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Forum Discussion
DHCP - which to assign? Modem or Orbi?
Folks,
I have set up the Mini Orbi system (sucessfully) in my 2500 sq ft home with FiOS. I disable the wireless in the FiOs modem, but left the DHCP on. I did not set the Orbi up as an AP. So I know have two devices doing DHCP, which I should not, I know. But which is best? It seems like the IP addresses on my devices are all in the Orbi range, not the FiOS. SHould I disable the FiOs or the Orbi DHCP function?
Thanks for any advice.
Joe B.
7 Replies
If the current configuration is working for you. Leave it.
Kind of depends on your needs and if you like using the FIOS router instead or if you think the Orbi router UI is better for you. They both do the same thing as far as DHCP goes.
If you disable DCHP on the FIOS router, then you can use the Orbi in router mode. You can also use the FIOS router in router mode along with the orbi router in router mode if you use the FIOS routers DMZ. This will work as well.
JTBusfield wrote:
Folks,
I have set up the Mini Orbi system (sucessfully) in my 2500 sq ft home with FiOS. I disable the wireless in the FiOs modem, but left the DHCP on. I did not set the Orbi up as an AP. So I know have two devices doing DHCP, which I should not, I know. But which is best? It seems like the IP addresses on my devices are all in the Orbi range, not the FiOS. SHould I disable the FiOs or the Orbi DHCP function?
Thanks for any advice.
Joe B.
Assuming you have the Orbi Internet port wired to your FIOS router, if you disable the FIOS DHCP server, then Orbi will stop working. The Orbi Internet port needs to get an IP address to work.
Your simplest, and likely best, option is to change Orbi to AP mode. Then everything will be on the FIOS LAN.
Only if the FIOS router can't pass a public IP address to the Orbi router in router mode if he disables DHCP on the FIOS router.
No router I know of will pass a public IP to a server on the LAN. That would be Transparent Bridge mode. If the router were bridged, then it wouldn't have a DHCP server to disable. If you are thinking of DMZ mode, the Orbi would still need to be assigned a private IP on the LAN, not a public IP.
In any case, it sounds like DMZ or bridged mode would be more complicated to setup than the OP needs.
Agreed. There are some modem/router combo units that can work in transparent bridge mode or disable the Gateway feature. Some of these can pass on Public IP addresses to down stream connected routers. I presume I should be using "transparent bridge mode" as clairification instead of bridge mode. :smileywink:
The two most common ways to set this up are
1. Put the FiOs modem/router in transparent bridge mode and the Orbi in Router mode. This lets the Orbi do all the router type functions like firewall and DHCP.
2. Just disable the WiFi on the FiOs leaving everythign else running and set the Orbi into AP (access point) mode. Then the FiOs will do the router functions and the Orbi will just be handling WiFi.
Leaving both with router functions can cause issue with the double NAT and two firewalls.
What IP address is the Orbi router getting from the FIOS router on it's internet port?
Did you set up the DMZ on the FIOS router for the Orbi router? You can use this and have good opertation using the DMZ on the FIOS router.
