Setup Ubiquiti Nanostation Behind Another Router

Sure, bridge mode works but you potentially expose all of your private files and information to anyone that joins over WiFi. Doesn’t sound too secure does it?

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Are you in a situation where you want to hook up a Ubiquiti Nanostation downstream from a router and it doesn’t work, or you have to put it in “Bridge Mode”? 

We would like to point out a not so well documented method that utilizes the Nanostation’s built in router mode to create a private guest hotspot.

This mode hands out IP addresses on a different subnet, handles NAT and forwards DNS requests out of the default gateway.

 

1. First, you will need to know the IP address of your Ubiquiti Nanostation. If you do not know this, you can either hard reset it with a pin and use https://192.168.1.20 or the device discovery tools below to locate it for you.

Device Discovery Tool for Windows

Device Discovery Tool for Mac

 

2. Login to your Nanostation using a web browser address bar. If you forgot the username and password, you will have to hard reset the device anyway. The default username: ubnt and password: ubnt will get you in.

3. Once logged in, click the “Wireless Tab” and configure:

WLAN Network Settings

  • Wireless Mode: Access Point
  • BSSID/SSID:  (The name of your WiFi signal)
  • Country Code: leave the default
  • Mode: B/G/N mixed
  • Channel Spectrum Width: 20MHz 
  • Channel: Auto
  • Output Power: leave at default unless you have a compelling reason to change it (like regulatory compliance)
  • Data Rate: Auto
  • Security: WPA or WPA2 
  • WPA Preshared Key: Choose the password for your WiFi signal
  • Click “Change”

4. Click the “Main Tab” and make sure that Airmax is unchecked or set to “No”

  • Click “Change” 

5. Click “Network Tab“, and configure:

  • Network Mode: Router
  • IP Address: 10.10.10.254
  • Netmask: 255.255.255.0
  • Range Start: 10.10.10.02
  • Range End: 10.10.10.42
  • Enable DHCP Server: Put a check mark in the box
  • Enable DNS-proxy: Put a check mark in the box
  • Enable NAT: Put a check mark in the box
  • Lan Network Settings:
  • Lan IP Address: DHCP
  • DHCP Fallback IP: 192.168.1.20
  • DHCP Fallback NetMask: 255.255.255.0
  • Click “Change”

6. Click the “Advanced Tab

  • Checkmark the “Enable Client Isolation” box
  • Click “Change”, wait for it to complete and then click “Apply”. 

At this point, the Ubiquiti Nanostation will reboot, you will loose access to the web login (IP address of Nanostation will change) and your new secure wireless network will be ready.

Edit: The above config’s general idea can be applied towards various models of Ubiquiti hardware including:

-Nanstation
-Bullet M2

For more helpful information on setting up Ubiquiti devices and network refer to Beanstalk’s walkthroughs

 

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