Offload CPU load to a 2nd router?
August 18, 2023 5:14 PM Subscribe
How can I reduce the load on my combined wifi-router-modem with a wired only router?
I have a combined
5ghz Huawei wifi-router-modem (model B316-855 )
I want to offload some of the work it's doing to my more capable Edgerouter Lite.
- The Huawei CAN'T do bridging
- The Edgerouter CAN do bridging, but is wired ethernet only
- If I really have to, I also have a slower little 2.4ghz Netgear ACCESS POINT I could connect to the Edgerouter
How do I set the Edgerouter up?
I enabled the DHCP server on the Edgerouter, and disabled it on the Huawei. I set the DHCP server to set the Edgerouter to be the router, but then it doesn't actually route the traffic.
The ROUTER setting in the DHCP server on the Edgerouter Lite is set to the Edgerouter Lite.
As soon as I set it to point at the Huawei, things work, but isn't this failing to offload CPU work to the Edgerouter? When I do a speedtest, I can't see any response in the traffic chart on the Edgerouter, yet clients are leased in the DHCP server on the edgerouter.
ChatGPT says that I don't have to use the Netgear accesspoint. Is this true?
I have a combined
5ghz Huawei wifi-router-modem (model B316-855 )
I want to offload some of the work it's doing to my more capable Edgerouter Lite.
- The Huawei CAN'T do bridging
- The Edgerouter CAN do bridging, but is wired ethernet only
- If I really have to, I also have a slower little 2.4ghz Netgear ACCESS POINT I could connect to the Edgerouter
How do I set the Edgerouter up?
I enabled the DHCP server on the Edgerouter, and disabled it on the Huawei. I set the DHCP server to set the Edgerouter to be the router, but then it doesn't actually route the traffic.
The ROUTER setting in the DHCP server on the Edgerouter Lite is set to the Edgerouter Lite.
As soon as I set it to point at the Huawei, things work, but isn't this failing to offload CPU work to the Edgerouter? When I do a speedtest, I can't see any response in the traffic chart on the Edgerouter, yet clients are leased in the DHCP server on the edgerouter.
ChatGPT says that I don't have to use the Netgear accesspoint. Is this true?
Agree that the path of least resistance here is to add an AP behind your router, and since you already have an EdgeRouter, one of the cheaper UniFi APs is probably the play. I upgraded to a Dream Machine Pro a few years ago, but before that was running exactly this setup for several years prior.
There's legitimate concern with Ubiquiti's cloud-first policies these days, but I haven't had cause to tear out and replace my setup yet, and I can't speak to alternatives, but I think it's reasonable to look into alternatives.
posted by Alterscape at 5:59 PM on August 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
There's legitimate concern with Ubiquiti's cloud-first policies these days, but I haven't had cause to tear out and replace my setup yet, and I can't speak to alternatives, but I think it's reasonable to look into alternatives.
posted by Alterscape at 5:59 PM on August 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
1) What exactly are you trying to offload... and why? As cybersecurity guys say, this may increase your "attack surface" (i.e. potential vulnerabilities) esp if the other devices are old.
2) Hypothetically, you can try to turn Wifi OFF at the Huawei, connect it wired to your Ubiquiti, then from your Ubiquiti to your old Wifi AP. Not sure if the Huawei would let you do that. The quickstart guide I found doesn't say you can do that. At this point, I'd say you may want to dump it and start over with one that *does* bridge. Maybe one of those "hotspot" devices from the proper carrier, may have 1 Ethernet port in addition to Wifi, and should be more manageable than the Huawei.
posted by kschang at 6:55 PM on August 18, 2023
2) Hypothetically, you can try to turn Wifi OFF at the Huawei, connect it wired to your Ubiquiti, then from your Ubiquiti to your old Wifi AP. Not sure if the Huawei would let you do that. The quickstart guide I found doesn't say you can do that. At this point, I'd say you may want to dump it and start over with one that *does* bridge. Maybe one of those "hotspot" devices from the proper carrier, may have 1 Ethernet port in addition to Wifi, and should be more manageable than the Huawei.
posted by kschang at 6:55 PM on August 18, 2023
So your setup you're trying is
[Da Intarwebz] --- [Huawei] --- [Edgerouter] - - - - - [Netgear AP] (not yet added)
The device actually facing the Internet must be the one doing the routing, unless it's just a dumb modem (no routing capabilities) or it can be configured for bridging.
