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Forum Discussion
WAN Link Aggregation - CM2000 -> Netgear Managed Switch -> 750 Series Orbi Router
Is it possible to connect a Nighthawk CM2000 to a Netgear GS308T Managed Switch and then use Link Aggregation on two switch ports to connect my modem to a Orbi 750 Series Router's two ports (Wan + Link Aggregation port)? I am trying to push a 1200 mbps signal to the Orbi router via link aggregation, but in an unusual (maybe not possible) way. I have been reading that usually you would use two WAN ports on the modem and connect them into the two ports on the router, but the CM2000 only has one 2.5 Gb WAN port. Just wondering if there is a work around. I'm trying to avoid buying a more expensive Orbi with a 2.5 Gb port.
3 Replies
Alas, this appears to be a "non-starter". The GS308T has (8) 1000Mbs/Full Ethernet ports. Connecting one of them to the 2.5G port on the CM2000 results in one gigabit link from modem to switch. No matter how many ports are connected to the RBR750 router, there is only one gigabit coming from the modem.
If you could find a switch with 2.5G Ethernet ports that supports Link Aggregation, then maybe this would work.
We advise people all the time, "Do not put a switch between the Orbi router and the modem." There is actually nothing fatal about doing this (I have*) unless some other devices are connected to that switch (besides the modem and router). When that happens, the modem gets really confused about "what am I connected to?"
* My goal was to use Wireshark to snoop on the link between modem and router. Plugged modem into port 1. Router into port 2. And then "Mirrored" port 1 to another port where I connected an Ethernet cable to a PC and ran Wireshark on that link. Why do something like this? Because the Orbi Debug option Enable LAN/WAN packet capture fills up the buffer so quickly that I could not capture all the traffic I wanted. Using Wireshark on a PC meant I could capture until the 1TB disk drive filled up.
- Thank you for your reply. Well darn. I don’t really want to spend money on something that might have a chance of not working. Does anyone have any suggestions that would be my least expensive route of accomplishing getting my full 1200 mbit connection to my router. So far I only see one. Buy a modem that supports Wan Link Aggregation. The only problem with that is I don’t see any modem that Netgear sells that supports this. I’m open to all ideas.
Just my "two cents", but it appears that the industry has moved on from Link Aggregation as a method of exceeding a one gigabit link. The modem industry got ahead of the Ethernet switch builders and Link Aggregation was the only practical method for getting a higher transfer rate. A number of higher end NAS units supported it. (still do?)
The good news is that this would not be a total fork lift upgrade. The existing RBS750 satellites are compatible with the RBR850 router, so the only purchase required would be an RBR850.
https://kb.netgear.com/000065169/Which-Orbi-routers-and-satellites-are-compatible
I see them on eBay for under $150. That would connect directly to the CM2000.
