How to setup my home network so it works?

[DamianT]

Hello,
I'm trying to make it work if this doesn't happen today I'm sending it back.

I have a Fritzbox 7430 in my cellar, then there is a extension cable going from the Fritzbox to the Netduma R2 in my room.

I'm able now to write this because I unplugged the R2 and plugged it back into the Fritzbox, because after setup of the Netduma R2 I have internet for a short time and then it dies.

When trying to connect via WIFI or LAN it shows me "Doesn't have a valid IP configuration". The same issue happens after resetting the R2.

My idea is to connect the R2 to the Fritzbox 7430 in my cellar and use the R2 to manage everything else. I also want to connect another TPLink router and let people access the internet through that TPLink router, so my devices will be connected to the R2 and everyone else will connect to the TPLink router downstairs, I don't want to bloat the whole R2 with random connections that my parents do.

So please help me, because I want to use the R2 but for now the R2 and the Internet just hates me at this point.

@Edit

My feeling tells me that it has something to do with DHCP.
My Fritzbox is running on this IP: 192.168.178.1
Netduma is running on 192.168.77.1

I want to let the Netduma decide the IPs and traffic, the Fritzbox can't be set in Modem Mode.

[Netduma Fraser]

Hey, welcome to the forum!

So connect it back then copy the WAN IP from the System Information page on the R2, put that in the Fritzbox DMZ and on the fritz set that IP as static. When you lose internet on the R2 are you still able to access the interface? When you setup the R2 what settings do you change right away?

[DamianT]

2 hours ago, Netduma Fraser said:

Hey, welcome to the forum!

So connect it back then copy the WAN IP from the System Information page on the R2, put that in the Fritzbox DMZ and on the fritz set that IP as static. When you lose internet on the R2 are you still able to access the interface? When you setup the R2 what settings do you change right away?

I have reset everything the Fritzbox and the R2. I connected the R2 to the Fritzbox, do I do what you told me above? I leave DHCP enabled on the Fritzbox and R2?

@edit

I connected the R2 to the Fritzbox, opened the R2 UI, it detected internet connection, I pressed next then I setup everything and that's it.

@edit
I open the Geo-Filter and I see this here:

I cleared the cache used another browser nothing fixed it so I reset the router again, it's 7th reset. Trying to setup this router since 19:00 and it's 00:37 midnight.

@edit

I've unplugged the power cable, waited 10s and plugged it back in and the Geo Filter works, I also cleared the cache while the router was off.

Also coming back to what you have said, I don't have anything called DMZ. You must be more clear with your support sir.

[Netduma Fraser]

I can see you're on an older firmware, I would recommend upgrading to the latest: https://forum.netduma.com/topic/38047-new-r2-firmware-30394/ then after upgrade ~5 minutes do a factory reset and resetup and it should be more stable. I would still recommend my original suggestion as well. The fritzbox will have a DMZ option on it - likely located in Firewall or Security settings.

[DamianT]

9 hours ago, Netduma Fraser said:

I can see you're on an older firmware, I would recommend upgrading to the latest: https://forum.netduma.com/topic/38047-new-r2-firmware-30394/ then after upgrade ~5 minutes do a factory reset and resetup and it should be more stable. I would still recommend my original suggestion as well. The fritzbox will have a DMZ option on it - likely located in Firewall or Security settings.

Idk what do you mean by DMZ from what the Fritzbox docs say, it's in Internet > "releases" and they are talking about "Exposed Host", I can fully expose the Host of IPv4 and/or IPv6.
"Fully authorize this device for Internet access via IPv4 (Exposed Host)"

The Fritzbox shows a warning then
"A fully released device is visible and accessible on the Internet without protection. The firewall protection of your FRITZ!Box is deactivated for this device."

There is also another option that I have enabled is that the router (R2) is able to open ports on the Fritzbox.

@ Edit
On the Fritzbox I have checked that the R2 should always have the same IP (192.168.178.21) and allow openning ports on the fritzbox by the R2 router.

So now the Fritzbox has 192.168.178.1 IP
R2 has 192.168.178.21 IP
And the DHCP of the R2 is 192.168.77.100 /.250

I reserved the IPs for my devices that will be always connected like my gaming PC, gaming Phone, mini PC and my tablet. So I set the DHCP from .106 - .250 and the IPs that are reserved go from .101 - .105

@ Edit

Looks like nothing broke and my PC works fine and all other devices.

