wgscott Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Current home network is very simple. It looks like this: [Cable Modem] --------- [Airport Extreme wireless/wired router] --------- [all devices] However, my Apple TV2 and Mac mini are located very close to the cable modem, but are currently served from the wireless router. I'd like to put a switch between the modem (which can assign several IP addresses, according to the instructions) and the wireless router. However, I would like all the devices that the wireless router serves to see the mac mini and the ATV2. Would this work? [Cable Modem] ------------[Gigabye Switch]---- [Airport Extreme wireless/wired router] ---- [most devices] | | | | [Apple TV2 and Mac Mini] Link to comment
mansr Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Try and find out. I'd be surprised if this or a similar topology couldn't be made to work. Why do you want to add a switch anyway? Link to comment
Nes Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 yes it will work, I assume your cable modem is the dhcp server Merging NADAC / Theta Compli --> Spectral DMC-20 --> Spectral DMA-250 --> Avalon Ascendant (with tweeter upgrades) Link to comment
completeluxury Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 it depends: If as Nes said and the cable modem is the true router then you can and should put a switch in and get rid of as much wifi traffick as possible. however if your airport extreme does the routing for the network then no - it wont work. The device that assigns the IP addresses is the router on the network - the modem used in bridging mode is literally like a phone which just makes the connection with the ISP. the router handles the actual communication with the ISP and local network Link to comment
Axiom05 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Why not plug the switch into the AirPort Extreme? Main System: [Synology DS216, Rpi-4b LMS (pCP)], Holo Audio Red, Ayre QX-5 Twenty, Ayre KX-5 Twenty, Ayre VX-5 Twenty, Revel Ultima Studio2, Iconoclast speaker cables & interconnects, RealTraps acoustic treatments Living Room: Sonore ultraRendu, Ayre QB-9DSD, Simaudio MOON 340iX, B&W 802 Diamond Link to comment
wgscott Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 if your airport extreme does the routing for the network then no - it wont work. That's what I was afraid of (and yes, I want to keep it that way). Why not plug the switch into the AirPort Extreme? Well, I have, but the Airport extreme is located about 15 ft away from the cable modem, which is only inches away from my ATV2 and Mac mini. (I don't/can't move the Airport extreme, and I don't want to pull more wires under the house.) Link to comment
Axiom05 Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Do you have a free coax line near where you want the ATV2? Is your modem MoCA compatible? Main System: [Synology DS216, Rpi-4b LMS (pCP)], Holo Audio Red, Ayre QX-5 Twenty, Ayre KX-5 Twenty, Ayre VX-5 Twenty, Revel Ultima Studio2, Iconoclast speaker cables & interconnects, RealTraps acoustic treatments Living Room: Sonore ultraRendu, Ayre QB-9DSD, Simaudio MOON 340iX, B&W 802 Diamond Link to comment
completeluxury Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 may i ask why you want the hardwired connection? dont get me wrong i believe that hardwired is always best - but are the ATV and mac mini not getting the speeds you want through the wifi? Link to comment
wgscott Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 Do you have a free coax line near where you want the ATV2? Is your modem MoCA compatible? No, no. Link to comment
wgscott Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 may i ask why you want the hardwired connection? dont get me wrong i believe that hardwired is always best - but are the ATV and mac mini not getting the speeds you want through the wifi? In the case of the mini, it occasionally loses the wireless network connection after a reboot. In the case of the ATV2, because it is there. Neither reason is compelling, I agree. Link to comment
completeluxury Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 i feel like slapping myself while i say this but if you really want a hardwired port have you considered a ethernet over power adapter? Link to comment
wgscott Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 Not for this, but for my bedroom ATV, where it could make a significant difference. (In a way, I already have that (my solar panel inverters feed data onto the powerline and that is then harvested) and the two protocols may clash, so I haven't messed with it.) I might give this a try: http://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Splitter-Sharing-Networking-Computer/dp/B002BVQF5A Link to comment
jabbr Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 This is what I do: [cable modem] <-> [firewall router/DHCP server] <-> [airport extreme] <-> [switch] 1: firewalls are cheap 2: I can create access rules/lights out rules for the entire network at one point 3: it is best practice to have a single device connect to the external network and I don't trust the cable modem. Custom room treatments for headphone users. Link to comment
