[SOLVED] Need advice about home networking - switch and router placement

[Tony1001]

Dear all, need your expert advice on my home networking.

In Master bedroom closet :

• The whole house was pre-wired with CAT5e in each room. The patch panel in the master closet.
• ATT Fiber Gateway BWG210-700 - I plan to do IP passthrough
• Tp-link 16 ports unmanaged switch TL-SG116 , connected to ATT Gateway’s ethernet port.

In living room:
- Asus router AX88U. I has to put it in the living room because my NAS and Apple TV/Chromcast all connected to this Asus router.

My goals are:
(1) make IP Pass through on ATT Gateway, and use my own Asus router, which serve as wireless access to cellphone, tablets. Etc.
(2) make my desktop and laptops in the bedroom get wired internet connection
My question is how should I connect the switch and router to make all these work? Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[jeremyj_83]

Where does the fibre drop come into the house? If that modem supports an actual bridge mode instead of IP passthrough you will want to do that instead.

 

[Tony1001]

Jeremy, thanks for quick reply.

The ATT fiber connection get into the house and end up with a open port in the master closet. I plugged in ATT gateway and the internet works.

I am new to this bridge mode thing.. Why not IP Passthrough? My struggle is the device placement - my own Asus router has to be in living room, but with the need to disable ATT gateway wifi function, i have no clue how to connect the Gateway/routher/switch...

Thanks!

Where does the fibre drop come into the house? If that modem supports an actual bridge mode instead of IP passthrough you will want to do that instead.

 

[Tony1001]

I saw in the Reddit a thread about the similar situation. The recommended order of the device connection : (((ATT))) ---- Modem ---- [WAN]Router[LAN] ---- Switch ----Devices.

If I go this way, it seems that I will have to put the Asus Router and the TPLINK Switch together in the Master bedroom closet? How would I handle my Apple TV in the living room? Thanks!

 

[SamirD]

I saw in the Reddit a thread about the similar situation. The recommended order of the device connection : (((ATT))) ---- Modem ---- [WAN]Router[LAN] ---- Switch ----Devices.

If I go this way, it seems that I will have to put the Asus Router and the TPLINK Switch together in the Master bedroom closet? How would I handle my Apple TV in the living room? Thanks!

This is why there should always be 2 runs to every location.

Is there any reason why the asus needs to be in router mode? You can simply use it as an access point and your original setup will work with att being the router and dhcp server.

 

[Tony1001]

Thanks! Sounds like a good idea.

I got a NAS and Apple TV need to hook up with the ASUS router, if possible. If not, I guess I need to buy a second Switch.

So you are saying I need to put the ASUS router in the closet, connected with Modem for IP pass through?

This is why there should always be 2 runs to every location.

Is there any reason why the asus needs to be in router mode? You can simply use it as an access point and your original setup will work with att being the router and dhcp server.

 

[SamirD]

So you are saying I need to put the ASUS router in the closet, connected with Modem for IP pass through?

No, much simpler than that. Leave the att there and leave the asus where it is. Just use a lan port on the asus after configuring it for access point mode. That's it.

 

[Tony1001]

Do you mean : ATT gateway connect to the Switch, and leave the ASUS Router in the Living room, change the router to AP mode? so I need to connect the ASUS router via the wall jack in living room and connect to the Switch in the closet? So ATT Gateway -> Switch -> Router(AP), will the IP Pass through still work?

Thanks!

No, much simpler than that. Leave the att there and leave the asus where it is. Just use a lan port on the asus after configuring it for access point mode. That's it.

 

[SamirD]

Do you mean : ATT gateway connect to the Switch, and leave the ASUS Router in the Living room, change the router to AP mode? so I need to connect the ASUS router via the wall jack in living room and connect to the Switch in the closet? So ATT Gateway -> Switch -> Router(AP), will the IP Pass through still work?

Thanks!

Yep, just change the Asus to AP mode and connect to the Asus LAN vs WAN. I'm not sure what you mean about IP passthrough? Do you need the public IP on something that's connected to the Asus?

 

[Tony1001]

ATT Fiber Gateway BWG210-700 is a modem/router combo - I plan to do IP passthrough on the gateway and use My own router for WiFi

Yep, just change the Asus to AP mode and connect to the Asus LAN vs WAN. I'm not sure what you mean about IP passthrough? Do you need the public IP on something that's connected to the Asus?

 

[SamirD]

ATT Fiber Gateway BWG210-700 is a modem/router combo - I plan to do IP passthrough on the gateway and use My own router for WiFi

You don't have to do ip passthrough to use the wifi on your asus--just use it as an access point.