Add 3rd party Router in a Roaming Network?

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Add 3rd party Router in a Roaming Network?

Hi,

I have a question for the apple networking experts out there.

I have just moved into my new home, which is a lot larger than my previous one and i've had it wired up with a few ethernet points at locations I plan to run data/media.

Device setup:

Base: Under staircase ( Cable modem, Linksys Dual WAN 8 port router, Airport Extreme serving wireless around the main living area, NAS Server, 4 IP Cameras routed back and all 5 Ethernet Data Points Routed Back to this location)

Study : 1 ethernet port feeding Airport Extreme which serves wireless around the front of house and a computer printer via ethernet

Lounge Room: 1 ethernet port which needs to feed a A/V Receiver + Smart TV - Will probably need a router here or may just set up the TV or Receiver via wifi

Cinema Room: (1 ethernet to Apple TV)

Rumpus ( 1 ethernet to Airport Extreme serving wifi upstairs and running XBOX, Mac Mini, PS3 via ethernet)

Master Bedroom: (1 ethernet to Apple TV)

Now many of these devices can run over wifi, but my main goal was to get everything I could that might be running high bandwidth running over ethernet to leave wifi bandwidth free for phones/tablets and also to avoid congesting the wifi network with devices.

I intend to set the apple extreme routers up in a Roaming network, but due to the number of ethernet points I have coming back to the base, I was intending to use a Linksys switch which was no longer required in our office to handle all the ethernet connections to the Cable modem which will run all the DHCP. Since I only have an 8 port switch, I am a few ports short to have all cameras and data cables coming back into the switch.

My Question.

-Should I use the switch to receive all the cameras and serve the NAS and the base airport extreme, and configure the other airport extremes straight to the base airport thereby bypassing the switch? (I think this configuration should work, but may not be optimal as all data from many devices is running through one airport?)

or

-Should I just get a larger 16 port switch and wire everything back to that, and in this configuration, will the apple roaming still work?

My main unknowns are am I better off running everything through a switch or through one of the airport extremes?

Posted on Jul 11, 2014 3:31 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 11, 2014 5:01 PM in response to Velona

I would definitely buy a 16 port switch.. you will find gigabit unmanaged is fairly cheap nowadays.. buy a decent brand.. eg HP. They are not that much more than the cheapies. Although TP-Link etc are ok.

The old linksys is only 10/100 and will actually cause holdups when you have so much network gear.. things like NAS you want all connected by gigabit.

You can of course use multiple switches.. or you can use the gigabit ports on the Extreme.. (assuming it is not gen1).

There are good reasons though to use a single switch.. mostly maintenance.. when something goes wrong.. and it for sure will go wrong at some point. The use of single switch makes it a lot easier to figure out where and what is happening.

The old Linksys RV082 is a very good router.. if you do want to use it as a router that is fine. But it sounds like you are using a combined modem router. The router supplied by most ISP are not really up to your sort of network layout.. but some of them cannot have the router aspect turned off. Anyway that might be for the future.

or

-Should I just get a larger 16 port switch and wire everything back to that, and in this configuration, will the apple roaming still work?

So yes.. this is what I would do. You can use mixed up conglomeration of leftover routers and other body parts. That is called Frankenstein.. !! You keep needing to tighten the neck bolts.

Roaming is no problem.. Each airport is bridged.. they each create a wireless network with the same name and same security settings.. simple!!

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