Bit of a weird issue, and I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but here goes....
I've just started using three Deco M5 mesh things to increase the house Wi-Fi coverage. One of connected via ethernet to my router, and the others are all wireless to that.
One in the office upstairs has a NAS and a camera connected to it via it's ethernet ports.
I realised that the Mesh system created a new subnet (192.168.68.x). My router - and things connected via ethernet to it - are on 192.168.1.x. This means that I'm finding it hard to communicate with devices across subnets.
For example - I cannot remotely connect to Plex on the NAS as it's on a different subnet to the router. The cameras all connect and record to the NAS as they're on the same subnet.
Any ideas what I can do? I can put the Deco M5s into access point mode, but that means anything connected to them via ethernet (I.e. Cameras and NAS) are not accessible at all.
Anyone encountered this before? Am sure there's a simple answer!
Comments
Then connect your base D5 to a cheap network switch that you can add those devices to.
I don't use the wifi on the router, so have disabled it.
It has two modes - Router mode or Access Point mode. If it's in AP mode (so no subnet created), any device connected to a Mesh unit will not be recognised - which is no good for me, so I have to use it in router mode. I tested it with the router DHCP off and the M5 in AP mode - same problem happened with it not being recognised by the router as a connected device.
I'm not guaranteeing this to work but it's what I'd try. You may still have an issue getting through the NAT on the mesh router though.
As a side note it seems the 'user manual' available on the manufacturer's website doesn't actually detail all the available settings. It was only through looking at the FAQ for the difference between router and AP mode that I saw the options for the LAN IP and DHCP server.
Also as someone previously stated you would expect AP mode to relay DHCP requests back to your main router. Very strange that it doesn't.
Anyway hopefully the above may help with your issue?
I'll go check the docs, but it sounds to me like it should be in AP mode, with DHCP enabled on your normal router.
You definitely don't want the TP-Link acting as a router unless it's you're only router, otherwise you're effectively creating a Russian doll network, and it'll never work the way you want it to.
Apologies if this is egg-sucking, but basically for a domestic network you should have one source of DHCP which is also ideally the local DNS server and router so that both DNS and NetBIOS lookups go through a single point of contact that manages the lot, otherwise you'll end up having to dick about with hosts files, or reserving IPs for everything and hard-coding them etc.
If you introduce a second router you're basically ring-fencing anything "behind" it from the rest of the LAN unless it's a really, really proper router and fully configurable, and these most likely aren't.
I'll away to look up the docs ...
And as mentioned, if I disable the DHCP on the router, and have the M5 in router mode, the M5 connected to the main router isn't recognised.
Apologies - my knowledge of networking is fairly limited!
You want the first config, and the devices should be recognised if it's done right (helpful, eh?). It looks like you need to link your M5 into your existing wifi, rather than run its own SSID.
Basically, it should all be integrated as one big system. If it isn't, you're going to have aggro. In essence, networking is really simple, but it can be a bugger to explain, and most people generally only have the lightbulb moment after going through a few pain sessions in different scenarios.
Unfortunately I don't know the Deco devices (and I'm not mad keen on TP-Link in general, although it's often best-of-budget).
What's your original router? If you can put that into a pass-through mode then you can use the Deco units with one as the router and the others as satellites (under no circumstances do you want all three acting as routers).
Have you tried doing what it says in the FAQ here?
That's what I would expect you to need to do in order to add the Deco devices as additional/improved wireless coverage to an existing network.
I meant IP Address.
Without physically being there, or having direct experience of the Deco, it's a bit tricky to know where to go.
Based on reading around their site I would (and this may be what you've done):
Beyond that for my little brain I'd need to be there in order to test things interactively and go delving into settings etc.