Help me setup my home network

[Chacer]

Hello
I spend alot of time reading the forums and way too little time posting

I have a question and hope you guys can help me out. Ill explain it the best i can. English is not my first language and i dont know all the correct terms, but im learning.

I just got and AirPort Extreme 6 gen and its working great.But i want to change some things.

I want to be able to give a device a specific ip address. For example i want my PS4 to have the same ip all the time.

And i want to set it up, so the ZyXEL router/modem (my setup is explained below) only supplies the Internet connection and nothing more. So my AirPort Extreme is what i connect to, to get access to the Internet. I dont know what the correct term for this setup is (Is my AirPort Extreme called an Access Point? Is my ZyXEL modem/router in bridge mode?).

My setup is:
A telephone cable goes from the wall into a ZyXEL modem/router. From one of the LAN ports on the ZyXEL goes a cable to the AirPort Extreme WAN port. My PS4 and Apple TV are connected to the Airport Extreme via cables. My MacBook and iPads ect are connected to it via WiFi to the Airport Extreme.

The ZyXEL has WiFi built in, so i can connect directly to it and the internet. But i disabled this. Its a ZyXEL P-2601HN-F1.

Ive used computers all my life and changed router settings many times. So i do have some knowledge. A friend helped me setup my previous network like i described. But now i have a AirPort and im all alone and i dont undertsand the DHCP settings. Which device should have DHCP enabled? And NAT?

It would be nice if your could help me out with what i need to do on my AirPort Extreme and on my ZyXEL.

cheers

 

[satcomer]

NAT is Network Address Translation. All routers take public IPs and translate them to the internal network private IPs.

The rule of thumb the closet router to the modem should be router running NAT. All routers after that router should have NAT turned off. In Apple Routers they call this "Bridged Mode".

In your case go into the ISP modem/router settings and turn off the wireless portion? Then run a Ethernet CAT cable from the modem/router port to the Wan port on the Apple Extreme. Then in the Extreme set it to "bridged mode" and set up it's wireless naming the 5 GHz setup slightly different then the name for the 2.4 network.

 

[Chacer]

NAT is Network Address Translation. All routers take public IPs and translate them to the internal network private IPs.

The rule of thumb the closet router to the modem should be router running NAT. All routers after that router should have NAT turned off. In Apple Routers they call this "Bridged Mode".

In you case go into the ISP modem/router settings and turn off the wireless portion? Then run a Ethernet CAT cable from the modem/router port to the Wan port on the Apple Extreme. Then in the Extreme set it to "bridged mode" and set up it's wireless naming the 5 GHz setup slightly different then the name for the 2.4 network.

Nice. Thank you. So what i need to do is set my airport Extreme to "DHCP and NAT" and then disable NAT on my ISP ZyXEL router? Is that correct?

 

[satcomer]

Nice. Thank you. So what i need to do is set my airport Extreme to "DHCP and NAT" and then disable NAT on my ISP ZyXEL router? Is that correct?

Depends because you must have NAT on the CLOSET router to the modem. Then ANY router behind that NAT router need to have NAT TURNED OFF!!!

Doing this will go along way to prevent internal IP conflicts in your network and slow your network down.

 

[mcnallym]

There doesn't seem to be a way to put the Zyxel into Bridge Mode which would be ideal. I looked up your models instruction manual.

If you are keeping your existing kit then

1.) Zyxel - Turn off Wifi, Keep NAT on and use Zyxel for DHCP
2.) Airport - Put into Bridge Mode, this disabled DHCP and NAT on the Airport, use Wifi on Airport

ftp://ftp.zyxel.com/P-2601HN-F1/user_guide/P-2601HN-F1_3.10_ed1.pdf

Is the manual for your modem which found with Google

Network Setting > Home Networking > Static DHCP

Is the page where can statically assign a DHCP IP to a device based on MAC Address of your PS4.

All DHCP Reservations will be based on MAC address of device want to reserve a fixed DHCP lease for

 

[mcnallym]

Personally would ditch the Zyxel, get a device that can act as as a pure Modem.

