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neon

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#319784 2-Jun-2025 14:32
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So I need some help. I'm moving into a new Accomodation (semi-temporary small place) where the owner shares wifi with me (sort of split house and main networking/fibre/router is in the other house with the owner). I need some advice on how I can easily/cheaply achieve the following:

 

1. I need ethernet for my nas

 

2. I would ideally prefer to have a private network so what ever happening in my network (including nas is not accessible outside my network)

 

3. I would ideally want to have my own wifi network 

 

 

 

What I already have:

 

1. Bunch of tplink deco x50 units from my previous place

 

2. Bunch of small 4-8 port switches

 

3. Fritzbox 7490 or similar (can't recall the exact model - it came with my previous 2degrees business connection)

 

 

 

What I need advice on is if there is any configuration using the fritzbox or the decos that would allow me to achieve my private network where the owner doesn't have access to anything happening in my network? Is there any sort of cheap ish device I can get (maybe even secondhand) that would allow me to have this? 

 

 

 

Please note: I'm not trying to get maximum speed or best latency or anything. At this stage, stability and decent speeds is enough. The main concern is the privacy and ability to have access to ethernet ports. Also, I could potentially ask the owner to plug in some devices near their network setup too (like a powerline ethernet kit or something) - so that's an option too. 

 

 

 

Any advice is appreciated. I'm a bit of a networking noob - I just know the basics. 


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  #3379910 2-Jun-2025 15:08
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You can definitely do this with two routers. 

 

The first in 'WiFi client' mode, giving you an ethernet port as if it was connected to their LAN. If you can get an ethernet cable to their LAN directly, skip this step.

 

The second router is set up as a standard router, with the WAN port connected to their network, with firewall, NAT, and DHCP. It then broadcasts your WiFi network and give you your own LAN ports. As far as it's concerned, your landlord's LAN is part of the internet and is untrusted.

 

 

 

This will give you double NAT, if not triple.




Tinkerisk
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  #3379912 2-Jun-2025 15:20
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A suitable GL.inet traveller router would be sufficient for both scenarios. In principle, this is nothing more than a separate network behind a ‘hotel’ router.





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Dynamic
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  #3379971 2-Jun-2025 17:00
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If you can get a cable from the main router to your router, just plug the main house's router into the WAN port of the Fritzbox and you're golden.  Use the LAN ports of the Fritzbox for the NAS and use the Fritzbox's Wi-Fi.  By default it acts as a basic firewall to prevent the main house from accessing your stuff.

 

If it's not practical to cable from the main house router to your router, can you pop one of your Deco X50's in the main house (WAN connected a the LAN port on the house router) and have a second X50 in your area that connects to the main X50 via the mesh Wi-Fi.  Your NAS should be able to connect to the LAN port of the Deco.

 

You would likely need to modify the settings for the WAN side of the Fritzbox or the X50 in the house to tell it NOT to use a VLAN and to use DHCP on the WAN port.

 

How do either of those solutions sound to you?





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  #3380003 2-Jun-2025 22:12
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Another thing you could do is set up an internet connection on Port 2 of the ONT of your own and attach your own router. 





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neon

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  #3380015 3-Jun-2025 00:13
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Thanks for all the awesome answers. 

 

 

 

First of all, using the ont's 2nd port is not ideal - defeats the point of having internet already. But I may still consider it. That said, it's besides the point, since I would then have to leave my router at the landlords space which sort of defeats the point a bit =/

 

I love the idea of the travel router. Does anyone know if there are alternative travel router options? Any with good price? Specially one you can buy in nz? 

 

Thanks for the suggestion around being able to use my decos + fritzbox. I will try follow those instructions next week when I get to the new place. This sounds like the easiest way to get everything setup with what I have already. Although I'm not 100% sure how things would work when I plug the ethernet into the Wan port of the deco/fritzbox (wonder what settings I would need to set it up with) - but I guess I could play around with it once I get there, I have some notes to go on with the suggestions here :)

 

Thanks again guys :) 


nedkelly
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  #3380026 3-Jun-2025 07:34
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I have personally set something like this up for a friend, I grabbed a TP-Link router that I confirmed was supported by OpenWRT, Flashed it, connected the router to the existing Wifi network, then have a second one connected to the ethernet of the TP-Link giving Wifi and a NAS connected to the second router not the first so its on the same subnet as all the client devices, been working great.


neon

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  #3382142 9-Jun-2025 16:07
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So i just arrived at the new accomodation and the situation has changed a bit. Turned out, i do not have access to the primary router or ethernet access at all, nor the ONT. What i have access is to a GUEST wifi (signal and speeds are good enough). What i want is some way to be able to get ethernet out to plug in my NAS, and to have a secure network for my usage that the owner does not have access to (that then somehow uses the guest wifi to connect to the internet). 

 

 

 

I still have:

 

1-2x deco x50

 

1x deco x58

 

1x frizbox 7590 (from 2degrees)

 

Happy to buy what ever is necessary - ideally something cheap/secondhand.

