New network needed

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545 posts

Ultimate Geek

#280540 21-Dec-2020 23:09

Currently with 2 degrees home broadband on fibre.

Std Fritzbox modem router with WiFi turned off.

This then connects by ethernet to a Google wifi network with 4 total Google wifi pucks through the house.

Where it starts to get complicated is I have a Tplink 24? Port switch connected to the Google wifi main Puck by ethernet.

A NAS plugged into the switch as well as the TV, xbox series X.

In the attic is a 5 port switch with cameras cabled into it and then this goes into the Google WiFi Puck that's up. there.

It all used to work until recently when the NAS played up and I had to disconnect most of the cables from the main switch and fritzbox etc and since then getting it all to play nice has been impossible.

Google wifi creates its own network with ip range

The devices connected to the tplink switch I'm not sure what ip they are getting as the switch usually has its own default ip and subsequent IPs it hands out.

All the cameras are offline

I want an easier to manage system where I replace the fritzbox with a decent mesh router, scrap Google wifi and have one simple network that can have a few other mesh points around the house and the main tplink switch just connects to the router and distributes ips to attached local hardwired evices.

Is the nighthawk wifi6 series something that will work?

michaelmurfy

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#2625142 21-Dec-2020 23:34

The answer to your question is no, that won't work - see my sticky post here: https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=66&topicid=197871

Also read this: https://www.duckware.com/tech/wifi-in-the-us.html - you're wasting your money going towards that router.

It sounds like you've got a complex network - what is your budget? Also, the Fritz!Box can act as a mesh router (over both wired and wireless) with other Fritz!Box routers (7490, 7560 and 7690 models). You can often find these on Trademe for cheap or even purchase from 2degrees for $150. The Fritz!Box is a great router to be perfectly honest for your average home user. Using these as a mesh will be one of the cheapest options for you and would mean a single network and the ability to do Guest WiFi etc also.

Michael Murphy | https://murfy.nz
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webup

545 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2625405 22-Dec-2020 11:29

michaelmurfy:

The answer to your question is no, that won't work - see my sticky post here: https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=66&topicid=197871

Also read this: https://www.duckware.com/tech/wifi-in-the-us.html - you're wasting your money going towards that router.

It sounds like you've got a complex network - what is your budget? Also, the Fritz!Box can act as a mesh router (over both wired and wireless) with other Fritz!Box routers (7490, 7560 and 7690 models). You can often find these on Trademe for cheap or even purchase from 2degrees for $150. The Fritz!Box is a great router to be perfectly honest for your average home user. Using these as a mesh will be one of the cheapest options for you and would mean a single network and the ability to do Guest WiFi etc also.

Thanks Michael that sounds like a plan. I'll get some more fritzboxes and see how that goes.

Is it specifically those 3 models I need to stick to?

michaelmurfy

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#2625445 22-Dec-2020 12:37

Yep those models are the only ones provided from 2degrees with mesh support.

webup

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Ultimate Geek

#2626181 24-Dec-2020 08:25

I now have 2 extra boxes and waiting on the 3rd to arrive.

Got the first set up easily as a mesh repeater connected to the main fritz wifi, however plugging in 3 cameras by lan cables into the back they stay offline.

Not sure if the box acting as a repeater also can function as a hub or switch but assumed whatever was hardwired into the new fritzbox would receive network as normal?

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#2626186 24-Dec-2020 08:43

As-long as they're showing as set up as a mesh repeater in the Frit!Box interface (main router) then it should be fine.

freitasm

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#2626226 24-Dec-2020 10:09

webup: Not sure if the box acting as a repeater also can function as a hub or switch but assumed whatever was hardwired into the new fritzbox would receive network as normal?

All ports will be active on all mesh participants.

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#2626229 24-Dec-2020 10:12

webup:

Got the first set up easily as a mesh repeater connected to the main fritz wifi, however plugging in 3 cameras by lan cables into the back they stay offline.

In your OP you state "All the cameras are offline" and this continues to be the case even after you plugged them directly to a mesh router.

I think your problem is the cameras.

How are they "offline"? Can you access them from the same network? Are they offline to WAN access?

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webup

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Ultimate Geek

#2628371 31-Dec-2020 09:57

So the cameras in the attic (of which there is 3) wouldn't work if directly connected directly to the router up there but did as soon as i plugged it into the 5 port hub then into the router as it was always set up that way.

I now have 4 Fritzboxes running but my question is - Can I set them up with the same wifi name so when you move around you automatically connect to the strongest signal like the google wifi did?

Currently they all have a different name ssid as it was getting confusing during setup on which box i was conneted to

freitasm

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#2628386 31-Dec-2020 10:25

If you configure the four FritzBox as a mesh then whatever settings you have in the WiFi for the main router will be shared across all the units.

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michaelmurfy

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#2628396 31-Dec-2020 11:06

It sounds like you've got double-nat hell running.

Configure your Fritz!Boxen in Mesh mode. You essentially add them to your main Fritz using the web interface.

https://en.avm.de/service/fritzbox/fritzbox-7490/knowledge-base/publication/show/3354_Setting-up-the-FRITZ-Box-as-a-Mesh-Repeater/

richms

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#2628403 31-Dec-2020 11:22

The devices connected to the tplink switch I'm not sure what ip they are getting as the switch usually has its own default ip and subsequent IPs it hands out.

What is the device that you are calling a 5 port switch? Because anything that is handing out IP addresses is not a switch that you should be using on a home network.

Richard rich.ms

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Ultimate Geek

#2629027 1-Jan-2021 19:52

I must have been tired when I initially set it up as have now revisited and got all boxes to broadcast the same SSID...phew

Seems to be working ok for now
The switch in the attic I mentioned the cams connect to is upon checking actually a 5 port hub (although I do also have a large TPLINK switch directly connected to the master Fritzbox with Tv,Xbox ,Nas etc going through that

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#2629042 1-Jan-2021 21:17

5 port hub? Is that what you intended to say or is it a switch, the two are quite different and to be using a hub is a major issue that should be dealt with before any further action.

Cyril

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#2629091 2-Jan-2021 01:51

@webup Have you actually got these running in Mesh mode? It sounds like you have not. Are all the other Fritz!Boxes showing up on your main router? Did you pair them?

Read the link I posted above.

freitasm

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#2629162 2-Jan-2021 09:30

michaelmurfy:

@webup Have you actually got these running in Mesh mode? It sounds like you have not. Are all the other Fritz!Boxes showing up on your main router? Did you pair them?

Read the link I posted above.

As per Michael's post - if you are running in Mesh mode (all boxes like to the main router) then all good - if not then you will have a lot of trouble, even if using the same SSID/password.

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