Now I need to plug another router(TPlink) to the R2 so people in the living room aka (my parents and their friends) can access the WIFI.
I know I can set the TPlink as a Access Point but then when tested with my old phone, it's bloating my R2 router.

So the Yellow circle is my TPlink router acting like a Access Point and I have connected my old phone (red circle) to the Access Point but the R2 says that it's connected to the R2 router and this is what I don't want. I want to isolate the TPlink and let the TPlink handle his own connections. Because now it's showing only my S10 but after 2 months it will show like 20devices when my parents friends connect to the WIFI.

[Netduma Liam]

1 hour ago, DamianT said:

Idk what do you mean by DMZ from what the Fritzbox docs say, it's in Internet > "releases" and they are talking about "Exposed Host", I can fully expose the Host of IPv4 and/or IPv6.
"Fully authorize this device for Internet access via IPv4 (Exposed Host)"

The Fritzbox shows a warning then
"A fully released device is visible and accessible on the Internet without protection. The firewall protection of your FRITZ!Box is deactivated for this device."

There is also another option that I have enabled is that the router (R2) is able to open ports on the Fritzbox.

@ Edit
On the Fritzbox I have checked that the R2 should always have the same IP (192.168.178.21) and allow openning ports on the fritzbox by the R2 router.

So now the Fritzbox has 192.168.178.1 IP
R2 has 192.168.178.21 IP
And the DHCP of the R2 is 192.168.77.100 /.250

I reserved the IPs for my devices that will be always connected like my gaming PC, gaming Phone, mini PC and my tablet. So I set the DHCP from .106 - .250 and the IPs that are reserved go from .101 - .105

@ Edit

Looks like nothing broke and my PC works fine and all other devices.

Now I need to plug another router(TPlink) to the R2 so people in the living room aka (my parents and their friends) can access the WIFI.
I know I can set the TPlink as a Access Point but then when tested with my old phone, it's bloating my R2 router.

So the Yellow circle is my TPlink router acting like a Access Point and I have connected my old phone (red circle) to the Access Point but the R2 says that it's connected to the R2 router and this is what I don't want. I want to isolate the TPlink and let the TPlink handle his own connections. Because now it's showing only my S10 but after 2 months it will show like 20devices when my parents friends connect to the WIFI.

In that case all you'll need to do is take the TP-Link out of AP mode.

The downside of this is that users will need to connect to a separate network (the TP-Link network) for connectivity. As it's just being used for Wi-Fi, the double NAT shouldn't be an issue.

[DamianT]

1 hour ago, Netduma Liam said:

In that case all you'll need to do is take the TP-Link out of AP mode.

The downside of this is that users will need to connect to a separate network (the TP-Link network) for connectivity. As it's just being used for Wi-Fi, the double NAT shouldn't be an issue.

While you call it downside this is exactly what I want to achieve, a separate network that they can connect to.

[Netduma Liam]

6 minutes ago, DamianT said:

While you call it downside this is exactly what I want to achieve, a separate network that they can connect to.

Ah I see, fair enough!

Let me know if you need any further assistance or have any other questions.

[DamianT]

8 hours ago, Netduma Liam said:

Ah I see, fair enough!

Let me know if you need any further assistance or have any other questions.

I plugged the TPlink router into my R2 and assigned a reserved IP to it ending with .100 but my parents say that they don't have any internet when connecting to the TPLink router.

[Netduma Fraser]

Are you able to get internet when connected to the TP Link? It may be that their devices need to disconnect from the WiFi (if possible forget the network then re-enter the password) as it's changed from AP to router mode

[DamianT]

27 minutes ago, Netduma Fraser said:

Are you able to get internet when connected to the TP Link? It may be that their devices need to disconnect from the WiFi (if possible forget the network then re-enter the password) as it's changed from AP to router mode

It turned out that my father pressed the wrong button and turned off the WIFI on the TPLink router. They said that LAN works (TV) but wifi doesn't so I turned it on
I first thought that the TPLINK turned into a switch somehow. But it works now

My parents connected their stuff to the TPLink
I connected my stuff to the R2 router
And everyone is happy  I remember having this issue with the R1

The power supply has a pretty big spool whine, luckly I has a power supply from my old TPLink router that I replaced with the R2

[Netduma Fraser]

Ahh great to hear that! Thanks for the update, let us know if you have any questions and we'll be happy to help!

