Recently I bought a Pro and the Mini was moved to a bedroom system on the second floor. The Mini will not connect as the wifi signal is too weak. I bought a macard wifi extender and it is providing full coverage on the second floor.

The problem is that neither the Pro (1st floor) or the Mini (2nd floor) will connect to wifi when the macard extender is used. Both go through the setup process but end with "DHCP timed out". I'm not the most gifted with computer tech so I'm at a loss as to how to fix this. My laptop and iPhone 13 have no issues connecting to the macard wifi extender. The macard is only 2.4 mhz and not 5 mhz capable.

Any help with this issue would be appreciated!

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Similar issue here. Any update?
 
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Have you checked that the '5Ghz only' slider in 'network status' part of the app is off. If you have setup the device already, you would need to move it back to original location to do this. Only mention as the OP says the extender is 2.4Ghz.
 
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Are all three posters with the issue seeing a “DHCP”error ?
If there are DHCP issues on the network then the Wiims will either get no IP address allocated or potentially be allocated IP addresses in network segments different to that of the device running the Wiim app.
You each need to provide a lot more detail of your network setup if someone is to help you.
 
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Ok thank you for offering to help. No I don’t get a DHCP error. My issue is when using a WiFi extender the ultra device loses connection in the WiiM home app when my phone changes connection to the main router and gets a new IP and MAC id. I re-enter the room with the Wifi extender and ultra and the app rediscovers the device. I set up the WiFi extender in repeater mode on 5GHz using same SSID and password as main router. Please let me know what other details might be helpful. Thanks again for any ideas you migh have on how to fix this!

P.S. sorry I now see this thread is for pro and mini and not ultra. The extender part is what caught my attention.
 
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Some extenders have a default of DHCP enabled to Auto or On and this means that if the extender DHCP server responds first to a request for an IP address the IP allocated will likely be a different subnet to that being used to the original router/DHCP server. Turn off DHCP in the extender if its its set to Auto or On.
 
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Don't setup the extender with the same SSID. While that is always my advice, I'll double down on it if your main router has the same SSID for both 2.4 and 5ghz with some sort of smart band steering. If you want the same SSID, get a proper mesh setup. (I use Asus mesh, and very happy with it.) In the extender's options, make sure it is using DHCP passthrough, which ensures the extender's subnet is the same as the main. (This then allows your Wiim Home app to see it without being connected to the same extender.)

After changing the extender SSID, you will need to factory reset your Wiim. There is no way to change Wifi settings without full reset. (Someone correct me if that has changed and I missed it.) When going thru setup again now, make sure your phone/device is connected to the extender SSID. Once setup is done, you should see the Wiim mini while your phone/device is on either SSID.
 
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SoFluffy said:
Don't setup the extender with the same SSID. While that is always my advice, I'll double down on it if your main router has the same SSID for both 2.4 and 5ghz with some sort of smart band steering. If you want the same SSID, get a proper mesh setup. (I use Asus mesh, and very happy with it.) In the extender's options, make sure it is using DHCP passthrough, which ensures the extender's subnet is the same as the main. (This then allows your Wiim Home app to see it without being connected to the same extender.)

After changing the extender SSID, you will need to factory reset your Wiim. There is no way to change Wifi settings without full reset. (Someone correct me if that has changed and I missed it.) When going thru setup again now, make sure your phone/device is connected to the extender SSID. Once setup is done, you should see the Wiim mini while your phone/device is on either SSID.
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This answer was super helpful! I picked up a new name brand extender that has a decent app with more settings than my old one which didn’t allow me to disable DHCP. Using a separate SSID and DHCP pass through the new extender stays connected and the app is saying my WiFi strength is now very good as opposed to weak before (20-30 RSSI improvement). Thanks again for taking the time to spell out all the details! Ultra and I are both very happy.
 
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