topic Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems in My Router

Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 14:47:22 GMT

Hi All,
My home wifi system is my Plusnet Hub, for wifi around the house, with my PC cabled through 100mbps mains adaptors back to the Plusnet hub.
However, the wifi doesn't reach to my workshop / bottom of garden.
So, in the workshop I have a Mercusys Halo S3, again cabled through 100mbps mains adaptors back to the Plusnet hub. 
This has worked fine for a few years now, for internet / whatsapp, etc on laptop / phone in workshop.

Now .... just lately, I've been experimenting with IoT things on some ESP32 wifi devices, which work fine in the house, controlled 
from my PC .... all progressing nicely.
However, not nice in my workshop, which I now realise is on a different subnet, so I cannot connect to these IoT devices.
I've tried everything to reconfigure the Halo device, but not helping. 
I actually have 2 spare Halo devices and I've tried all three, but I don't see any option to change the Halo subnet.
Is there any way I can force these Halo things to use the same subnet as the Plusnet hub ?
Trevor

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

MisterW — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:46:15 GMT

@TrevSmith

Try setting the Halo to access point mode https://www.mercusys.com/uk/faq-1014/ . That will disable its DHCP server and so any devices connected via it will still get their IP address from the Plusnet hub and thus all be in the same subnet

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:03:06 GMT

Tried again to setup the Halo S3 device, but the Mercusys app is trying to set it up as the MAIN wifi router.

I cannot get any BLUE light on it.

My Plusnet hub is the main wifi router, so I cannot get very far with this setup.

I suspect the support for the old S3 units is gone long ago

Trevor

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

Baldrick1 — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 08:27:25 GMT

@TrevSmith

I can't remember the details but a few years back I set up a Tp-link (the same company I think?) M4 in AP mode. What I do remember is that after studying the manual I found that I had to initially set it up in router mode then, convert it to Access Point. mode. I just can't recall whether I used an app or loggged in to the master unit.

Try reading the manual/

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 08:43:04 GMT

Thank Baldrick1,
Maybe my lack of knowledge, but I need a modem to follow the manual, to put Halo S3 in router mode.
I only have a Plusnet hub.
Trevor

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

MisterW — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 08:49:46 GMT

@TrevSmith bad news I'm afraid!. I've just downloaded the manual from here https://www.mercusys.com/uk/download/halo-s3/ and AFAICS there doesn't appear to be any option to set the S3 to Access point mode.

edit:

Maybe my lack of knowledge, but I need a modem to follow the manual, to put Halo S3 in router mode.
I only have a Plusnet hub.

If you have the Hub 2, then it can be set to bridge(modem) mode, you can then use the S3 system in router mode. Note that in this mode the Hub2 wifi and ethernet ports ( other than the LAN port connection to the S3 ) are not available

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

Dan_the_Van — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 09:39:11 GMT

If you are just looking for a single WAP (wireless access point) would be to turn OFF the S3 DHCP server, give it (S3) a 192.168.1.1 IP address with a 255.255.255.0 mask and connect it to the Hub using a LAN port (NOT the WAN port)

Devices connecting to it Wireless SSID would be connecting to the HUB LAN and using the Hubs DHCP server; everything would be on the same network.

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 10:24:31 GMT

Thanks Dan_the_Van,
Oh yes, been trying to turn off the S3 DHCP server for a few days now.
I can connect to its own SSID WiFi, instead of the Plusnet WiFi. I recall when I bought Halo's, there was a setup page from Mercusys, which allowed me into the Halo settings through it's own SSID. Cannot find any info about that now.
It seems Mercusys have just written off all history / archives / support of their old kit.

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

MisterW — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 10:32:06 GMT

@TrevSmith the manual is still available from the link I posted earlier

According to that, when connected to its wifi, http://mwlogin.net/ will get you to the configuration gui

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 10:39:00 GMT

Oh yes that's where I started. I have the old paper manual and checked online.
I connected to the Halo_82_A0 SSID, instead of Plusnet SSID, but the http://mwlogin.net/ doesn't work.
Tried that soooo many times now. I have 2 spare Halo's in a cupboard, tried those too (different SSIDs) but no joy with http://mwlogin.net/

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 10:40:58 GMT

Might try on my old phone and laptop.
Might be a security thing on my new phone

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

MisterW — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 10:48:51 GMT

Have you tried using the LAN IP ( default 192.168.0.1 ) directly instead of the mwlogin.net ?

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 11:40:14 GMT

Can't find 192.168.0.1 on Plusnet SSID or Halo SSID ... not reachable.
On the Plusnet hub page the Halo is on 192.168.1.226, but can't connect directly to that IP either

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 11:43:58 GMT

One strange thing, the MAC address of the Halo is 38:6B:1C:23:89:D2 on the label.
On the Plusnet hub it says 38:6B:1C:23:89:D3 ... not D2

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

MisterW — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 12:18:43 GMT

On the Plusnet hub page the Halo is on 192.168.1.226, but can't connect directly to that IP either

That will be the IP that the Hub 2 has allocated to the WAN connection of the Halo. I'm not surprised you cant connect to that, most routers have access to the gui disabled from the WAN by default.

One strange thing, the MAC address of the Halo is 38:6B:1C:23:89:D2 on the label.
On the Plusnet hub it says 38:6B:1C:23:89:D3 ... not D2

Not strange really , AIUI the Halo has two network ports, they will each have different MACs. The one shown on the Hub 2 will be the WAN port, the label probably refers to the LAN port.

What does a device connected to the Halo wifi show as its default gateway IP ?

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 12:43:55 GMT

What does a device connected to the Halo wifi show as its default gateway IP ?
I connect to Halo SSID, the IP is 192.168.0.100, gateway 192.168.0.1
Can't on ect to either on Chrome

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 12:46:18 GMT

I connect to Halo SSID and see IP 192.168.0.100, gateway 192.168.0.1

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

TrevSmith — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 12:53:32 GMT

Trying to add screenshots of WiFi setup, but how ?

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

jab1 — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 12:57:08 GMT

Click the paper-clip icon, bottom left of the reply window.

Re: Home Wifi system IoT problems

Baldrick1 — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 13:06:43 GMT

@TrevSmith wrote:
Can't find 192.168.0.1 on Plusnet SSID or Halo SSID ... not reachable.
On the Plusnet hub page the Halo is on 192.168.1.226, but can't connect directly to that IP either

Disconnect the Halo from your network and connect it directly to a computer via Ethernet. If the computer has wireless then make sure that this is switched off. Enter 192.168.0.1 into the address field of yout web browser and see if this gives you access to the Halo settings. If so theh switch off DHCP and give it an unused IP adress in the range 192.168.1.2-63.

Don't forget to save if/when given the option.

Connect the Halo to the Hub 2 using LAN, NOT WAN, sockets on both units.