completeluxury Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 jabbr i dont quite get what you are suggesting... do you mean to install a router next to the cable modem and then just use the airport extreme as a regular switch? Link to comment
wgscott Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 This is what I do: [cable modem] <-> [firewall router/DHCP server] <-> [airport extreme] <-> [switch] 1: firewalls are cheap 2: I can create access rules/lights out rules for the entire network at one point 3: it is best practice to have a single device connect to the external network and I don't trust the cable modem. Yeah, I guess that is the most sensible way to do it. I assume then you just use the airport extreme in Bridge mode? Link to comment
wgscott Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 jabbr i dont quite get what you are suggesting... do you mean to install a router next to the cable modem and then just use the airport extreme as a regular switch? If you use it as a bridge, it works kind of like an intelligent switch. It essentially takes over assigning IPs for the upstream router for all the devices downstream. I guess I answered my own question: That topology will work if you let the Cable Modem function as the router (or get a real wired router), and run the Airport Extreme in bridge mode. Link to comment
jabbr Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 Yeah, I guess that is the most sensible way to do it. I assume then you just use the airport extreme in Bridge mode? Airport extreme in "bridge mode" is for building wireless networks with multiple airport extremes. Just use it regular, but switch off DHCP and let the firewall router handle that. Airport will then route between wireless and wired, and the firewall will route between internal and external. Custom room treatments for headphone users. Link to comment
completeluxury Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 maybe you are different but i want my router to be the only thing doling out IP addresses... i would deactivate anything that did it in place of my router! you mentioned that you wanted to keep it exactly the same as before which is why i didnt mention adding a router at the modem Link to comment
jabbr Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 jabbr i dont quite get what you are suggesting... do you mean to install a router next to the cable modem and then just use the airport extreme as a regular switch? The firewall/router will have a single port that goes to "external" (WAN) ... that connects to the cable modem. The firewall/router will have multiple ports (e.g. 4) that connect to "internal" (LAN) ... connect 1 port to the wireless router and one port to the switch. The wireless router still routes between wireless connections and the wired network. FWIW: I've had a Cisco/Linksys RVS4000 for years which gets the job done ... and can be picked up cheap on ebay. You could also build something with pfsense etc. RVS4000 Custom room treatments for headphone users. Link to comment
completeluxury Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 jabbr its ok i work in networking - i just wasnt sure about the way you wrote it. i work with a brand called mikrotik for my routers. its a big learning curve but for a very low cost it flogs mainstream brands Link to comment
wgscott Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 Airport extreme in "bridge mode" is for building wireless networks with multiple airport extremes. Just use it regular, but switch off DHCP and let the firewall router handle that. Airport will then route between wireless and wired, and the firewall will route between internal and external. What you are describing is what Apple at least calls bridge mode. (I used to have it set up that way when I had DSL). Link to comment
wgscott Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 TFWIW: I've had a Cisco/Linksys RVS4000 for years which gets the job done ... and can be picked up cheap on ebay. You could also build something with pfsense etc. RVS4000 42% one-star rating on Amazon! Link to comment
completeluxury Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 http://www.amazon.com/Mikrotik-RB750GL-Mini-Router-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00CJPWZ8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449970343&sr=8-1&keywords=mikrotik+rb750gl 4.5 star rating Link to comment
wgscott Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share Posted December 13, 2015 Cool. That is about the same size/price as the switches I use. What is this learning curve you speak of? Link to comment
completeluxury Posted December 13, 2015 Share Posted December 13, 2015 you can find plenty of help with it online. it doesnt have any wireless capabilities whatsoever which isnt a big deal for you with the AE Link to comment
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