Router Settings

Auto is the default mode when you set up Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro. Auto chooses the best network mode for your setup (Router or Bridge):

• Router mode will be chosen if the pod is connected directly to a modem and is given a public internet IP.
• Bridge mode is selected if the pod is connected to a router and receives a private IP. While in Bridge mode, Wi-Fi Pro handles your network’s Wi-Fi, and your existing router continues to provide all router functions like dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP). 

Note: Though you can switch the network mode from Auto to Router Only, forcing Wi-Fi Pro to operate as a router when another router already exists can cause issues on your network.

When the network mode in the app is set to either Auto (default) or Router Only, pods look at the different characteristics of the IP they are assigned.

• In Auto (default setting), pods see if they are receiving a public IP or private IP from the equipment upstream to set the realized network mode to either Bridge mode or Router mode.
• In Router Only, pods look at whether they are getting a different subnet or same subnet from the modem or router upstream to the LAN IP subnet in the app.

This table shows what the realized network mode will be depending on the app setting in three different setups.

Bridge mode should be used if there is an existing device that is already handling DHCP/NAT on your network. Pods default to Auto mode. If a pod detects an existing router handling DHCP/NAT, it will self-configure into (Auto) Bridge. If no DHCP is detected, it will switch to Auto (Router) mode. 

When Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro is set in Router Only mode, your hardwired pod acts as a router and DHCP server. Multiple DHCP servers on the same network can cause duplicate IP assignments, leading to network instability and other issues. 

Follow these steps to switch back to Auto (Bridge) if the networking mode was set to Router only. 

1. Navigate to the Settings page. 
2. Tap Advanced Settings near the bottom of the page. 
3. Tap Networking mode, which will display your network’s current mode. 
4. Tap Auto (Router) and then OK on the pop-up screen. 
5. A prompt will tell you that your network is restarting. It may take up to 90 seconds for your network to come back up.

Certain router settings are only visible in the Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro app when in Router mode: 

• DHCP IP Reservation: Fixes an IP address to a particular client device, enabling you to run applications requiring a fixed IP to function. IP reservations are required to set up Port Forwarding rules. 
• Port Forwarding: Permits connections from the internet to pass through to a particular IP address in your home network. You need to create a DHCP IP Reservation entry before you can set up Port Forwarding. 
• DNS Configuration: Allows you to set a custom DNS so you can use a public DNS that is not provided by your ISP or a DNS that has built-in parental and security controls, such as OpenDNS. 
• UPnP: Enables the devices in your network to be easily discoverable by other devices and applications for data sharing and communication purposes. This feature is on by default, but users may disable it through the app. 
• LAN IP Subnet Configuration: Allows manual setting of the IP subnet range for the network. Only private IPv4 ranges are possible. These ranges include the following: 
  
  • 10.0.0.x to 10.255.255.x 
  • 172.16.0.x to 172.31.255.x 
  • 192.168.0.x to 192.168.255.x 

UPnP allows a device or service to automatically configure the needed port settings on the network address translation (NAT) required to communicate properly with other devices and servers. Without UPnP, port forwarding rules will have to be set on the router manually, which becomes tedious if you need rules for multiple devices and/or services.

Enabling UPnP

If you are running Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro in Bridge Mode and have a separate router, you can usually find the UPnP setting in the router's firewall or NAT settings.

In Router mode, you can turn on the UPnP by: 

1. Navigating to the Settings page. 
2. Tapping Advanced Settings towards the bottom of the page. 
3. Scrolling down and sliding the UPnP toggle to the right. 

Port forwarding (opening ports) allows you to open specific ports in the router's firewall that are needed by some services to communicate to devices on your network. A port has an internal and external value called the port number. Multiple external hosts can use the same external port number, but each internal port must be different. This allows network address translation (NAT) to identify the destination for inbound traffic.

Port forwarding is necessary when you are having issues related to a restricted NAT.  

Setting Up Port Forwarding

UPnP allows services to automatically set up port forwarding rules, although you can also manually set up port forwarding. Manual setup can be tedious if you are setting rules for multiple services and multiple devices. You should not enable UPnP and set up port forwarding at the same time. 

Because you are opening/forwarding ports in the firewall, this setting must be set in the router. If in Bridge mode, you will need to set up port forwarding rules in your router. If you are in Router mode, port forwarding can be set up in the Wi-Fi Pro app: 

1. Navigate to the Settings page. 
2. Tap Advanced Settings near the bottom of the page. 
3. An IP reservation needs to be set for the device before ports can be opened. Tap Reservations & Port Forwarding. Complete the steps to create a New UP reservation if needed. 
4. Once your IP reservation is created. From the IP reservation, tap on Open Port. 
5. Enter a name for the rule. Each name needs to be unique. 
6. Enter the External port number the service requires. 
7. Enter the Internal port number to be used on the device. 
   
   • Use the same number as the external port to open the port or another number to route the traffic to a different port. 
8. Choose the required Protocol. 
9. Tap on Save. 
10. Repeat these steps for each rule needed. 
    
    • If the external port has already been used for one service, it is not necessary to set it again for a different service on the same device. 
    • The external port number for each rule can be the same, but the internal port number must always be unique. This means you will need to choose another internal port number for each local device. 

By default, devices use dynamic IP addresses assigned by the network upon a connection that can change over time. In contrast, static IP addresses do not change. This can be useful when a device, website, application or service needs to remember the IP address of the device. 

While most cases do not require a static IP, it is possible to reserve a static IP address for your devices in the Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro app.

Reserving a Static IP For a Device

Your network must be in Router mode to reserve an IP using the Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro App. If you are in Bridge mode, this feature must be configured through your router's settings. 

1. Navigate to the Settings page. 
2. Choose Advanced Settings towards the bottom of the screen. 
3. Tap on New IP Reservation. 
4. Select your desired device. 
5. If desired, you can edit the name and IP address of the device or simply tap Done. Your device should now be assigned to the new static IP. If you want, you can now set up port forwarding. 

Pods are currently unable to be configured with a static WAN IP. For ISP connections that require a static WAN IP, you will need to keep your existing router and operate Midco Business Wi-Fi Pro in Bridge mode.