Securifi Community Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: lmmmmm on June 06, 2014, 02:51:21 pm

Title: basic question on the almond +
Post by: lmmmmm on June 06, 2014, 02:51:21 pm
If i already have a cable modem can I plug the almond + into one of the ethernet ports on the back of the cable modem and run my home automation that way?
Title: Re: basic question on the almond +
Post by: LGNilsson on June 06, 2014, 10:39:19 pm
Yes, that will work, the Almond+ supports DHCP and it's how I'm using mine at home at the moment.
Title: Re: basic question on the almond +
Post by: Patrick Wilson on June 08, 2014, 07:33:43 pm
If i already have a cable modem can I plug the almond + into one of the ethernet ports on the back of the cable modem and run my home automation that way?

The short answer is "Yes",  however your reference to "one of the ethernet ports",  suggests that your ISP device isn't a Modem at all,  and is in fact a Modem/Router Combo device. 

What Make/Model of device are we talking about here?  I could probably provide a more thorough answer if you provided more information.  (I have 5 Routers on my network here,  including my Almond+ so it is most definitely possible with the Almond+). 

 
Title: Re: basic question on the almond +
Post by: lmmmmm on June 09, 2014, 01:52:48 pm
I have the Technicolor TC8305C. And yes i would agree it is a modem/router combo.
Title: Re: basic question on the almond +
Post by: pete on June 10, 2014, 11:50:17 am
The Almond + should work fine getting a DHCP address from your Technicolor-TC8305C.

That said have a read about configuring it. (IE firewall et al stuff).

http://docs.technicolor.com/data/files/cm/DMS-CTC-20130228-0000.pdf
 (http://docs.technicolor.com/data/files/cm/DMS-CTC-20130228-0000.pdf)
Personally here on my combo Verizon Fios "do what" box I bridged one ethernet port to the WAN interface and put my own firewall in place and only use the box for the Verizon STB's.

Did a quickie google search relating to said device and first hits were:

http://forums.comcast.com/t5/Home-Networking-Router-WiFi/Technicolor-TC8305C-WARNIING-wireless-gateway-not-working/td-p/1932557 (http://forums.comcast.com/t5/Home-Networking-Router-WiFi/Technicolor-TC8305C-WARNIING-wireless-gateway-not-working/td-p/1932557)
Title: Re: basic question on the almond +
Post by: André on June 10, 2014, 12:46:47 pm
maybe to add another perspepecitve, here is how I´ve set up my network:

DSL Modem/Router (Telekom Speedport V9209 acting as router and DHCP server handing out 192.168.2.* IPs. All incoming traffic routed to the Almond+

Almond+ WAN port hooked up as the sole device to one of the Telekoms Ethernet ports. Almond+ also DHCP server handing out 192.168.1.* IPs.

All my other network stuff at the Almond+ ports, Almond+ is managing all the firewall stuff (e.g. all traffic from internet is routed to the almond+ and get´s filtered / firewalled / etc there)

I use the Speedport´s WiFi as "true" guest network, e.g. internet access only, with no access whatsoever to my internal network (since all internal devices have an 192.168.1.* IP and the Speedport wouldn´t know how to route there). I like this setup in favor of the Almond+`s guest network features.
Title: Re: basic question on the almond +
Post by: pete on June 10, 2014, 01:43:39 pm
Yup; that will work better should the OP want to switch over to using the Almond + included features which is really a better way to play with the Almond +.

That and I would still read the manual for the combo device OP owns relating to the default LAN firewall settings as the defaults may be causing an issue.

In the midwest location I divided up incoming WAN and outgoing LAN using a PFSense firewall with currently 6 network ports in place.

I have dedicated one LAN port / LAN network (including wireless) to the Almond +.

Goofing around also have modded a microrouter to running OpenWRT mostly to get familiar with most current version of OpenWRT.

That said its on another interface on the PFSense router.
Title: Re: basic question on the almond +
Post by: VJ on June 12, 2014, 08:29:44 am
I also have a router connected to a modem (with usb and ethernet port), and it works fine.

Not sure of if it is necessary, but to avoid all issues, I thought it would be a good practise to change the range of ip addresses. My modem gives out addresses of the form 192.168.1.x. and this cannot be changed. So I set my router to give out addresses of the form 192.168.2.x. All my home devices consequently have 192.168.2.x .
This allows me to browse to the configuration page of the router (192.168.2.1), but also to the configuration page of the modem (192.168.1.1).
Title: Re: basic question on the almond +
Post by: Patrick Wilson on June 12, 2014, 08:34:23 pm
I also have a router connected to a modem (with usb and ethernet port), and it works fine.

Not sure of if it is necessary, but to avoid all issues, I thought it would be a good practise to change the range of ip addresses. My modem gives out addresses of the form 192.168.1.x. and this cannot be changed. So I set my router to give out addresses of the form 192.168.2.x. All my home devices consequently have 192.168.2.x .
This allows me to browse to the configuration page of the router (192.168.2.1), but also to the configuration page of the modem (192.168.1.1).

While this does work,  it will cause some issues for devices on your 192.168.2.1/24 network,  as it will be Double-NAT'd.  Software that relies of "broadcast" packets,  (such as DLNA Media Servers) are unlikely to work if connected to your 192.168.2.1/24 will likely be inaccessible from devices on your 192.168.1.1/24 network. 

My network here includes a total of 5 Routers,  (4 of them are configured as AP(Access Points) to maximize compatibilty here,  and make configuration easier I have all network devices on my network sharing the same 10.77.13.0/24 network. 

We have not completed the "Wireless Access Point" feature on the Almond+ yet,  but I have published a "workaround" to approximate one.  See my message: Re: Bridge/WAP mode - disable DHCPl (http://forum.securifi.com/index.php/topic,914.0.htm).  If you have any questions about my solution please ask them within that (http://forum.securifi.com/index.php/topic,914.0.htm) thread.
Title: Re: basic question on the almond +
Post by: VJ on June 15, 2014, 08:59:12 am
While this does work,  it will cause some issues for devices on your 192.168.2.1/24 network,  as it will be Double-NAT'd.  Software that relies of "broadcast" packets,  (such as DLNA Media Servers) are unlikely to work if connected to your 192.168.2.1/24 will likely be inaccessible from devices on your 192.168.1.1/24 network. 
True, but the router is the only device on the 192.168.2.1/24 network. The modem has 1 ethernet port, and it is connected to the router's wan port. All other devices connect either to the router or to a switch connected to the router. :-)