Netgear RAX200 network setup guidance

[bob123456]

Hi,
So apparently I'm going to receive that RAX200 by post today, the shop will deliver the order after all, despite weird stock information (after I ordered, the item in the shop shows available in April, 5 months later).

I see the specs and the ports here:

https://www.netgear.com/home/wifi/routers/rax200


So, it has no adsl port (which I expected).


Here is the problem, and I am trying to find guidance from this link, for example:
https://stevessmarthomeguide.com/home-router-setup/

I have a crappy ISP provided modem, lets call it A:
https://www.sunrise.ch/en/residenti....html?page=device/modems/sunrise-internet-box

I have currently B (R7000)
I will have C (RAX200).


I'm quite familiar with configuring these devices, but my network layout was/is stupid, and maybe it's time I invest some efforts in fixing it.

I can't configure that modem to be in bridge mode, there's no such option. Ideally I would get rid of it, or render it only useful for the modem feature. I don't want to inve...waste money in getting a basic modem.

What I would like is to only use the RAX200, I have several devices cabled, and several using wifi.

I think the way forward would be:
1) connect the RJ11 to A
2) connect a RJ45 cable from A WAN (red) to C WAN (yellow)

I'm not sure if I'm supposed to disable anything on the A device, turn off DHCP, etc... or simply the fact that it's connected only to WAN and to the router C, it will use none of the features?

Currently, my frankestein network is like this:
1) connect the RJ11 to A
2) A is connected to B using LAN cable
3) I have two dumb subnets, and some devices are 192.168.1.x, and some 192.168.2.X (the 2.x is the subnet on the router B).
I knew it was wrong but I never took the time to fix it, and I had directly connected some static ip devices to A, the DNS server, a physical rasperry pi device like 192.168.1.150, configured from A interface.


I used to have a cable modem, I simply set it in bridge mode, and used the router, it was much more simple.

Any easy to follow link or advice?
Thanks.,

Edit: something i'm not sure, for example, is if I set the DNS server from my pihole device, directly to the router C, will it work despite the fact that the modem A, is the one actually receiving the internet connection. Therefore, I'm not sure that plugin that DNS server to C, will have the DNS queries intercepted at the modem level, or at the ISP level. I mean that router will still be "in between C and internet", so it might use the ISP dns...

 

[thiggins]

What you propose is fine. Isn't it the way you have the R7000 configured now?

 

[bob123456]

What you propose is fine. Isn't it the way you have the R7000 configured now?

The forum bugged yesterday, was not able to reply.

No, currently it's a very weird setup, actually I even wondered what I did for long, and if I look at it, I would still do wonder...

I think I have two subnets, and weird setup. On the device A, the ISP box crap, I even have set the DNS server address to be that raspberry pi device.
Then I have the dns on the router B to be the device A, something weird (but I tested, it works and it does use that device).
I also have two weird subnets. 192.168.1.x and 192.168.2.x. Some devices are connected to A, some to B.

I want to get rid of A as much as possible.

I will try the WAN from A to WAN from C, and not use anything on the A.

 

[thiggins]

Your setup is not "weird". Since your modem is also a router, you must have different subnets on it and the router behind it.
Just let the modem serve DHCP and set the RAX200 WAN to use DHCP and you should be fine.
Make sure you shut off/don't use Wi-Fi, if there is any, on the modem. It will be on a different subnet and devices won't be able to communicate with those on the RAX200.

 

[bob123456]

Your setup is not "weird". Since your modem is also a router, you must have different subnets on it and the router behind it.
Just let the modem serve DHCP and set the RAX200 WAN to use DHCP and you should be fine.
Make sure you shut off/don't use Wi-Fi, if there is any, on the modem. It will be on a different subnet and devices won't be able to communicate with those on the RAX200.

Thanks, I will have to review that. The router RAX200 arrived yesterday, I am too tired to deal with it at the moment.
I wanted on purpose to avoid using anything from device A (modem), and to use DHCP and the rest only from the Router C (RAX200).
I don't want the modem to do anything in fact, beside the modem (the dsl bits)...

 

[thiggins]

You said in your first post that you can't put the modem in bridge mode. So you must deal with it as a router.
As long as all your devices connect to RAX200, you'll be fine. Don't use any other modem ports other than one cable to connect a modem LAN port to RAX200 WAN. And shut off/don't use modem Wi-Fi if it has any.

 

[bob123456]

You said in your first post that you can't put the modem in bridge mode. So you must deal with it as a router.
As long as all your devices connect to RAX200, you'll be fine. Don't use any other modem ports other than one cable to connect a modem LAN port to RAX200 WAN. And shut off/don't use modem Wi-Fi if it has any.

