Vodafone router with Velop mesh for WiFi

[bruce_miranda]

I have the following set and something recently has changed which is causing me grief.

This is the connection chain.

OR FTTP Modem - Vodafone Router - Unmanaged Switch - Velop Nodes.

The Vodafone router is plugged into an Unmanaged switch using one of the Ethernet ports. WiFi on the Vodafone router has been switched off. 

The Velop nodes are all plugged into the Unmanaged switch via ethernet cables. This means that the Velop Nodes are operating with a wired backhaul. 

What is happening now is that if any client connects via the main WiFi connection on the Velop, they are connected to WiFi but without Internet. e.g. the client gets an IP address of 192.168.168.100

But if any client connects to the Guest WiFi they get Internet but then they are on another subnet range. e.g. IP address is 192.168.3.158

What I think is happening is that the Guest Network NATs the clients to the Node IP address. The Node is sitting on the LAN and hence has Internet access. All my other wired devices have Internet access.

So what is stopping my WiFi clients from getting Internet access and being put into the same Subnet as the Vodafone router and getting an IP from the DHCP pool? e.g. 192.168.1.x

[Jayach]

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@bruce_miranda wrote:

Bought a TP Link Deco XE75, when I put that to AP mode the exact same thing happens I.e. Main WiFi no Internet but Guest WiFi works!!

I thought it was the other way round with the Velop's?

[bruce_miranda]

Nope, exactly the same behaviour as the Velops. 

But the TP Deco has introduced a new issue. Although I can use it to replace my VF Router it's Ethernet backhaul doesn't work via an Unmanaged switch. So it will need to go back!

[bruce_miranda]

It's appears to be something related to DCHP. Because my fixed IP address clients are all fine via the switch. But any new client needing an IP doesn't seem to get one from the Master Router node via the switch. This also explains why the Guest WiFi clients are fine because they don't need an IP from the master router node. They just get one from the mesh DCHP. I feel I'm getting closer to finding out what the issue is.

[Cynric]

@bruce_miranda  Which switch is it? 

[Cynric]

@bruce_miranda  Oh just another thing, are the problematic devices using "rolling" MAC addresses or fixed ones?

[bruce_miranda]

It's happening on both WiFi clients that use randomise MACs as well as wired clients that use their own. So it's the unmanaged TP Link TL-SG1024D that sits in the middle isn't doing something it was previously doing.

[Cynric]

@bruce_miranda  It's almost time to suggest swapping the ports and/or cables. You don't happen to have a spare switch?

[bruce_miranda]

As it so happens, I am exactly at that point. I do have another switch and will see how I get on. I didn't consider simply using another slot on the switch, I will try that too. 

[Jayach]

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@bruce_miranda wrote:

It's appears to be something related to DCHP. Because my fixed IP address clients are all fine via the switch. But any new client needing an IP doesn't seem to get one from the Master Router node via the switch. This also explains why the Guest WiFi clients are fine because they don't need an IP from the master router node. They just get one from the mesh DCHP. I feel I'm getting closer to finding out what the issue is.

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Sorry, as the main Wi-Fi were obviously getting their I.P. addresses from the Vodafone router, I thought they were the ones that were working, not the NATed guest ones.

If the main ones are getting DHCP addresses from the Vodafone router, how can the not reach the internet> Is there another firewall somewhere?

If you are happy with NETed local addresses, just run the Velops as a router instead of access point.

[Jayach]

Sorry, I wrote my previous reply before reading the intermediate ones.