Google Mesh Wifi (not Nest)

ptlump

At the outset, I should say I have a low to average level of networking knowledge. I understand the concepts, but the advanced stuff is beyond me. I am not certain I am even asking these questions correctly, but here goes.

I have a Sagecom [email protected] 5260 wifi router and an Arris modem. (2 units) I have Internet *and* phone service through these devices. There are 2 dead zones in my house and I want to have wifi in the backyard. So there are three areas to which I am trying to beef up the wifi signal.

To do this I bought a Google wifi mesh kit with 3 nodes. It seems there are two ways to do this. One way would be to put the Sagecom in bridge mode and disable wifi broadcasting and turn it into a dumb router. Then connect one WAP as a router and set it up wirelessly with the other two nodes. However, I have read that this will disable my phone service. Plus, I've looked at the settings on the router and I don't see any way to put the Sagecom in bridge mode. (Looks like I would have to setup port forwarding instead which seems very tricky.)

The second way (I think) would be to connect each node via ethernet cable back to the Sagecom, and let them broadcast the wifi signal but the backhaul would be hardwired. Is this possible with multiple Google wifi nodes? How would the ethernet and wifi function simultaneously on the nodes if they are not acting as routers?

What settings would I need to change on the Sagecom? Would this affect my phone service?

Renee_T

Welcome @ptlump!

If you have Spectrum Voice for your phone service, bypassing the router would not impact the home phone service at all. You can daisy chain the mesh network by plugging one device directly in to the Sagemcom, but typically setting up the connection like that (Double NAT-ing) can lead to some interference issues from having the devices right next to each other and both broadcasting WiFi networks.

If the WAP can be used as a router, your easiest solution would be to disconnect the Sagemcom and connect the WAP directly to the modem and just use the Google Mesh set up in the home. This would allow you full access to control the devices, without setting up bridging or port forwarding, and you could have the $5 monthly WiFi charged removed from your bill as you would be using your own router.

ptlump

Thanks for the reply.

To keep the Sagecom as a router only does it have to be in bridge mode? With this system could I just turn off wifi (I see how to do that in the setup) and then connect the wifi mesh system?

After looking at it some more last night, I could connect all of the nodes by ethernet. I would still want them to broadcast their wifi signal, but the backhaul would be wired back to the Sagecom.

This is where I get a little fuzzy on networking because something tells me I can't do that because the Sagecom would still be handling addresses which would conflict with the Google router. Essentially, if I keep it, I need a way to make the Sagecom behave as an unmanaged switch.

Is that right?

rocketjetz

When I had a 3 puck GWF, I just plugged my puck 1 into the modem and this acts as your router. Then I meshed the other 2 pucks.

I would not use the  Sagecom [email protected] 5260.

Get a switch and plug it into the router puck.....then ethernet to your other pucks and you have backhaul.

https://store.ui.com/collections/unifi-network-routing-switching/products/usw-flex-mini

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-SG105E-5-Port-Gigabit-Version/dp/B00N0OHEMA

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-5-Port-Gigabit-Ethernet-Managed/dp/B07PJ7XZ7X/ref=pd_sim_nf_147_5/131-2856116-7383428?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07PJ7XZ7X&pd_rd_r=285adf06-7b9e-4b54-b43f-1c7ad57acd76&pd_rd_w=n4sdK&pd_rd_wg=1JZQO&pf_rd_p=cb3486e5-b7ae-445b-a528-26b35ac6293b&pf_rd_r=2MFYZWE6FPKQY9WYT2V6&psc=1&refRID=2MFYZWE6FPKQY9WYT2V6