Configuring home network - couple of questions and sanity checks!

Soldato
Joined
9 Mar 2010
Posts
2,838
Ok, here's the setup:

66op7B3.png

So, being suitably unimpressed with the Sky Hub I'm trying overcome a couple of issues.

1) 10/100Mbps Ethernet connections
2) Only 2.4Ghz WiFi
3) Understand the port forwarding rules I'll need to create
4) Working around its built in DHCP I can't turn off

Ok, last thing first - As far as I'm aware the Sky Hub can't have it's DHCP server turned off.

To avoid that 10/100Mbps connection between my ASUS router and the Sky hub being used for local network stuff I assume what I'm best doing is letting the ASUS router create a local network in a different IP range?

So have the Sky Hub setup to issue IP's in the range 192.168.0.2 to 192.168.0.255 then have the ASUS router assign IP's in the range 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.255.

Should I plug the Sky Hub into the WAN port on the ASUS router? This would make sense to me...

When it comes to port forwarding on the Sky hub what do I do to get this working? Do I need to forward everything to the ASUS router IP so it can forward again to the correct IP, or will the Sky Hub work if I forward to a different subnet range?

Am I being pedantic about not using the Sky Hub DHCP? Should I disable my router DHCP? Will I notice my drop in network performance if DHCP connections have to use that 10/100 connection to the Sky Hub?
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Oct 2008
Posts
4,755
Location
SE London Born and Bred
Leave DHCP on the Sky Hub (not doing so will cause double natting and all sorts of potential issues).

Assign a static IP address in the same subnet to the ASUS so you can manage it if you wish, but in essence you are turning it into a switch and AP only.

Plug the Sky hub into a LAN port on the ASUS.

Connect everything else to the switch or a different lan port on the router.

Everything locally will only ever go as far as the ASUS unit for communication unless it has to get to the internet.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
9 Mar 2010
Posts
2,838
Leave DHCP on the Sky Hub (not doing so will cause double natting and all sorts of potential issues).

Assign a static IP address in the same subnet to the ASUS so you can manage it if you wish, but in essence you are turning it into a switch and AP only.

Plug the Sky hub into a LAN port on the ASUS.

Connect everything else to the switch or a different lan port on the router.

Everything locally will only ever go as far as the ASUS unit for communication unless it has to get to the internet.

Ok, doing this I assume you mean to turn the DHCP on the ASUS router off?

Additionally, if DHCP isn't the bottleneck I assumed, how is traffic routed with a switch like that?

If two PC's are connected to that switch WILL traffic go back to the ASUS router down that single gigabit Ethernet or will they talk to one another directly through the switch?

Would I benefit from two 12 port switches connected to two of the gigabit ports of the ASUS router?
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
9 Mar 2010
Posts
2,838
...how is traffic routed with a switch like that?...

Would I benefit from two 12 port switches connected to two of the gigabit ports of the ASUS router?

I think I've managed to answer my own question - no, I won't benefit from two 12 port switches, traffic will go through the switch if it's the shortest route.

In the past I assume the difference between an "unmanaged" and "managed" switch was that one did cleaver routing and the other was "dumb".

Turns out "hubs" are dumb, and you should never use them, but switches do clever routing when possible. A managed switch just lets you take over fine grain control of the, already existing, built in routing.

So yeah, will give that a shot this weekend and see how I get on!
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Oct 2008
Posts
4,755
Location
SE London Born and Bred
Yes, turn DHCP off on the Asus.

If a device connected to the switch wants to talk to another device connected to the switch they will talk directly to each other via the switch. The only time traffic goes to the Sky hub is if it needs to get to the outside world and the only time traffic would go to the Asus is if a device was connected to the Asus and not the switch.
 
Don
Joined
21 Oct 2002
Posts
46,744
Location
Parts Unknown
You shouldn't need to do any port forwarding, unless you need remote desktop access or similar. Which would be safer over VPN anyway.

Why not replace the Sky hub and N66U with a single device, like an ASUS DSL-N55U.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
9 Mar 2010
Posts
2,838
You shouldn't need to do any port forwarding, unless you need remote desktop access or similar. Which would be safer over VPN anyway.

