RBR50/RBS50 Ethernet Backhaul Question

[Atko]

Can someone help me understand how the Guest network is backhauled over ethernet on the stock Orbi? Or does it even use the ethernet backhaul for the Guest network?

 

[Tech9]

on the stock Orbi

Expensive Orbi Pro series use VLANs for network segmentation. They even allow user configuration of VLANs. Cheaper Orbi models perhaps also use VLAN for Guest Network, but under the hood and with no user control.

 

[Atko]

That makes sense, although it's makes it rather complicated, the satellites and the master would need to know the physical network layout before it could start forwarding packets around. Presumably the proprietary Netgear daemons take care of that as well as detecting which switch ports are trunk ports?

Just trying to figure out the best/easiest strategy for implementing guest networking on a pure OpenWrt implementation and I am still leaning towards individual GRE tunnels from each satellite back to the master where I can attach them all to a Guest bridge.

 

[Tech9]

In Pro versions you have some VLANs preconfigured. In smaller Orbi perhaps they are just set in firmware and not exposed in settings.

 

[Atko]

In the RBR50/RBS50 if it uses VLANs, it's transparent to the end user.

 

[Tech9]

You may need an AP with native VLAN support. This is a common issue with home routers used as APs to routers/firewalls.

 

[Atko]

You may need an AP with native VLAN support. This is a common issue with home routers used as APs to routers/firewalls.

I belive it does have native VLAN support, it's just not in the stock firmware's UI. If you use the snapshot version of OpenWrt, you can see the switch/VLAN configuration in LUCI. I am just looking for an easy button with OpenWrt

 

[Tech9]

Oh, you have OpenWrt on RBR50? I didn't know it exists. Does it run on the satellite as well?

 

[Atko]

Oh yes, it's so much better with stock OpenWrt. I have it running across my network 1 router and 5 satellites. I posted about it here.