Then, WiFi traffic connecting to the Huawei will never pass through the Edgerouter so you're not offloading that, unless you create some spaghetti routing configuration. As the Huawei won't even do simple bridging, that option is out and I would have advised against it anyway.
Summary: get a modem/router that can do bridging, add one or more access points to the Edgerouter and go from there.
posted by Stoneshop at 2:57 AM on August 19, 2023
[Da Intarwebz] --- [Huawei] --- [Edgerouter] - - - - - [Netgear AP] (not yet added)
The device actually facing the Internet must be the one doing the routing, unless it's just a dumb modem (no routing capabilities) or it can be configured for bridging.
Then, WiFi traffic connecting to the Huawei will never pass through the Edgerouter so you're not offloading that, unless you create some spaghetti routing configuration. As the Huawei won't even do simple bridging, that option is out and I would have advised against it anyway.
Summary: get a modem/router that can do bridging, add one or more access points to the Edgerouter and go from there.
posted by Stoneshop at 2:57 AM on August 19, 2023
It's possible to use a cable modem/router that won't do bridging in this configuration, so long as there isn't some specific reason to need to turn routing off in the Huawei. If possible, you'd want to disable any software firewall in the Huawei and just have it forward everything in both directions transparently.
eg:
posted by snuffleupagus at 8:43 AM on August 19, 2023
eg:
[ISP]---[_(DHCP)_Cableco Modem router_(10.0.1.1)_]---[_(10.0.1.2)_Edge router_(192.168.1.1)_]---[AP at 192.168.1.2 + DHCP clients]posted by snuffleupagus at 8:43 AM on August 19, 2023
The short answer is that since the Huawei is a router and doesn't support bridge mode, it has to route everything. No way around that.
However, if what you really want is to be able to control your IP stack and not use services provided by your upstream vendor or the Huawei box (which presumably you have limited control over), you can put your Edgerouter into a "DMZ" (instructions?) which lets the Edgerouter perform NAT services and service routing using its internal tables. When the upstream router is in DMZ mode, the Edgerouter effectively owns your outgoing IP address, even though it has an internal address on its side. This allows you to set up internal servers and such using the Edgerouter's UI. As a side effect you also can control things like DHCP since the Edgerouter will terminate that and not pass the DHCP requests on.
posted by doomsey at 9:43 AM on August 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
However, if what you really want is to be able to control your IP stack and not use services provided by your upstream vendor or the Huawei box (which presumably you have limited control over), you can put your Edgerouter into a "DMZ" (instructions?) which lets the Edgerouter perform NAT services and service routing using its internal tables. When the upstream router is in DMZ mode, the Edgerouter effectively owns your outgoing IP address, even though it has an internal address on its side. This allows you to set up internal servers and such using the Edgerouter's UI. As a side effect you also can control things like DHCP since the Edgerouter will terminate that and not pass the DHCP requests on.
posted by doomsey at 9:43 AM on August 19, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Also in order for the Edgerouter to do anything with WiFi traffic you also have to run it through the Edgerouter. This means an access point on the LAN side. The WiFi in the Huawei is a peer to the Edgerouter (on the WAN side), not downstream.
posted by doomsey at 9:47 AM on August 19, 2023
posted by doomsey at 9:47 AM on August 19, 2023
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
You need a wifi AP on your LAN, behind your router, which the AP in the Huawei won't be in the setup you're describing. Which for sanity sake should also be Ubiquiti imo.
How old is your EdgeRouter?
posted by snuffleupagus at 5:28 PM on August 18, 2023