More network advice needed

encephalopathy · 26 Jan 2020 at 14:07

My home network is a bit screwy at the moment. I am running both wired and wireless networks (wireless via mesh deco 9 units in access point mode) but the wireless isn't going too well and keeps dropping.

Thinking about splitting 192.168.1.x subnet into two ranges and running subnet A using draytek DHCP for anything wired , with subnet B used for anything connecting wirelessly using the deco units DHCP .

Reason for this is there is more functionality from the deco wireless units when they are in router rather than ap mode.

Will this split setup subnet work?
Crucial to me is the ability for a device on the deco half of the subnet talk to a wired device on the other half of the subnet so eg I can use the wired printer from a wireless device

bremen1874 · 26 Jan 2020 at 15:49

Can't you only use the mesh system?

The DrayTek routers I've dealt with have been capable of passing the WAN IP through, which avoids dual NAT problems. If not replace the DrayTek with a modem (connection and ISP allowing).

Adding more ports to the mesh system using a switch wouldn't cost much.

AintNoHippie · 26 Jan 2020 at 17:55

I'm not familiar with the deco units you're using but can you just turn off DHCP on the draytek and let the deco's handle all the DHCP requests?

encephalopathy · 26 Jan 2020 at 22:11

thanks again - i have just done that and all is good now!
my idea wouldn't work as the deco unit wouldn't allow wan and lan ip on the same subnet. I ended up connecting the deco unit in line between the draytek and the rest of the network rather than having internet to draytek to rest of network and deco unit plugged to the side of the router.

unfortunately what i did next completely screwed everything up. i turned off dhcp server on the draytek and rebooted it........i couldn't login into it anymore. nightmare. it had defaulted to 169.xxx.xxx.xxx
ended up factory resetting it and tried to reload my saved config onto it from a a couple of weeks ago. it failed. factory reset again and then realised i hadn't my isp login details written down anywhere - finally found the email from zen from 2010 with them (thankyou gmail for your awesome search function!). realised i had lost my port forwarding rules as well - up into the attic to find old draytek router, fired it up and copied the rules into the fresh config on the newer router. all is well now but a seriously stressful few hours