Questions about upgrading home network - adding a switch

[silk186]

I'm currently in a 3-bedroom flat in Beijing with a good internet connection. The internet guy came and installed 3 Huawei wifi6+ 3000M routers (China telecom branded models). The internet comes out of the back of a wardrobe in the living room to a modem and into the first router, and the other two routers plug into the first. The installation guy was not talkative and just asked which rooms I wanted connected, with a maximum of two additional points.

 

I would like to add a 2.5GbE switch and 8 bay NAS. I would like to know how these should be connected. Modem > stitch > 3x routers? 

 

 

[Blue4130]

53 minutes ago, silk186 said:

I'm currently in a 3-bedroom flat in Beijing with a good internet connection. The internet guy came and installed 3 Huawei wifi6+ 3000M routers (China telecom branded models). The internet comes out of the back of a wardrobe in the living room to a modem and into the first router, and the other two routers plug into the first. The installation guy was not talkative and just asked which rooms I wanted connected, with a maximum of two additional points.

 

I would like to add a 2.5GbE switch and 8 bay NAS. I would like to know how these should be connected. Modem > stitch > 3x routers? 

 

 

 

 

It depends how you have the boxes set up, The black box is a combo unit (ont/router) and if it is doing the routing, then you can go black box, switch, other boxes. The white huawei boxes, do they do routing or are they just access points? If they are routers, you should switch them to AP mode.

[RollyShed]

1 hour ago, silk186 said:

 I would like to know how these should be connected. Modem > stitch > 3x routers?

Basically as Blue4130 says, modem/router > switch

The question is what is the black box actually doing?

I have used a modem/router as a switch. This means all of its ability to send out coding is switched off. We use one elsewhere to provide WiFi to the office as the signal come from a distance and into a switch. One of the switch's outputs goes to a modem/router with all coding OFF so it works as a switch would except one of the outputs is via WiFi..

[silk186]

i was hoping for a simple answer but I guess it isn't that easy to figure out. The black box is for sure a modem, but I was unsure why router 2 and 3 were plugged into router 1. I would think it is set up as a mesh network but I'm not sure if that is related or if it was just easier.

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, silk186 said:

i was hoping for a simple answer but I guess it isn't that easy to figure out. The black box is for sure a modem, but I was unsure why router 2 and 3 were plugged into router 1. I would think it is set up as a mesh network but I'm not sure if that is related or if it was just easier.

Can't you log in to the boxes and see how they are configured? Make sure that the black box is set to DHCP and the others are in bridge mode or have DHCP turned off. 

[Falcon1986]

10 hours ago, silk186 said:

I would like to add a 2.5GbE switch and 8 bay NAS. I would like to know how these should be connected. Modem > stitch > 3x routers?

That black box from the ISP is an ONT or fibre gateway, not really a modem. It should have a built-in router. Where you put the switch will depend on what you want to achieve.

 

If all you want to do is be able to transfer files between your PC and NAS at 2.5Gbps, which are in close proximity to each other, link them with Cat6/6a ethernet cable to the switch with regular gigabit uplink to one of the other "routers". Only the connection between your PC and the NAS will be at 2.5Gbps (provided you have NICs on both ends that support this speed).

 

If, on the other hand, you want 2.5Gbps between the NAS and other wired devices at different locations in the house, then you'll need to put the switch further upstream in the network; perhaps after the first router. But keep in mind that if these other wired devices are connecting through the gigabit links of the 2nd and 3rd "routers", that will be their maximum speed: gigabit!

 

Just a side comment: Next time, ask the technician questions even if they don't volunteer giving information. If you're not comfortable logging into the different points in the node to find out, this will be the only way you'll know. This setup could be properly set up [gateway in bridge mode > AX3 (#1) in router mode > AX3 (#2 and #3) in AP mode] or could be hodge-podge of triple-NAT.

 

Also, try to see if you or the technician can tidy up the clutter. Cable management. Obviously, don't bend/break any of the fiber optic cables! Heat-producing electronics like these won't last long locked up in a tight space. Plus, WiFi signals can be severely attenuated making you think that you need more APs, when in fact, optimum placement usually solves the problem.

[RollyShed]

On 10/5/2022 at 5:19 AM, Falcon1986 said:

Plus, WiFi signals can be severely attenuated making you think that you need more APs, when in fact, optimum placement usually solves the problem.

I had a friend who went into a new house. The modem/router was in the switch box with the rest of the electrical RCDs etc. Obviously no WiFi because it was in a shielded metal box. We cut a hole in the door and stuck the modem/router's aerial end out of the box.

 

The pictures by the OP show things in a metal box. If they have to be in there replace he door with a wooden one or remove the door and tidy things up if you want WiFi around the house.