Currently we have been using Frontier Fios for as long as Fios was available… not sure when that started to be in our area, but that plan was 75/75. We finally did an upgrade and went to the 2gig plan from frontier. After the install, i saw issues on how things where done, I felt i should be getting more……so i identified them and have solved most of the problems. A little bit on how the network was used before, and where i made the mistake regarding it.
The old network was wired via Fiber > ONT > Network cable (Not sure what spec it is… came with the house… probably cat5 which was good enough for 75/75. With this setup i was using an edge router lite to split the networks from that network cable that was coming into the house. Network 1 (Ethernet) went into supporting my physical network lines, desktop, remote gaming pc, printers, and AP1 – a TP-link AC mesh network for wireless access. Network 2 (moca) was using ethernet to moca adapter that was connected to my coax that ran through the house, in my bedroom, i have a dedicated moca to ethernet adapter that connects to a wireless 6 AP. My gaming laptop had wireless 6 capabilities….. I only use my gaming laptop (overkill), to connect to my remote gaming pc…. and games are played that way. Moonlight and SteamLink are used. It was also supporting my TV stb’s… yes I still had them.
Now my network upgrade…and what I used to solve the problems.
- Moca internal network is gone (my fault… didn’t really understand what they where saying when they installed things). I”m working on figuring this out.. without spending more money or even having them come back.
- The wireless router they gave me was a Eero Pro 6e Wireless device. Though this is a nice enough router, it did have limitations. It is very basic, kind of like apple products – but works for the masses. Router is controlled by phone app – which i hate. It did have a 2.5gig wan network link and the phone app did report that i was getting 2.3gig up and down .. but going to the lan was only 1gig.. boo……2.5 gig network cards are installed in my desktops, server and remote gaming system, I have a 2.5 gig switch between all of these devices… but they where never seeing download speeds due to the 1gig upload on the Eero pro 6e router. So my solution to this problem… build my own router – why not… i had to buy a few parts and space in my server case… $80 for a new router that maybe over kill but who knows… Basically, Ryzen 2400g, matx mb, 32 gigs ram, 400atx psu, 2 x dual 2.5 gig intel network cards, and Opnsense.
The new network… Fiber > ONT > CoAx > Coax to Ethernet adapter > Opnsense router > 8 port 2.5gig switch > all devices wireless or hardwired. Server, Desktop, gaming PC are seeing around 2.3gig up and down.
The Eero pro 6e is just an access point via bridge settings and connected via ethernet to the 2.5gig wlan port. It is reporting 2.3gig up and down via phone app. I did install a 6e card in my gaming laptop, what a pain, and it is getting ~900mbs download when 2 feet away from the Eero pro 6e. Not sure if this is correct. I’m also running 6ghz band with this.
Opnsense is kind of cool, but i don’t foresee “hardening it”…as my internet in my house always needs to work. I’m still using 2 AP in my house.. 1 is Tp-link Deco M4 and the other Eero Pro 6e (just for gaming).
Speedtest from a 2.5gig network desktop.
Speed test between Desktop and unRaid Server with openspeedtest docker. this is the same speed that is from my desktop to gaming pc.
Next project will probably be configuring Opnsense with vlans…..we’ll see when that happens.