Orbi RBR40 and IoT VLAN

[OrbiOwner20]

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.

[CrimpOn]

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]

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]

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. 

[Mstrbig]

orbilogin.com - Advanced tab - Advanced setup - VLAN/Bridge Settings.

It would be better for you to use one of the many videos available for setting up VLAN on the Orbi, so you can follow as you go.

This link and other links available that may help:

https://kb.netgear.com/000038853/How-do-I-set-up-a-bridge-for-a-VLAN-tag-group-for-my-Orbi-WiFi-Syst...

[CrimpOn]

---

@luckyaussiebob wrote:

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. 

---

The Orbi VLAN capability appears to be designed to support IPTV applications where television sets attached to one of the Orbi LAN ports are connected directly to the ISP without going through the Orbi NAT or firewall.  IoT devices, which are almost always WiFi, also need to get an IP address using DHCP, which the Orbi VLAN does not provide.

[Mstrbig]

---

@luckyaussiebob wrote:

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. 

---

If you are talking about a totally separate Subnet network, you can plug anothe Orbi router or any router for that matter, into one of the LAN ports of the Orbi router and set it up as a full DHCP server with wired and wireless capabilities. If properly configured, any device you connect to that router will be on its own network.

[CrimpOn]

---

@Mstrbig wrote:

---

If you are talking about a totally separate Subnet network, you can plug anothe Orbi router or any router for that matter, into one of the LAN ports of the Orbi router and set it up as a full DHCP server with wired and wireless capabilities. If properly configured, any device you connect to that router will be on its own network.

---

@Mstrbigis correct.  The practical issue is that customers purchased a mesh network (Orbi) because they needed more area covered than a single WiFi router could manage.  Many IoT devices appear to contain inexpensive 2.4G radio chips because they transmit very little data.  Perhaps a single WiFi router would "cover" enough area.  Otherwise, this solution is going to require another mesh network.

The Orbi "Pro" product provides multiple SSIDs, including one specifically intended for IoT devices.  (Four SSIDs total: administration, employee, IoT, and Guest).

[luckyaussiebob]

---

@Mstrbig wrote:

---

---

If you are talking about a totally separate Subnet network, you can plug anothe Orbi router or any router for that matter, into one of the LAN ports of the Orbi router and set it up as a full DHCP server with wired and wireless capabilities. If properly configured, any device you connect to that router will be on its own network.

---

Thank you! So if I understand you correctly, Take my old Archer router and plug it into my Orbi. Setup the Archer as a DHCP server (with wired and wireless) and then I can connect IoT devices to the Archer. Thus having my Orbi network, guest orbi network, and Archer IoT network. All this assuming the Archer provides enough coverage for the simple IoT devices. 

[Mstrbig]

---

@luckyaussiebob wrote:

---

@Mstrbig wrote:

---

---

If you are talking about a totally separate Subnet network, you can plug anothe Orbi router or any router for that matter, into one of the LAN ports of the Orbi router and set it up as a full DHCP server with wired and wireless capabilities. If properly configured, any device you connect to that router will be on its own network.

---

Thank you! So if I understand you correctly, Take my old Archer router and plug it into my Orbi. Setup the Archer as a DHCP server (with wired and wireless) and then I can connect IoT devices to the Archer. Thus having my Orbi network, guest orbi network, and Archer IoT network. All this assuming the Archer provides enough coverage for the simple IoT devices. 

---

CORRECT.