[DamianT]

On 3/10/2022 at 11:13 PM, Netduma Fraser said:

Ahh great to hear that! Thanks for the update, let us know if you have any questions and we'll be happy to help!

Whole Internet stopped working, I can't access the R2 with my PC connected to it. 192.168.77.1 doesn't work.

I'm looking forward to hear from Netduma and a 1:1 support, if that's not possible I would like a label to send it back and a refund.

[Netduma Fraser]

Do you still have internet direct to the Fritzbox? What do you see when trying to access the R2? Usually giving it a reboot then waiting 2 minutes would restore the internet and access, does that work?

[DamianT]

25 minutes ago, Netduma Fraser said:

Do you still have internet direct to the Fritzbox? What do you see when trying to access the R2? Usually giving it a reboot then waiting 2 minutes would restore the internet and access, does that work?

The Fritzbox never stopped having internet, it always has internet. 7 times the whole internet died, by that I mean No internet from R2 or the TP link. But always when connected to the Fritzbox I have internet.

When I unplug the power from R2, wait 10s, I'm able to connect to the R2 dashboard.

I don't see anything when the "problem" happens, it basically says that there isn't anything.

I plugged my old routers back into the fritzbox so everything works again until the R2 setup works how it should.

I also don't really understand why there is no modem inside the R2. I can't set "modem mode" on the Fritzbox.

Fritzbox has 1 LAN
R2 has 2 LAN
TPLink router 3LAN

Fritzbox had only the R2 plugged into it, so idk if DHCP is needed as it will only have 1 device connected.

You can contact me on Discord if you have it Dam1an#0001

[Netduma Fraser]

The R2 is only a router, not a modem/gateway, routers are universal in how they can work with every connection, modems are more particular. 

You can disable DHCP on the Fritzbox as long as the R2 WAN IP is set as static/reserved on the fritz and that is then put in the DMZ, that may also help with the issue. Also did you upgrade to the latest firmware? As that is a lot more stable. We don't do live support as we're a small team but we'll respond as quickly as we can - always within an hour.

[DamianT]

50 minutes ago, Netduma Fraser said:

The R2 is only a router, not a modem/gateway, routers are universal in how they can work with every connection, modems are more particular. 

You can disable DHCP on the Fritzbox as long as the R2 WAN IP is set as static/reserved on the fritz and that is then put in the DMZ, that may also help with the issue. Also did you upgrade to the latest firmware? As that is a lot more stable. We don't do live support as we're a small team but we'll respond as quickly as we can - always within an hour.

I don't know what DMZ is, even when talking to the AVM (they make Fritzbox) they have no idea what that is and that there is no such thing as DMZ.

[Netduma Fraser]

Looks like it is called exposed host on the interface: https://en.avm.de/service/knowledge-base/dok/FRITZ-Box-7590/131_Setting-up-a-DMZ-with-the-FRITZ-Box/

[Bert]

It's most likely called exposed host yes.

 

In this scenario you are making it quite complicated for yourself, this sort of thing is usually better handled with switches & accespoints rather than using 3 routers.

 

Nevertheless it seems your issue is with the R2.

 

I would do the following:

1. set static WAN adress in your R2. This needs to be in the proper range for your Fritzbox, so say you set 192.168.178.254 Now you need to go in your Fritzbox and look at it's DHCP range. You need to make sure that the R2's WAN IP is outside of the DHCP range in there, so if you can adjust it set it to something like .2 to .100 or so.

2. Do the same for your TP link router. Set static WAN IP to something like 192.167.77.254 (needs to use R2 internal rangte) and then make sure that you limit the DHCP range in R2 to something like .2 to .50 or so. You could also set a static route in the R2 pointing to the TP link's internal range if you want to be able to route between the 2 networks however the firewall in the TP link router is most likely going to prevent that.

 

Now look at what happens next. If all fails again it's a different issue. If you loose internet on the R2 with your devices but devices connected to the TP link router stay working, then it's an issue with the R2's DHCP service.

 

Something that you should also consider from a security point of view when you cascade routers, is that your parents can acces stuff on your network from the TP link router but you will not be able to do it the other way around since the TP link firewall will be blocking that.