Use G1100 or G3100 as a WiFi router not connected to ONT?
glnzglnz
Contributor - Level 3
 
I have a G1100 and a G3100. I'll have to return one of them to Vz in a few weeks, but meantime one of them could be very handy for my wife's temporary project.

Will either model work as a WiFi router if its WAN is NOT connected to an ONT but instead is connected to the landlord's ethernet socket that connects to the internet? My wife will be renting a mini-office for a month, and the landlord provides internet access to an ethernet socket in the wall. Not Vz FIOS.

So if I connect the WAN (ONT) side of the G1100 or G3100 to that socket, will I get typical WiFi router service in the room? So my wife's wireless and wired devices can connect to the internet and each other (typical small LAN)?

Any special settings needed?

Thanks !!!
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Re: Use G1100 or G3100 as a WiFi router not connected to ONT?
Cang_Household
Community Leader
Community Leader

@glnz2 wrote:
Will either model work as a WiFi router if its WAN is NOT connected to an ONT but instead is connected to the landlord's ethernet socket that connects to the internet?

So if I connect the WAN (ONT) side of the G1100 or G3100 to that socket, will I get typical WiFi router service in the room?

Yes, and yes. Although this setup would double NAT the network, it should work as long as you change the router's LAN to a different network segment of your landlords.

The other way would be disabling the WAN (broadband) connection on your router and layer 2-bridge your "router" to the landlords' network. This would require you to disable the LAN DHCP server on the router. In this scenario, the "router" really becomes a layer 2 switch and a layer 2 access point.

Re: Use G1100 or G3100 as a WiFi router not connected to ONT?
glnzglnz
Contributor - Level 3

   

Cang Household - I think I understand what you mean.

For what it's worth, seven years ago I set up my wife's first office with this same landlord (the same network) by putting a Westell 7500 Verizon DSL modem-router into "routed bridge" mode, which turns its "VersaPort" socket into a WAN socket, and I did exactly what I'm describing above for the G1100 or G3100. It has worked for seven years ... so far.

So I'm hopeful the same idea will work again with the G1100 or G3100 as I've described it.

HOWEVER ... if I discover problems (like double-NAT restricting Zoom, which is our motive for taking the temporary added room from this landlord) and I want to follow your alternative of " layer 2-bridge your 'router' to the landlords' network", how exactly do I do that? Given my little knowledge, it sounds like a "switch plus WiFi". How would I do that with each of the G1100 and G3100?

Many thanks.

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Re: Use G1100 or G3100 as a WiFi router not connected to ONT?
glnzglnz
Contributor - Level 3

 
I just learned something new about the situation.

The temp office where I want to set this up is now its own VLAN. In other words, the landlord's own network will already treat my devices as in their own group, yes? The landlord's system will do the DHCP for my devices only, yes?

So maybe I don't need a router? Maybe I need an access point that connects to the landlord's network by ethernet and has BOTH WiFi and ethernet sockets for my devices in the room.

How do I find that? On Amazon, I'm not finding exactly what I'm describing.

Or how do I convert my G1100 or G3100 to be this (temporarily)?

Thanks.

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Re: Use G1100 or G3100 as a WiFi router not connected to ONT?
Cang_Household
Community Leader
Community Leader

@glnz2 wrote:

The temp office where I want to set this up is now its own VLAN. In other words, the landlord's own network will already treat my devices as in their own group, yes? The landlord's system will do the DHCP for my devices only, yes?


No, and maybe. The Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) has the sole purpose of isolating two or more networks: the landlord's main network and the tenants' network(s). Unless the landlord enables inter-VLAN routing for your VLAN, your devices cannot access any devices on other networks. For DHCP, your landlord needs to enable DHCP server for your VLAN.


@glnz2 wrote:

So maybe I don't need a router? Maybe I need an access point that connects to the landlord's network by ethernet and has BOTH WiFi and ethernet sockets for my devices in the room.

