Why does AP's MAC address change randomly when in mesh mode?

Zyxel_Bella

The AP may appear to have a changing MAC address due to its operation in a mesh network. Especially the AP works as repeater, due to its physical uplink port is not used so it uses wireless mesh interface MAC address as itself to present in network topology for requesting an IP address or other operations. Also, when the AP boots up and connects to the root AP before the uplink is ready, it may use the mesh interface MAC address.

If you assign IPs using IP binding or MAC whitelist, ensure the AP obtains an IP address first. Then, verify its actual MAC address before applying the binding or whitelist.

If you don’t need the mesh feature, disable it. This prevents the AP from using the wireless interface MAC address, resolving the issue of changing MAC addresses.

For configurations involving mesh, always double-check the AP's MAC address during setup to ensure a stable network.