Shared House Cheap way to Separate Networks

Cooners · 27 Sep 2017 at 22:16

Hi

Does anyone know the cheapest way to go about setting up the network in our shared house so we arn't all on the same network.
It's only become an issue since a few of us started getting smart bulbs etc and others decided it would be funny to turn them on and off at 3am (it's bad enough that they've worked out Amazon echos are sensitive enough to work from the floor above). This has now got quite bad and things like using apps2fire to delete apps on people's fire sticks keep happening or jumping into one person's open file shares on his laptop (all done in jest but it's annoying all the same).
We won't be allowed to change the home hub for a different router unfortunately, the best I can think of is some sort of switch and access point with 5 ports at least and the ability to set up VLANS then it will allow everyone to have there own SSID and if we can get away with it run CAT5 to each person's room so they can have a wired connection should they need it.

Hyburnate · 27 Sep 2017 at 22:32

Cooners said:
Hi

Does anyone know the cheapest way to go about setting up the network in our shared house so we arn't all on the same network.
It's only become an issue since a few of us started getting smart bulbs etc and others decided it would be funny to turn them on and off at 3am (it's bad enough that they've worked out Amazon echos are sensitive enough to work from the floor above). This has now got quite bad and things like using apps2fire to delete apps on people's fire sticks keep happening or jumping into one person's open file shares on his laptop (all done in jest but it's annoying all the same).
We won't be allowed to change the home hub for a different router unfortunately, the best I can think of is some sort of switch and access point with 5 ports at least and the ability to set up VLANS then it will allow everyone to have there own SSID and if we can get away with it run CAT5 to each person's room so they can have a wired connection should they need it.

Without a VLAN sensitive router you're going to still have issues. How about grow the **** up?

Can you not just put the home hub in modem only mode, whack an Edge Router in and give everyone their own vlan?

bremen1874 · 27 Sep 2017 at 23:41

The home hub doesn't have a modem mode, so if it needs to stay you'll be double NATing (not necessarily the end of the world) if you connect a router behind it.

If you're mainly interested in isolating yourself you can get any wireless router with an Ethernet WAN port and plug it into one of the home hub's LAN ports. It's crude, and doesn't scale very well, but it would work.

ScoTTyBEEE · 28 Sep 2017 at 09:46

Separate 2.4 and 5ghz wireless.

Hyburnate · 28 Sep 2017 at 09:52

bremen1874 said:
The home hub doesn't have a modem mode, so if it needs to stay you'll be double NATing (not necessarily the end of the world) if you connect a router behind it.

If you're mainly interested in isolating yourself you can get any wireless router with an Ethernet WAN port and plug it into one of the home hub's LAN ports. It's crude, and doesn't scale very well, but it would work.

Are you sure? I know I've worked with the business hubs and they definitely do.

In this case, double NAT it is!

ScoTTyBEEE said:
Separate 2.4 and 5ghz wireless.

They're still going to be L2 Discoverable and routable so it's not going to change anything.

GeX · 28 Sep 2017 at 10:41

If it's 'all done in jest', then point out it isn't funny anymore and everyone needs to grow up.

Avalon · 28 Sep 2017 at 11:35

If everyone is connecting via Wi-fi then an AP that supports VLAN’s is probably a good idea. As to open shares then if you don’t want to share it, restrict access - that’s pretty obvious. My personal preference would be something from the Unifi range.

bremen1874 · 28 Sep 2017 at 11:40

VLAN support on the access point isn't going to do much on its own.

Cooners · 28 Sep 2017 at 12:23

Forgot the router needed to support VLAN's (it's been a while since I've done anything with VLANs).
Guess I might have to go down the second router path if it's the only thing that'll work and see how that pans out.
The unsecured laptops isn't me but I was asked about it by another housemate.
It would make sense to tell them to grow up but won't happen.

Orcvader · 28 Sep 2017 at 15:06

Double NAT sounds like the cheapest option but some devices like consoles won't like it. Router side VLAN with an AP that allows you to have more than with SSID each to a different VLAN will be the best option but of course will be expensive as well.

Avalon · 28 Sep 2017 at 15:31

Orcvader said:
Double NAT sounds like the cheapest option but some devices like consoles won't like it. Router side VLAN with an AP that allows you to have more than with SSID each to a different VLAN will be the best option but of course will be expensive as well.

A cheap Unifi AP will run about £35-45 used, more than capable of doing exactly what is required, an AC variant is slightly more, but even if buying new spread over a few people is a small price to pay.

Cooners · 28 Sep 2017 at 17:25

Avalon said:
A cheap Unifi AP will run about £35-45 used, more than capable of doing exactly what is required, an AC variant is slightly more, but even if buying new spread over a few people is a small price to pay.

Will that not still require changing the router to something that supports VLAN'S?
I'm tempted to just shell out for a decent router (used to use Drayteks at work and those worked well) bit I'm unsure if the lead tenet will let me do it considering he the one who's in charge of the router and strated this stupid game in the first place.

bremen1874 · 29 Sep 2017 at 00:07

It'll certainly need to be connected to something that supports VLANs.

If I was in that situation I'd just create my own private network and let everyone else get on with it. You'd need a connection back to the primary router but that could be wired, Powerline or wireless.

You could create a nice VLAN based system but someone then needs to manage it. In a shared house everyone should be admin, and if one of them wants to play then they'll play and you'll be back at square one.

Cooners · 29 Sep 2017 at 16:17

bremen1874 said:
It'll certainly need to be connected to something that supports VLANs.

If I was in that situation I'd just create my own private network and let everyone else get on with it. You'd need a connection back to the primary router but that could be wired, Powerline or wireless.

You could create a nice VLAN based system but someone then needs to manage it. In a shared house everyone should be admin, and if one of them wants to play then they'll play and you'll be back at square one.

Probably the best option tbh, was just trying to come up with a solution that worked for everyone. I should know this but how would I go about just creating my own private network without double NATing? I'm lucky that the router just happens to be in my room anyway.

bremen1874 · 29 Sep 2017 at 16:29

You can't if that router needs to stay.

Cooners · 29 Sep 2017 at 18:55

bremen1874 said:
You can't if that router needs to stay.

Didn't think so. Trouble is even if I talk them into changing the router the second one of them has an issue with a game disconnecting or a day the connection is slow they'll shout they want the old router back, looks like I'm out of options.

a1ex2001 · 6 Oct 2017 at 05:26

Cooners said:
Didn't think so. Trouble is even if I talk them into changing the router the second one of them has an issue with a game disconnecting or a day the connection is slow they'll shout they want the old router back, looks like I'm out of options.

Find some adults to live with?