Configuring an internal network while broadening the existing home network to grant internet connectivity
Configuring an internal network while broadening the existing home network to grant internet connectivity
Hello, I recently relocated into a different space at my parents' home. This area differs from the previous one because it sits directly beneath the router room, which now operates more like a modem thanks to a better router for routing. The new room faces the opposite side of the house, and the thick walls severely limit connectivity even with 2.5GHz and the range extender. I’m considering setting up a mesh network eventually, but first there are other priorities.
What stands out is that in this room I can make changes—such as drilling through walls—which wasn’t possible before. This allows me to construct a lab space within my own room. I maintain some repairs for family and work tasks, which are mostly low-cost but valuable for practice. My goal now is to establish an internal network for the lab, linking it to the home network via PowerLine adapters if the wiring permits.
My initial steps include:
1. Drilling walls and installing power outlets in suitable spots—currently one is blocked by my work table, which I’m adjusting; others are poorly suited for a lab.
2. Adding CAT6 Ethernet in walls for future-proofing and to reach at least 10 gigabit speeds, with enough ports for experiments.
3. Acquiring PowerLine adapters, a gigabit switch (possibly PoE), and a new router for wireless devices.
4. Isolating my room and bathroom into a separate network segment, connecting the lab’s outlets to emergency power.
I’m planning to upgrade the existing hardware: TP-Link TD-W9970 as a modem, Xiaomi Mi 3 as the home router (later upgraded), TP-Link RE200 as the range extender, and TP-Link WA850RE as another router. I’ve ordered a Xiaomi Mi 3G that will run OpenWRT.
I’m still researching PowerLine compatibility with our electrical setup and wondering about costs—managed switches are three times more expensive than unmanaged ones in my area. My current internet speed is around 40Mbps, which is below the typical expectations.
Updates: I forgot to mention our actual connection speeds for context.
You might want to explore options like PFSense for routing and a used managed switch, along with VLANs. PFSense seems suitable because it offers many useful features for setting up your lab network while staying affordable. It can run on an older PC or Raspberry Pi and will outperform most consumer routers. For the switch, a managed model simplifies things significantly. You can find good managed switches on eBay at reasonable prices. Brands like Netgear and TP-Link have proven to be user-friendly. This setup gives you enterprise-level capabilities without breaking the bank.
Thanks, but I'm still not ready to handle a pfSense setup (though I'm eager to give it a shot). My space isn't big enough for a full enterprise switch or router—my lab will be limited to the table, which already occupies about three-quarters of two walls. That means I can only use a consumer router and switch (up to 12 ports, maybe). I'll still check it out. For managed switches, I think a managed one would be simpler and offer better performance, even though I was wondering if I could manage the same from the router. My budget is tight, so some upgrades will be necessary. Still, this doesn't solve my PowerLine question, which is really important for my daily use. Appreciate the update, at least it gives me more choices now.
Obtain the TL-SG108E – widely regarded as the top budget-managed switch.
I just looked at it, but because of VLAN1 problems I’m not sure it’ll work well. With a managed Gigabit D-Link switch in my area it might not be worth the effort, especially since it costs similarly elsewhere. The Realtek chipset is another concern for me—it’s not ideal for Ethernet, though it’s fine for consumer use. The lack of hardware management hurts performance. Ideally I’d prefer an Intel or Lantiq SoC (since Intel owns Lantiq) or a Qualcomm chip, which would also make OpenWRT support easier.