So I’m planning on running some ethernet cable in a house and want to get the highest possible speeds from device to device, as well as device to internet (up to 2.5gbe - the maximum lan port of any current devices as well as max speed currently offered by ISP), while buying as little additional hardware as possible.
Ideally, I’d like to use my existing router, a tp-link archer ax6000, which has a 2.5gbe wan port and 8 gigabit ports, and has always given really good wifi coverage.
My plan is to have most networking equipment in the basement, because that’s where it makes most sense space wise, where the fiber jack (the ISP device that takes in the fiber line and offers up a lan port) is, and where it will be easiest to terminate ethernet cable runs, but then to have the router on the first floor. So everything would run to a patch panel in the basement which would connect to an unmanaged 2.5gbe switch. The switch would than be connected to the router upstairs by running in-wall ethernet.
My original thought was I’d need to run two cables from the patch panel to the router upstairs. First to connect the router to the fiber jack via the 2.5gbe WAN port, and second to connect the switch to one of the LAN ports.
I’m wondering if something else is possible, though. Could I just connect the 2.5gbe WAN port directly to the switch, and then the switch directly to the fiber jack. If possible, this would allow me to just run a single LAN cable to the router, while having the bonus of eliminating the potential device->internet bottleneck of having the switch connected to a gigabit port on the router.
Can this be done? Is the outer agnostic about where it sits, so long as it has a path to internet, or does it need to physically sit between the unmanaged switch and the internet.
No, this is not possible as described. The router must always sit between the ONT and an unmanaged switch.
No. Question is solved.
As others mentioned, it is possible with a managed switch, a router that supports VLANs, lots of networking skills, and two Ethernet runs between the switch and router, but it isn’t something that I’d recommend at all.
An easy alternative is to get a wired router and place it in the basement, and connect the existing WiFi router—configured into access point mode—and keep it where it is. The wired router is likely less expensive than a managed switch, and likely will require fewer skills to configure well.
So the only proper solution to this would be buying a managed switch, then isolating the incoming WAN to a separate vlan, and then passing that to the wan of the router then back through lan to the switch on the primary vlan.
The only issue to this solution is managed switches are a bit expensive.
Basically its cheaper to run an extra cable up to the router.
And it’s a moot point because I doubt a consumer router will support trunking. You’re still running two cables to the router, just adding extra steps.
Asus Pro models and flagships running a beta firmware are supposed to be able to do this with one cable since they support VLANs and can bridge the LAN network to the WAN port in the UI.
Only possible with a managed switch.
Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I’ll just run two cables. Compared to using a managed switch and VLANs, running a second cable isn’t that much extra hassle over running just one, and a gigabit internet bottleneck isn’t actually a problem since I don’t intend to purchase a multigig bandwidth plan.
It’s good to know that with my proposed set-up there won’t be any device-device bottleneck, as I actually do intend to use 2.5gb internally from time to time.
Another question I have: is here any real reason to go with a “well known” brand for an unmanaged switch? I’m seeing multigig offerings from places like mokerlink and trendnet for significantly cheaper than recognizable names like D-Link or TP-Link.
For the POA switch I’m hooking directly into the second NIC of my NVR, I’m going with a used unmanaged poe+ switch from a well known manufacturer, since poor power handling could be a potentially fire safety issue, but I’m wondering if anything can really go wrong with an unmanaged switch.
Not the way you described. I mean you could go ISP->Switch->Router. But that’s all you could plug to the switch. What I’d suggest is ISP -> 2.5Gbps Wired Router -> Punchdown --> WiFi Router LAN port (in Access Point mode).
It is actually possible but it depends on your ISP and the type of fiber connection you have (it has to be fiber directly to your house, with a dumb “Fiber Media Converter” (ONT) that simply converts fiber to RJ45 before going into your ISP provided router).
You can then connect the RJ45 port of the media converter directly to your switch bypassing the router, then add the router in the second switch port just like any other device. From the routers perspective it will think it’s connected directly to the fiber converter.
It’s absolutely not advised because the topology is awful, but it is possible. I’ve done it when I’ve needed to dial the PPPOE fiber from both my router and my server separately and directly.
logically it MUST be: ISP->router->all of your other devices.
physically you can TECHNICALLY do what you’re wanting by using VLANs to emulate the above order. But if you’re able to run 2 cables from the basement to the preferred router location then thats a much better solution. one would be used for ISP to router and other would be router back down to the switch for everything else. sadly with your current hardware its NOT possible for a single device to get 2.5Gb to the internet, but if you have a NAS or something inside your network they still could to that based on what you said.