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OrbiOwner20's avatar
OrbiOwner20
Follower
Mar 27, 2020

Orbi RBR40 and IoT VLAN

Hi,

I’m looking to set up a separate VLAN for one of the wired ports on an RBR40 for IoT devices so they’re isolated from the rest of my Wired network and can just get out to the internet. After much reading the VLAN functionality in the RBR40 seems to be WAN side and specifically for IP TVs so it looks like the router can’t do it.

If I bought a managed switch like Netgear GS108 and connected devices to that with one connection from the switch to the router would that work? I’m thinking the traffic might well leave the switch with a different VLAN id but what’s to stop it hitting the router, being routed back down to the switch and back through another VLAN?

Do I need to buy another router rather then a switch and switch the orbi to AP mode only.

Any thought on using Orbi RBR40 with managed switches for this purpose?

Thanks in advance.

9 Replies

  • CrimpOn's avatar
    CrimpOn
    Guru - Experienced User
    Mar 28, 2020

    An interesting situation.  Would you mind sharing what sorts of "Internet of Things" (IoT) have a wired connection?  Almost every IoT device I see mentioned on the forum is a WiFi device, not wired.  Also, I do not know much about VLAN tagging, but my sense is that residential IoT devices are likely to be pretty "plain", so this is to be a port based VLAN, rather than utilizing VLAN tags.

     

    My sense is, yes, the Orbi is not equipped to do what you want.  I think you need to put the Orbi in Access Point (AP) mode and attach it to a router that has the VLAN routing capabilities that you want.  My guess is that you want a separate IP subnet and DHCP pool, with rules on the router to control packets.

     

    I messed around with VLANs in a "previous life" and remember it as a tangled web of confusion.  I would be tempted to use the Orbi Guest WiFi network.  Devices on Guest can connect only to the internet, not to the primary network, and not to each other.

    SORRY, I forgot these devices are "wired".  MY BAD.

    • JohnSA's avatar
      JohnSA
      Aspirant
      Jul 14, 2020

      An old thread but I'm wondering if I can do something a bit similar with my RBR50, i.e.

       

      1.  Set up a VLAN on one of the wired ports of the Orbi Router

      2.  On that port, set up another wireless router (non-Orbi router), which would have a static IP on the Orbi network, e.g. 192.168.1.250

      3.  The Orbi network devices (main and guest networks) would have an IP range of 192.168.1.x

      4.  The non-Orbi network devices would have a range (set via the non-Orbi router) of 192.168.2.x

      5.  My IoT devices (Google Homes, Chromecasts, Tasmota devices, SmartThings Hub) would be on the non-Orbi network (192.168.2.x), ideally able to communicate with each other as needed, and with the internet, but not with the devices on the Orbi network, i.e. 192.168.1.x

       

      Can this be done with the Orbi RBR50 and some other router (e.g. if I dust off my trusty DGND3700)?

      • luckyaussiebob's avatar
        luckyaussiebob
        Aspirant
        Aug 24, 2020

        This is exactly what I am looking to do as well! Have you had any success JohnSA ?

         

        I have an older archer C7 router that I was thinking to plug into my Orbi. Then use that archer as the IoT network. Keeping my main and guest networks seperate. 

         

        Just found out about the vlan and now I am more confused. If I can get a seperate '3rd' network from the existing Orbis that would be great.