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Click Switch for Google Wifi mesh backhaul not working
Bottom line... my Google Wifi access points are not able to properly see each other on ethernet, and Google suggests it may be my switch configuration's support for SPT...
Network layout... rather simple home office setup.
- I've got a cable modem,
- Connected to my main Google Wifi unit (as per Google's requirements, I would have preferred to connect the cable modem directly to the switch)
- Connected to a Netgear click switch (GSS108E)
- On that switch I have a couple of computers, 2 tivo boxes, a printer, and 1 addtional wired google Wifi unit.
- There are no VLANS, just a flat /24 IP space as defaulted by Google (192.168.86.1 - .255)
- The main Google Wifi unit is providing DHCP services to everything, and I can ping all connected devices and tracert with a single hop.
Things I've tried...
- Updating the Google Wifi app (just yesterday they finally released a version that would definititively tell you if the access point is using ethernet or not for backhaul)
- Updating Google Wifi firmware (it auto updates, but i did make sure i was running the latest)
- Updating firmware on GSS108E to the latest (as of 4/3/2017)
- Registering/ unregistering the google wifi devices
- Reading the docs on Google's site: https://support.google.com/wifi/answer/7358245 (not on this page, but in their community, they do mention that they rely on Spanning Tree Protocol for backhaul... and if the router/switch you are using isn't properly passing SPT, then then the wifi access points can't communicate effectively so they will just use wifi for backhual.
- Reading Netgear docs/ and searching this community.
I'm kinda stuck... I may just grab another unmanaged switch and see if anything changes.
I believe STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) has nothing to do with it because the two switches (the GSS108E & DGS018) are daisy-chained and its not set up for redundancy. There are no settings to configure STP on the GSS108E and I found out that the D-Link DGS108 is an unmanaged switch.
Since you mentioned that it works fine if you connect the Xbox to the same wall port (that connects to a port of the GSS108E), let us further isolate the problem. Kindly try the steps below:
1. Based from the network diagram posted, kindly try to connect the Google WiFi access point directly to port 5 of the GSS108E switch. Check if same problem occurs.
Note: You may also try to connect the Google WiFi access point directly to port 4 of the GSS108E switch since its unused.
2. Since you have several Google WiFi access points, kindly try to swap the Google WiFi access point on the far room of your house. Also, repeat step 1 above with other Google WiFi access points to further isolate the problem.
3. Perform a factory reset on the GSS108E switch then check if same problem occurs.
4. Try to swap the GSS108E switch with the D-Link DGS108 and check if same problem occurs.
Re: Click Switch for Google Wifi mesh backhaul not working
I just stumbled on this thread at Google's site... seems I am not the only one experiencing this... there doesn't seem to be a solution other than replacing the switch. Can someone from Netgear comment on this?
Re: Click Switch for Google Wifi mesh backhaul not working
Hey DaneA, thanks for the reply... here are some answers for you... and a sketch of everything I have.
One important note before that though, yesterday, in the Google Wifi app, there was a moment when I saw the Google Wifi access point marked as "wired", but it isn't doing that today... it shows as wireless mesh currently.
a. Is your cable modem a modem-only device or a combination of modem & router?
Just a modem only...
b. Is your cable modem a NETGEAR device? If yes, what is the model of it?
The Cable modem is an ARRIS SURFboard SB6190
c. Did the Google WiFi access points obtained a valid IP address when connected directly to the GSS108E switch?
Finding this in Google Wifi app took a bit of clicking around, but yes I do see the main unit and 3 sattelite units all have LAN addresses in the 192.168.86.x range. I can ping them all from my wired pc with 2 to 10ms response times.
d. Since you mentioned that there are a couple of computers directly connected to the GSS108E switch, are you able to access the internet just fine?
Yeah, I'm a fairly seasoned IT guy... connectivity is there... (via both wired and wireless)
- everything seems to be getting proper IP addresses from the primary Google Wifi unit (192.168.86.x)
- internet use is fine for laptops and other mobile devices in the house
- I'm able to maintain vpn connectivity on my wired work connection (which is notoriously intollerant of latencty)
- the tivo units are talking fine to each other (wired)
- web browsing, media streaming, etc are all normal.
- the only issue i've got is that in the one far room of the house, connectivity is slow, because the Google wifi unit in that room is not using ethernet for backhaul communication like it should. If I plug something else (like our XBOX360) into that same wall port, it connects just fine so I don't feel like this is a cabling problem... just something odd with the way the Google Wifi devices want to talk. (see my prior comment and link to google's site about Spanning Tree protocol)
I believe STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) has nothing to do with it because the two switches (the GSS108E & DGS018) are daisy-chained and its not set up for redundancy. There are no settings to configure STP on the GSS108E and I found out that the D-Link DGS108 is an unmanaged switch.
Since you mentioned that it works fine if you connect the Xbox to the same wall port (that connects to a port of the GSS108E), let us further isolate the problem. Kindly try the steps below:
1. Based from the network diagram posted, kindly try to connect the Google WiFi access point directly to port 5 of the GSS108E switch. Check if same problem occurs.
Note: You may also try to connect the Google WiFi access point directly to port 4 of the GSS108E switch since its unused.
2. Since you have several Google WiFi access points, kindly try to swap the Google WiFi access point on the far room of your house. Also, repeat step 1 above with other Google WiFi access points to further isolate the problem.
3. Perform a factory reset on the GSS108E switch then check if same problem occurs.
4. Try to swap the GSS108E switch with the D-Link DGS108 and check if same problem occurs.
