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Forum Discussion
Rdr50/rds50 create separate vlan for iot devices
All my devices are attached to rdr/rds50 and work well. I'd like to create vlans so the iot devices are on one network and others on another vlan. I bought a pfsense box and a netgear managed switch b...
The original Orbi (RBR50 and RBS50) have no VLAN capability except for the ability to designate an Ethernet port to be compatible with IP television for certain Internet Service Providers who use this methodology to enable television.
Any device connected to the router or satellites with Ethernet is placed in the primary network. Devices connected with WiFi can be placed in the Guest WiFi network and restricted to internet only access.
Depending on exactly which mix of devices are involved, this can get quite complicated. While most of the AX products now support an "IoT" WiFi network, none of them support VLAN for wired devices. Even if the pfSense and managed switch are capable of VLAN, anything that connects through the Orbi system will not. For example:
- A device wired to the switch can be part of a VLAN, but
- A device wired to the Orbi router or to an Orbi satellite cannot.
That's what I thought - I am looking at the Orbi Pro models which do support Vlans but they are listed as end-of-life (perhaps due to wifi6 vs wif7 - which I don't need really).
It would be less expensive than the pfsense/managed switch solution
Oh, My Goodness. The Orbi Pro WiFi6 line is entirely End of Life! (and my RBR50 from 2016 is not. WTF???)
(Just my two cents.... but) Going down this rabbit hole leads to a lot of confusion and frustration. My opinion (and it's only my opinion) is that Netgear found the wrong solution for a problem that they created: connecting IoT devices with poorly written smartphone apps. If they had simply included an option to turn off the 5G radio, everybody would have been happy. Sure, every 5G device in the house would go bonkers while a new IoT device was set up, but how does that compare with the endless hours people have spent fighting their WiFi system? And, why does this new "IoT network" work? (Answer: because it has the option to turn off the 5G WiFi while adding a new device.)
Sorry for the rant. I, personally am happy with my IoT devices on the primary network with everything else.
Be very careful if you decide to switch the Orbi system to Access Point mode as part implementing pfSense. The satellite still needs to appear connected on the LAN side of the Orbi router.
Good Luck!
Certainly is a rabbit hole and like you say I have lived with my IOT devices on my main network without incident. I thought I had it figured out but your warning and I was thinking I could just put the satellite on the same vlan as the RDR50, but it may not sync up with it from what you say.
I may just return my Pfense box and the managed switch and call it a day. Interesting but it aint gonna work.
Thanks
FYI, Orbi AX 7,8 and 9 series all have separate IoT Wi-Fi networks just for those IoT devices that need only 2.4ghz setup connections.
Also the Orbi AC model series of systems is EoL.
