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Forum Discussion
djaesthetic
Dec 31, 2020Tutor
Disabling automatic subnet reconfig
I was wondering if there was a way (yet) to disable Orbi’s automatic IP reconfig if it detects a “conflicting” subnet? I understand the spirit of what it’s for, but frankly it’s a bugged feature (yes,...
- Jan 01, 2021
CrimpOn : Did some final testing and now confident in the conclusion.
What triggers the "reconfiguration" behavior appears to be whenever Orbi detects any other network device on the other side of it's Internet (WAN) port sharing the same subnet. It doesn't matter if there's an actual conflict or not -- simply it's existence. From a consumer support standpoint this is actually a pretty clever mechanism (though I wish they'd give us the option to disable it for various use cases).In my *personal* case - the issue was that I'd put the ports in their respective VLANs (10 for WAN, 20 for LAN) but left VLAN 1 in place. Regular (untagged) traffic was working just fine. My guess is that during a firmware update on those GS108Ev3 switches, it was sending out a broadcast across all configured VLANs, Orbi was seeing that broadcast on the Internet port, hence reconfiguration is triggered. I removed VLAN 1 from all ports and haven't been able to replicate the problem since.
As for your question about the use case for the two switches? This as a method to extend out multiple networks over a single cable. My current configuration looks like this:
VLAN 10 = WAN Traffic
VLAN 20 = LAN Traffic
-----BASEMENT
GS108Ev3 - Port 1: VLAN 10 Tagged, VLAN 20 Tagged
GS108Ev3 - Port 2: VLAN 10 Untagged
GS108Ev3 - Port 3-8: VLAN 20 UntaggedAT&T Gateway LAN plugged in to GS108Ev3 Port 2
UPSTAIRS OFFICE
GS108Ev3 - Port 1: VLAN 10 Tagged, VLAN 20 Tagged
GS108Ev3 - Port 2: VLAN 10 Untagged
GS108Ev3 - Port 3-8: VLAN 20 Untagged
Orbi Internet Port plugged in to GS108Ev3 Port 2
-----
Port 1 is the single physical cable running between the two switches. It will pass all traffic for either VLAN (LAN or WAN side) without either seeing one another as the traffic is "encapsulated" (isolated from each other). Port 2 on each side is where you plug in the WAN side of things. In the basement I have several runs from around the house plugged in to ports 3-8 (LAN). In the Office, I also have a bunch of devices plugged in to 3-8 (LAN). Two separate floors but they'll all end up in the LAN side.The notion that someone shouldn't be using managed switches in a network topology is a silly one, assuming the configuration is correct. In my particular case (and the fix to the original problem I posted about) turns out to simply be "don't let Orbi's Internet port see any traffic with a subnet that matches it's LAN side". Simple enough, makes a lot of sense. Once I understood what was triggering the reconfigurating, finding the root cause was simple.
(Extra thanks to schumaku for the sentence that led to the conclusion -- "Somehow the Orbi system does see any 192.168.x.x network on it's WAN/Internet port.")
FURRYe38
Dec 31, 2020Guru - Experienced User
Mine just about opposite of your house. Two story with basement. ISP modem and router on 2nd floor upstairs. All in electronic closet. Then I have patch panel for CAT6A to wall outlets on 2nd and some on 1st floor. I have 1 non mananged switch segment connected to the back of the RBR, NG GS-108 that connects my DISH Hopper system, ATT microcell in the living room and 1 line that goes down to the living room on 1st floor where 1 non managed switch and microcell is, then this continued line that goes to the back far office room down the hallway where the original office and networking was a few years back. Here there is a wall jack we put in the runs from this room down to the basement area where a tennant lives and 1 non managed switch and last RBS is connected on this line. The living room and basement switches use NG GS-105s. Basement has two xbox consoles, power switch and a PC. All this works with no VLANs or managed switches.
djaesthetic
Dec 31, 2020Tutor
FURRYe38 : “ All this works with no VLANs or managed switches.”
...well, YEAH. Only a bunch of other hardware and cable runs instead. Heh That’s exactly what I’m avoiding here. I manage enterprise networks for a living. A couple of managed switches to pass a pair of VLANs should not be problematic in the slightest. This is basic Networking 102 stuff...
...well, YEAH. Only a bunch of other hardware and cable runs instead. Heh That’s exactly what I’m avoiding here. I manage enterprise networks for a living. A couple of managed switches to pass a pair of VLANs should not be problematic in the slightest. This is basic Networking 102 stuff...
- FURRYe38Dec 31, 2020Guru - Experienced User
Hopefully you can figure out whats going on with the switches. Possible just a configuration issue.
Good Luck.
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