Hi, 

 

so I was wondering if i can improve my setup with managed switch with separate VLANs.

 

Here's my current setup:

1) ISP provided MediaConverted (MC) from SFP-> UTP

2) Main Deco M5 (D1) connected to MC

3) Unmanaged TP-Link switch (US) connected to D1 on port 2

4) 2x Deco M5 (D2,D3) connected to US

 

remarks: Main deco D1, is in PPPoE and VLAN configured to Tag 848 as this is requirement of ISP.

 

 

(Internet) --- MC --- D1 --- US --- D1

                                \-- D2

 

It works well enough but the D1 is situated in a dark room with concrete walls and sometimes fast roaming switches a node (iphone) to this deco which has very bad signal and renders it unusable

 

 

Option A)

So my option how to improve this is to put cable router (CR) connected to MC -- CR -- US with PPPoE and VLAN tag handled on the rouret and put all of 3 decos on ethernet backhaul in AP mode. This would however lose all routing through deco with parental controls etc. I don't want to lose that :(

 

                             /-- D3

(Internet) -- MC -- CR -- US --- D1

                             \-- D2

 

 

Option B)

My next option is (this is just a theory and that's why im writing here):

get rid of the US and replace it with Managed Switch (MS). Connect D1 to it via cable and use this one cable as WAN and LAN at the same time (this is what i don't think is possible and I'm asking here)

 

Setting the MS in a way that port 1 and 2 would be configured in one VLAN, and ports 2,3,4 in second VLAN (yes port 2 is in both VLANs that is port to D1). so in theory the D1 would communicate with MC on the same cable as with the other decos D2 and D3. but all in separate VLANs so there would be no network loop. yes. it would be ineficient as D2 would route all packets through D1 to MC but i'd say that is negledable as I'm using Cat7 cables iwth gbit routers/switches.

 

                         /-- D3

(Internet) --- MC --- MS --- D1

                         \-- D2

 

I'm 99% sure it is not possible as deco would not want to communicate via the same port for WAN/LAN but could it be done?

 

Also is there any option that you would suggest without loosing deco routing?

 

Thanks