My own setup is

Drake 130 ADSL/VDSL modem - Airport Extreme

Draytek has no config needed at all.
Airport has the WAN set to PPPoE and then fill in my ISP details.
Then under Network you would move to Network

Click the + for DHCP Reservations
Fill out the details, MAC Address of PS4 and set the DHCP Reservation IP.

Personally don't bother doing a DHCP Reservation however that is how would be done

 

[Chacer]

There doesn't seem to be a way to put the Zyxel into Bridge Mode which would be ideal. I looked up your models instruction manual.

If you are keeping your existing kit then

1.) Zyxel - Turn off Wifi, Keep NAT on and use Zyxel for DHCP
2.) Airport - Put into Bridge Mode, this disabled DHCP and NAT on the Airport, use Wifi on Airport

ftp://ftp.zyxel.com/P-2601HN-F1/user_guide/P-2601HN-F1_3.10_ed1.pdf

Is the manual for your modem which found with Google

Network Setting > Home Networking > Static DHCP

Is the page where can statically assign a DHCP IP to a device based on MAC Address of your PS4.

All DHCP Reservations will be based on MAC address of device want to reserve a fixed DHCP lease for

Wow thank you very much for the research I'll try that.

 

[Chacer]

Personally would ditch the Zyxel, get a device that can act as as a pure Modem.

My own setup is

Drake 130 ADSL/VDSL modem - Airport Extreme

Draytek has no config needed at all.
Airport has the WAN set to PPPoE and then fill in my ISP details.
Then under Network you would move to Network

Click the + for DHCP Reservations
Fill out the details, MAC Address of PS4 and set the DHCP Reservation IP.

Personally don't bother doing a DHCP Reservation however that is how would be done

Thank you very much for the reply. I would love to ditch the zyxel. But my isp uses firmware they made themselves. I tried a tp link that should have worked,but it could not connect to the Internet. I think you have to use their firmware. I can even change internal settings on it, from their own homepage. Like wpa password ect

 

[satcomer]

Thank you very much for the reply. I would love to ditch the zyxel. But my isp uses firmware they made themselves. I tried a tp link that should have worked,but it could not connect to the Internet. I think you have to use their firmware. I can even change internal settings on it, from their own homepage. Like wpa password ect

You should really find your ISP and log into their support page. Many ISPs gave and approved routers in it's support pages so you use that you could buy your own modem and stop renting the ISP modem.

 

[Chacer]

You should really find your ISP and log into their support page. Many ISPs gave and approved routers in it's support pages so you use that you could buy your own modem and stop renting the ISP modem.

Thats not a bad idea. Ill call them and ask if it is possible to use a diffrent router than the one they supply. Ive been having the zyxel since day 1

 

[Chacer]

Can anyone recommend any network benchmark program? I would like to test the speed of my local wifi connection to my router/LAN.

 

[satcomer]

Can anyone recommend any network benchmark program? I would like to test the speed of my local wifi connection to my router/LAN.

You don't need a program! Just hold down the 'option' key while clicking the Airport Finder menu icon to get the speed connection.

 

[Chacer]

You don't need a program! Just hold down the 'option' key while clicking the Airport Finder menu icon to get the speed connection.

That was easy Thank you

 

[satcomer]

That was easy Thank you

To really blow you mind hold down the 'option' key while clicking the Volume Finder icon. You then will be able to checkmark any sound input/output.

 

[Chacer]

To really blow you mind hold down the 'option' key while clicking the Volume Finder icon. You then will be able to checkmark any sound input/output.

holy s***

this is my first Mac as you may have figured out

 

[satcomer]

holy s***

this is my first Mac as you may have figured out

Bookmark the Apple Support document Mac Keyboard Shortcuts.

Another cool Apple Support document is TCP and UDP ports used by Apple software if you use any third party routers.

 

[Chacer]

Bookmark the Apple Support document Mac Keyboard Shortcuts.

Another cool Apple Support document is TCP and UDP ports used by Apple software if you use any third party routers.

Awsome thank you
Im printning it out

 

[satcomer]

Awsome thank you
Im printning it out

I almost forgot the Another Apple site for new switched users called Mac Basics.