You don't need a router even if the ethernet socket is not on a separate VLAN. All you need a layer 2 switch for more ethernet connections and an access point. A wireless router can do this job since it typically embeds a 4-port layer 2 switch and an access point. You are just abandoning the very function that makes the device a "router."

For a switch and access point combo, there is plenty of choice online. You should search something like WiFi extenders with ethernet ports. Actiontec/Verizon offers WCB3000N ($25 Ebay, 175Mbps WiFi, 900Mbps ethernet switching), WCB6200Q ($75 Ebay, ~350Mbps WiFi), and E3200 ($200) that can serve your purpose. They only has two ethernet ports each (minus one for uplink), probably not enough for you? You can always add a cheap layer 2 switch for more ports. Or, you can try the overkill solution of buying a Cisco Business 145AC for $150 on Amazon with 4 ethernet ports and 802.11ac.

You can use your existing routers too. Just go to My Networks -> Network Connections -> Broadband Connection (ethernet/coax) -> Disable. Then My Networks -> Network Connections -> Network (Home/Office) -> Settings -> IP address distribution -> Disable. Plug the ethernet socket to one the LAN ports, then you should be good to go.

Re: Use G1100 or G3100 as a WiFi router not connected to ONT?
glnzglnz
Contributor - Level 3

Dear Cang Household - many thanks again for good info.

You wrote at the end,


You can use your existing routers too. Just go to My Networks -> Network Connections -> Broadband Connection (ethernet/coax) -> Disable. Then My Networks -> Network Connections -> Network (Home/Office) -> Settings -> IP address distribution -> Disable. Plug the ethernet socket to one the LAN ports, then you should be good to go.

A few questions if I follow your steps:

  1. Will the router's WiFi stay on as a LAN link to my WiFi devices?
  2. I should connect the landlord's ethernet socket to one of my router's LAN ports and not to its WAN port?
  3. I can start these steps by connecting my laptop to one of the router's LAN ports and going to its embedded web server (EWS) at 192.168.1.1 and signing on with the password printed on the router's label.  But when I finish these steps, will I lose my access to the EWS itself?
  4. You mentioned "layer-2 switch".  I have (for other purposes) purchased the TP-Link TL-SG105 5-port switch for about $16.  Is that a "layer-2 switch"?

Thanks.

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Re: Use G1100 or G3100 as a WiFi router not connected to ONT?
Cang_Household
Community Leader
Community Leader

1. Yes. The access point is a layer 2-bridged device. You can think of an access point on a wireless router as a standalone access point that is being plugged into one of the LAN port of the router.

2. Yes. Unless you want to triple NAT the network for longer ping time and delay.

3. You need to find out what's your VLAN's network ID and the subnet mask. Then, you need to first connect one of the router's LAN port to a computer, configure the computer to be on the subnet as the router, and log into the router through 192.168.1.1, and change the router's LAN address to a VLAN network address. Once you clicked "Save," the router will no longer be accessible by the computer unless you configure the computer to be on the same subnet as the router again. I recommend you to configure other settings before changing the router's LAN address.

4. All ethernet switches (except hubs) are layer 2, 2+, or 3 switches. A higher layer switch can be used for a lower layer purpose. (You can use a layer 3 switch for layer 2 purpose and waste all the VLAN routing functions.) Your TL-SG105 is a layer 2 switch (technically layer 2*, * for supporting IGMP snooping). The switch behind your ethernet socket is probably a layer 3 or layer 2+ switch. This discussion about different layers of switch is probably unnecessary. It pops into my mind when you mention the landlord does VLANs for the tenants.

Re: Use G1100 or G3100 as a WiFi router not connected to ONT?
glnzglnz
Contributor - Level 3

Dear Cang Household -

Many thanks again, but your #3 is way beyond my experience.

I'll be doing this on the G3100, which I have never used.  Fresh out of the box.

Any chance you can give me step by step?

And how to reset the G3100 back to default if it all goes kablooey?

Thanks.

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