Well yes, but I need port forwarding for those reasons. Surely even setting up a VPN would also require port forwarding. Well, maybe unless you use built in router VPN... actually no, surely that would still require port forwarding to send VPN traffic from Sky Hub to the router?

Why not replace the Sky hub and N66U with a single device, like an ASUS DSL-N55U.

Because this is all hardware I have right now - so no cost. I moved from a Virgin cabled area where I was able to use the Virgin Super Hub in modem mode, so the ASUS N66U was a perfect fit to improve network configuration and increase WiFi performance. It will be the same case here.

Additionally using an alternative modem to the Sky provided one is allegedly against their terms of service so doesn't make sense if I can configure everything correctly at no added cost.
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Jan 2006
Posts
15,940
I agree - sell the N66U - get a Tplink TD-W9980. Save the hassle of using both.

TD-W9980 has dual band wifi, 1Gbps ports- great coverage, does ADSL and Sky fibre with latest firmware. Takes 5 mins to get your password/username from Sky hub.

I've had no issues with it and never in 10 years with sky adsl/fibre used their equipment and had zero issues.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
9 Mar 2010
Posts
2,838
Problem is I'd have to spend £140 on the TP-LINK Archer VR900 AC 1900 to get comparable WiFi performance to my N66U.

Performance and range are key for my WiFi now as the new house is an old Victorian job with thick walls - can't sacrifice on WiFi throughput but don't want to spend £140 on hardware that isn't required.

What I'm trying to do shouldn't be a problem, but if I can't get it working I'll consider it :)
 
Soldato
Joined
13 Sep 2003
Posts
8,441
Location
Glocestershire
Turns out "hubs" are dumb, and you should never use them, but switches do clever routing when possible. A managed switch just lets you take over fine grain control of the, already existing, built in routing.

Not quite right, basically a switch will look at the mac address a packet is being sent to. If it knows which port the destination device is connected to it will filter it so it then only goes to the correct port.

Routing is different and it's done by router. That said some managed switches can do routing.

If you imagine a packet of data as a letter, now instead of having one envelope the letter has two. The inner envelope contains the packet's final destination and the outer has it's destination within your network.

So your computer sends a packet to google. The inner envelope will be addressed to google and then the outer one will be addressed to your router. When the packet gets to your router it will open the outer envelope, read the inner envelope, put it in a new envelope and then address it to it's next stop on it's journey through the interwebs.

This is a gross simplification, and if you want to find out more (or you need a cure for insomnia) then get a cisco CCNA textbook.
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Jan 2006
Posts
15,940
Problem is I'd have to spend £140 on the TP-LINK Archer VR900 AC 1900 to get comparable WiFi performance to my N66U.

Performance and range are key for my WiFi now as the new house is an old Victorian job with thick walls - can't sacrifice on WiFi throughput but don't want to spend £140 on hardware that isn't required.

What I'm trying to do shouldn't be a problem, but if I can't get it working I'll consider it :)

sure good luck - I've got a 4 bedroom detached and full wifi coverage in the house everywhere using the Tplink TD-W9980 - Get a decent signal in the rear of my garden about 3 rooms/50 ft away from the router.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
9 Mar 2010
Posts
2,838
Just occurred to me - I could totally simplify this!

If I end up being happy with the port forwarding capabilities of the Sky Hub I can just plug the switch directly in to that then turn off DHCP on the ASUS router as before - so I end up with below.

I think this will likely do short term. While I'm stuck on 5Mbps ADSL there's not much I'll be doing WAN side, just want to make sure my local network is up to scratch.

sV2u1jM.png
 
Don
Joined
21 Oct 2002
Posts
46,744
Location
Parts Unknown
That was my next suggestion (didn't realise you had the kit already). Turn off dhcp on the Asus and use it as an access point.

It may even have access point mode
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Oct 2008
Posts
12,096
It does have an AP mode (at least it does with the Merlin firmware). You just have to select a couple of options in a wizard.

In AP mode you can leave it connected via the WAN port which can be convenient.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
9 Mar 2010
Posts
2,838
Spot on guys - the ASUS in AP mode is the way forward here.

You've totally got me eyeing up an all in one replacement modem/ap/router but I think I'll wait for the next generation before taking the plunge!
 
Back
Top Bottom