Yes, the problem is I don't want the crappy device A, to be the router.
I just had a call with the ISP, who told me bad information (I did found it suspicious last time), about the WAN port.
They claimed that to bypass the "router" and only use A as a modem, I had to connect WAN to WAN (A to C).

Now I called again because when I want to select the internet source from C (the RAX200), it asks for the credentials to login to the ISP. The poor support don't want to give them to me (they are understanding very little anyway). That's when now, they told me we should never plug anything to the WAN port of A. Then I saw one of their illustration on their support page, and apparently, WAN port for them is reserved for a setup where there is a "optical wall plug" (fiber?) and some converter device. See page 127, there is an illustration: https://www.sunrise.ch/content/dam/...anuel_Sunrise_Internet_Box_new_firmware_f.pdf
Clarification: So it seems that WAN port is intended to input XXX to the device A, and not to "output" the internet connection to C, bypassing the routing feature.


I have ADSL, or I should say VDSL.

For many reasons, including double nat, I want to simplify and use that A device as modem only, or with reduced functionnality, without having to bother much in its crappy interface...
Even UPNP is poor on that A device...

 

[bob123456]

Your setup is not "weird". Since your modem is also a router, you must have different subnets on it and the router behind it.
Just let the modem serve DHCP and set the RAX200 WAN to use DHCP and you should be fine.
Make sure you shut off/don't use Wi-Fi, if there is any, on the modem. It will be on a different subnet and devices won't be able to communicate with those on the RAX200.

I had to change things a bit.
Long story made short, the ISP does not let me use any other device (well they don't provide any login information and/or any help).

I ended up having to use that junk device.
So it's currently like this:
Device A (ISP modem) port 1 to Device C (RAX200) port 1 (=Lan to Lan).
Device A has static ip x.x.2.1. That also serves DHCP
Device C has static ip x.x.2.2. DHCP is off.

My pihole is connected to Device A (static ip x.x.2.3), and the DNS server is set to that + port redirection of dns to x.x.2.3).

That setup works but sucks, for example, the RAX200 is now dumb, and won't even detect it's connected to the internet and won't firmware update (I can only do offline updates).

I guess I could have done LAN TO WAN, but then the devices connected to device A would not connect, and I would have needed more RJ45 cables to put then to Device C...

Well for now it's going to be like that, since the bridge of DVC A is not possible and I can't even replace that dumb device (for now).

 

[ulaganath]

All i could see is ISP DSL modem is dialup modem cum router. As WAN only used for in and not out in most cases unless its configurable. You only need to get a lan out with DHCP reserved for the RAX wan port. When you set bridge mode the ISP modem will supply IP rather RAX.

It better be in route mode unless you can set the PPOE from RAX and modem can be configured to Bridge on LAN ports

Since thats not the case . You can set other than 192 series of your choice for the RAX say 200 or 100 . So all clients wired and wireless gets the RAX DHCP server address.

I think that solves the concerns. Its highly likely unless you have bought a VDSL router from Netgear say D7000 or D7800 which has built in VDSL feature.

Now thats too outdated fiber is way to go if you can get some best plan services available locally.

 

[bob123456]

All i could see is ISP DSL modem is dialup modem cum router. As WAN only used for in and not out in most cases unless its configurable. You only need to get a lan out with DHCP reserved for the RAX wan port. When you set bridge mode the ISP modem will supply IP rather RAX.

It better be in route mode unless you can set the PPOE from RAX and modem can be configured to Bridge on LAN ports

Since thats not the case . You can set other than 192 series of your choice for the RAX say 200 or 100 . So all clients wired and wireless gets the RAX DHCP server address.

I think that solves the concerns. Its highly likely unless you have bought a VDSL router from Netgear say D7000 or D7800 which has built in VDSL feature.

Now thats too outdated fiber is way to go if you can get some best plan services available locally.

There's no fiber where I live, no choice here.
The ISP is not allowing me to bridge their device (and I can't do it myself technically).

I do use the dhcp from the isp router, maybe thats why I can't connect properly to the RAX...
I mean it works but I can't update the device directly.

 

[ulaganath]

You can set RAX as router or AP . If you want to isolate network and connected devices to RAX then it will still get IP from ISP but internal devices connected to RAX will have sub network on the IP range you opt other than 192x series. You then can connect to RAX to manage the router.

With ISP limit or you have to opt for 4G based setup if you want full control. Else have to run with what you got.