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Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup

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Bruce Horrocks <07.013@scorecrow.com> wrote:
> On 26/07/2020 10:08, Graham J wrote:
> 
>>> I think the main problem, now, is perhaps the PlusNet Hub, which is
>>> inflexible in setup options. However, now I understand that all a little
>>> better, thank you, at least I know where I can start looking if anything
>>> does go wrong.
>> 
>> The limitations of the Plusnet router are not very relevant here.  The 
>> only possible problem you have is that double-NAT might cause some 
>> websites to break (things like VoIP or video conferencing) in which case 
>> using a router that can be configured in Modem mode, or configuring the 
>> Mesh master device as an access point only, rather than a router - these 
>> might be your options.
>> 
>> There's nothing in the Mesh documentation to explain how you would 
>> disable the router function of the Mesh master device; but in essence 
>> you would simply give it a static IP address in the Plusnet router's 
>> subnet then turn off its DHCP server.  You would do this using a 
>> computer connected by Ethernet to the Mesh master device, then once 
>> configured, connect the mesh master device to the Plusnet router by 
>> Ethernet cable.  Other routers can be configured as access points or 
>> simple network switches using this technique; it remains to be seen 
>> whether the Mesh device can be.
> 
> I don't think this is Andy's setup. The details in the thread are 
> scattered and incomplete but what I think he has is:
> 
> Plusnet Hub One (PHO) connected to the phoneline/Internet in normal 
> router mode[1]. These things have the usual 4xLAN and 1xWAN 
> wired-Ethernet/RJ45 sockets on the back. The master mesh must therefore 
> be connected to one of the LAN ports and other laptops/PCs to the 
> others. The WAN port should be empty. (If not then it might auto-detect 
> and become another LAN port.)
> 
> The PHO is set to use subnet 192.168.1.0/24, with a gateway address of 
> 192.168.1.254 and has DHCP configured to issue addresses in the range 
> 50..100.
> 
> The Mercusys, because it is connected by Ethernet, gets allocated (by 
> the PHO's DHCP) address 192.168.1.x where x might vary. It provides WiFi 
> and devices that connect by WiFi get allocated addresses in the range 
> 192.168.0.101..199. Note that this is a different network to the PHO 
> (provided they are both /24s).
> 
> So, provided the Mercusys has its default gateway set to 192.168.1.254 
> then it should all more or less work. This isn't double NATing because o 
> the two different networks in use - x.y.0.0 versus x.y.1.0. And the two 
> DHCP servers doesn't matter because, again, they are serving separate 
> subnets.
> 
> Of course, if Andy has typo'd one of those network addresses then all 
> bets are off!

No, all of that looks about spot on to me.

> So, to summarise, if the above is correct:
> - wired devices plugged into the PHO are on network 192.168.1.0/24 and 
> should have their default gateway set to 192.168.1.254
> - wifi devices are on network 192.168.0.0/24 and should have their 
> default gateway set to (I presume) 192.168.0.1 (unless the Mercusys 
> manual says otherwise)
> - wired devices connected directly into mesh units should be treated as 
> WiFi connected

Looks good so far, exactly what I have here.  A BT/Humax YouView TV box is
connected and working perfectly fine using Ethernet off the Mesh box, and
indeed so did my iMac, but I’ve left that on WiFi now, as I didn’t see much
point in having another level in the connection.

> And finally, to HomeSharing... If the Mac hosting the media is connected 
> by wire to the PHO and the Apple TV is on WiFi, or vice versa, then ... 
> <drum roll> I'm not sure if it is a supported configuration or not!

Yeah, other way round it was, my iMac is on the Mesh WiFi, and the Apple TV
is/was Ethernet to the PHO.

> According to Apple, HomeSharing just needs Internet connectivity (to 
> allow the AppleID to be checked) and connectivity to the media source 
> (which you have). However the latter may also need to be via the same 
> LAN segment (to let Bonjour or similar) work (which this config doesn't 
> have).

OK, understood.

> So, both on wired or both on Ethernet will work.

Yes, that seems to be working that way.

> In the interests of simplicity and reduced hassle in the future, it 
> would probably be best to use just a single LAN; let the PHO be the DHCP 
> source for that LAN; and re-configure the mesh master to do wifi only.

Sigh, yes, that was the result I was trying to get to, but attempting to
configure the Mesh master to do that just results in me not being able to
connect to it, and having to do a hard reset to get it back to where it
was. According to the manual, I should just need to turn off the DHCP
server in the mesh system, but that resulted in WiFi being detected, but no
Internet connection. So I suspect it no longer talks to the PHO box, and
because of that, the Mesh admin won’t work either (it just display a ‘no
Internet’ error).

> HTH
> 
> [1] In one of the posts Andy wrote: "A quick check in the PN forums 
> confirms that it can’t be set to router only mode." I assume that was 
> meant to say "... can't be set to modem mode".

Yes, sorry, that was a silly brain-freeze thing.

So, if I can’t get the Mesh to work as an AP only, then perhaps my thought
of trying the TP-Link modem/router I got might work instead, PN do allow
you to use a third party modem/router, so as long as I can configure that
to modem only, it should sort everything out.

Although, the Mesh WiFi seems fast and stable enough, that the point has
become moot really. I’m at a stage where it’s all kind of working, so
probably better just to leave as is.

I still can’t get everything directly connected to the Mesh as there aren’t
enough ports for the devices that have Ethernet only, but they don’t need
to connect to the rest of the network, only the Internet, which works fine
off the PHO.

Cheers.

-- 
Andy H

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Thread

Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-25 09:55 +0000
  Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2020-07-25 20:45 +0100
    Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-25 20:53 +0000
      Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2020-07-25 22:29 +0100
        Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-25 22:12 +0000
          Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-25 22:42 +0000
          Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2020-07-26 08:05 +0100
            Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-26 07:49 +0000
              Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2020-07-26 10:08 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-26 12:07 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2020-07-26 12:47 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Bruce Horrocks <07.013@scorecrow.com> - 2020-07-26 20:43 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Jaimie Vandenbergh <jaimie@usually.sessile.org> - 2020-07-26 20:47 +0000
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-26 20:47 +0000
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Bruce Horrocks <07.013@scorecrow.com> - 2020-07-26 22:49 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2020-07-27 10:42 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-27 15:00 +0000
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2020-07-27 16:35 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-27 16:05 +0000
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2020-07-27 17:32 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Bruce Horrocks <07.013@scorecrow.com> - 2020-07-27 22:04 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2020-07-27 23:10 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-28 16:28 +0000
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-28 16:30 +0000
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Graham J <nobody@nowhere.co.uk> - 2020-07-28 17:59 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-28 18:39 +0000
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Savageduck <savageduck1@{REMOVESPAM}me.com> - 2020-07-28 12:14 -0700
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-28 19:23 +0000
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Savageduck <savageduck1@{REMOVESPAM}me.com> - 2020-07-28 13:37 -0700
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Bruce Horrocks <07.013@scorecrow.com> - 2020-07-28 22:30 +0100
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Andy Hewitt <thewildrover@icloud.com> - 2020-07-28 21:45 +0000
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Savageduck <savageduck1@{REMOVESPAM}me.com> - 2020-07-28 15:03 -0700
                Re: Homesharing problems, maybe network setup Bernd Froehlich <befr@eaglesoft.de> - 2020-07-29 06:38 +0000

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