 

 

 

 

 

What i tried so far:

 

Created a new "deco network" with an x58, put it into access point mode (hoping this was the same as Wifi Client mode that @someonesomwhere mentioned). I was hoping this would then let me plug in the Guest wifi details and the deco x58 will then extend the Guest wifi with an ethernet out, but the deco expects the internet to be connect in via ethernet when in access point mode. So that is a BUST!

 

 

 

Next to try:

 

I will try see if there is some equivalant of wifi client mode on the frizbox. 

 

 

 

Any thoughts or instructions are appreciated. If i have any progress, ill post here :) 


 
 
 

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.
neon

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  #3382153 9-Jun-2025 17:00
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So, tries setting the Fritzbox into what seems like "wifi client mode" by: Going to Internet -> Account Information; Setting Internet Provider to "Existing connection over wifi"; Selecting the owners Guest wifi network; then providing the password to the guest wifi network. 

 

I as a simple test of progress, would assume at this stage, i could connect to my frizbox via ethernet and get internet (i would assume i would simply be able to connect to the guest network internet via ethernet). but no. Which either means what i did above does not work or im missing some other setting/config. Any help is appreciated :) 


  #3382154 9-Jun-2025 17:32
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Created a new "deco network" with an x58, put it into access point mode (hoping this was the same as Wifi Client mode that @someonesomwhere mentioned).

 

 

 

Opposite, unfortunately. 

 

What you did on Fritzbox should be right. 

 

Post some screenshots and error messages 


neon

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  #3382160 9-Jun-2025 18:10
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SomeoneSomewhere:

 

Created a new "deco network" with an x58, put it into access point mode (hoping this was the same as Wifi Client mode that @someonesomwhere mentioned).

 

 

 

Opposite, unfortunately. 

 

What you did on Fritzbox should be right. 

 

Post some screenshots and error messages 

 

 

Honestly, there isnt any obvious errors. When you go through the steps i mentioned above, it says all set, but it doesnt work. 

 

 

 

I ran the diagnostics, and got this (LAN1 is connected to my laptop): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gm3hnbyahgrzX2lD-apGRtXurLU4dT2I/view?usp=sharing

 

 

 

I then ran the wizard to set it up again, and it gave me this "error": https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Gkii1ui0BugczUdyVqp7DC94J64X6oHf/view?usp=sharing

 

Its not all that helpful. I cant see any further diagnostics. But one thing i noted is that the above screenshot states that the operating mode is "Router", it shouldn't be Router is it? I cant see anywhere i can change this. 

 

 

 

 


neon

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  #3382161 9-Jun-2025 18:23
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SomeoneSomewhere:

 

Created a new "deco network" with an x58, put it into access point mode (hoping this was the same as Wifi Client mode that @someonesomwhere mentioned).

 

 

 

Opposite, unfortunately. 

 

What you did on Fritzbox should be right. 

 

Post some screenshots and error messages 

 

 

 

 

This is what my settings look like: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GmCfDVxFfCpbfyqjk8hNt3pgKd09Rhxi/view?usp=sharing
Password and network SSID looks correct - is what im using on my laptop. 


shk292
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  #3382162 9-Jun-2025 18:24
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As mentioned above, a travel router is ideal for this, for example

 

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETTPL1502/TP-Link-TL-WR1502X-AX1500-Dual-Band-Wi-Fi-6-Protab


neon

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  #3382262 9-Jun-2025 22:19
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shk292:

 

As mentioned above, a travel router is ideal for this, for example

 

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETTPL1502/TP-Link-TL-WR1502X-AX1500-Dual-Band-Wi-Fi-6-Protab

 

 

 

 

Tempted. Are you sure that's not going to have the same issue though? I don't want to be in a position to spend 130 on more networking gear that may end up being a paper weight. I'm just jot familiar on travel routers, are they meant to tackle this situation where other routers supposedly can't? 


shk292
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  #3382555 10-Jun-2025 18:19
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neon:

 

Tempted. Are you sure that's not going to have the same issue though? I don't want to be in a position to spend 130 on more networking gear that may end up being a paper weight. I'm just jot familiar on travel routers, are they meant to tackle this situation where other routers supposedly can't? 

 

 

 I haven’t used this specific one, but I have used two other travel routers for exactly this purpose in hotels etc with no problems. It’s what they are designed for: Connect to an existing wifi internet connection and form your own network


stevenn
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  #3382576 10-Jun-2025 18:57
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How I would do it:

 

Setup A deco X50 as the main and put it as close as you can to the guest network ap

 

Login to the x50 web gui and manually install this official tplink x50 update: https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/794016   (Make sure the hardware versions match or you might run into some issues)

 

 

 

Once you have updated the x50, open the deco app and make sure it is set to router mode not access point mode

 

Then in the advanced tab scroll down until you find "internet backup" and set it to hotspot backup mode, and then connect the deco to the existing guest network.

 

 

 

The deco should now be getting its internet connection from the guest WIFI but keeping your devices separate and secure at the same time. You could even go further and connect your deco to a vpn.

 

 


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