TP-Link as main with Zyxel LTE7480 outdoor router/antenna - don't get it

[JM98]

I use the TP-link VR2800 as my main DSL router.

as my broadband is intermittent, I have bought a Zyxel LTE7480 outdoor router/antenna and want to connect this to the TP-LINK.



I want to keep the TP-Link as my main router and have therefor DHCP activated there and have switched it off on the Zyxel.

I have given the xyzel a fixed IP of 192.168.1.10 and switched on ip-passthrough (seems to be the equivalent of bridge mode in order to avoid a double nat issue when it is on router mode?)

Not sure what to do at the TP-Link side

no matter if i leave it in mode 1 (DSL router mode) or mode 2 Wifi router mode) or when I connect the zyxel to the WAN or LAN port on the TP-Link, i cannot get this to work.



Would anyone be willing to give my advice to get this going?



What I wnat is to be able to plug in my DSLwhen it works but have my zyxel as a back up. Even better would be if both could be connected and perhaps the DSL connection bound to a single lan port out. (as I have seperate guest accomodation which would then be served by that).



I have now tried almost everything but have to stop fiddeling each time my guests are back or when my wife goes online for work...



I did get the 4g router working through the tp-link a few times but for some odd reason not everything worked correctly over wifi (but ethernet connection -seemed to -orked ok)



summary of setup:



TP-link VR2800 in house connected to BT DSL

a couple of RE650 around the house to extend (shame no mesh)

Also a switch connected to ethernet sockets around the house.

In the guest accomodation I have an Archer C58 with a guest Wifi ssid setup.with a LAN cable connecting the wto archers via LAN ports



Hope some one can help, after hours of youtube and google, I am at a loss.



many thanks!

Jaap

 

[Firegod]

I tried the IP Passthrough on my Zyxel into my Orbi RBK752 kit. So a similar situation to you. I couldn't get it to work either, but I only spent a few minutes trying to be fair. Also, I tried putting the Orbi into ap mode but I didn't like that as it was too cut down. You lose the ability to alter simple things like the WiFi transmit power (which I don't get why that can't remain?). And a few other settings which just seemed odd to me.

Anywho... so in the end, I keep both devices in router mode as thankfully both have the option to turn off the NAT feature. So I just turned the NAT off on the Orbi, to fix any double NAT'ing issues. Then just a few other tweaks. I actually keep DHCP enabled on both devices, as the Zyxel has no WiFi enabled and no physical devices are connected to it. Everything in the house is WiFi and so connects via the Orbi WiFi6 Mesh unit. Some extra things I had to do:

1. Enable RIPv2 routing on both the Orbi and Zyxel (as we are technically running 2 routers on the network. There was a reason I did this as something wasn't right in one of the admin consoles, but after turning RIPv2 on for both units it fixed the issue).
2. Set the WAN port to respond to PING on the Orbi (otherwise I couldn't ping the Zyxel)
3. Plumb in the Zyxel details into the WAN/Internet port settings of the Orbi. So a static WAN IP (I just picked one number higher than the Zyxel GW IP), Subnet Mask and GW IP of the Zyxel.

With regards to having two active internet connections, I guess you would need a switch(?) to help with this and then you'd have to set some form of static route. But my network skills aren't the best, a lot of the time I just work it out through fiddling and I find drawing out diagrams helps.

 

[JM98]

many thanks, now tried that and had no luck at all. lost track of all the changes and was unable to get the BT DSL up and running for my guests, so had to do factory reset of the TPlink and now have that at least back and running.
STill at a complete loss how to get the 4G router working nicely with my network.

Ideally I will be able to switch back to BT DSL with minimal settings changes whenever required.

A lot more reading and hopefully I will come accords a guide somewhere. very demotivation as the 4G router works really well..