A little stumped

[KrisK91]

Hello I am a little stumped. For years owned my own modem while with Xfinity. Well over the last month or so I was told by an Xfinity employee it would be a good idea to upgrade to one of their gateways. I thought about it and decided to go ahead and get one of theirs as mine was a few years outdated. So I was sent the Xfinity XB7 gateway. So here is where my issue lies. I have a Linksys EA7500 and a TP-Link C7. I am looking to hook these two routers up to the gateway. I would like to keep the XB7 as a full gateway with the router functions enabled. And would like to set up both the EA7500 and the C7 to function as routers as well to extend coverage through out my home. I would like for them to be hardwired. Do they need to be set up as Access Points or can I set them up to function to work as routers? I originally had all my devices connected to the EA7500 when I had my own modem hooked up.

My devices connect to the Linksys 7500 automatically since that is what they were connecting to when I owned my own modem. I would like to change the name on my Linksys to follow the name on my XB7 main gateway. Should both my XB7 and my Linksys EA 7500 have the same SSID name?


Now for the TP Link C7 I don't mind if that has a different name, I just would like to hardwire this router out further out past the XB7 and the EA7500. Through many more walls. I also don't really mind if this device sees the other devices or not.

All in all I would like to be able to connect devices to the XB7, the EA7500, and the C7 all to be able to assign specific IP ranges to devices connected to them for example I would like the XB7 to be able to assign IPs from 10.0.0.2 to 10.0.0.100 and the EA 7500 to assign IP address from 10.0.0.101 to 10.0.0.200 and the TP Link C7 to assign IP address from 10.0.0.201 to 10.0.0.250 or something along those lines. I just can't seem to find a way to get this set up 100% correct.

Also another question I have is with smart devices should I get another cheaper router to connect them all to so it frees up bandwidth on my other routers? And should they be connecting to 2.4GHz or 5Ghz band? I have several Amazon Alexas, Google Homes, IP Security Cameras.

Another thing to add my Xfinity Gateway has both the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz set to the same SSID. Is that a good thing or will that cause conflict later on?

Thank you!!

 

[TerryNet]

If daisy chained (or cascaded) routers use the same LAN IP subnet the second one will often have no or unreliable internet access.

I think that using the same SSID on the multiple routers will make it impossible, and certainly difficult, for you to control to which network each device connects. Whatever you decide about that, be sure to use non-interfering channels.

Do you really need or want daisy chained routers to protect some devices from others? If not, it is generally more convenient to have everything on the same network by using any secondary router as an access point. And far, far, far better and more convenient to use one of the newer mesh systems.

2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks do not conflict with each other. I prefer mine to have slightly different SSIDs (whatever2.4 and whatever5) for convenience, but that's just personal preference.

 

[KrisK91]

For the XB7 and the Linksys EA 7500 I don't mind them "seeing each other". But I wouldn't mind the TP Link C7 to be not seen by the other devices if it can be done that way. Let's say I would like to keep the TP Link C7 for lets say wanting to run that to a garage out in the back yard and a lot of people would be connecting to it that I would prefer to keep off the XB7 and the EA 7500. If that can't be done. Can you explain how to set it up and work correctly with one of the other? I kinda would like if devices that connect to the EA7500 not to be seen under the online devices on the XB7.

Also why are all the devices that are connected to the XB7 shown with their mac address rather then their device name? It's a little confusing to find out which device is which.

 

[KrisK91]

Not sure if this should be posted here. I recently had Xfinity's Blast speed tier of 300mbps and would see speeds of 150-250mbps wirelessly on my laptop. Yesterday I upgraded my speed tire to their Gig speed package and I only see around 100-200mbps wirelessly connected to my laptop? Any idea why this would be? Same devices. Same everything. But when I am hardwired to my laptop I get close to my Gig speeds around 940mbps. It is just my wireless speeds don't seem to be very consistent.

Thank you

 

[Couriant]

You have another thread open about wireless connectivity... do you know if you are connecting to the wireless modem or your Linksys?

Also, it looks like you are getting the same speeds as before.... do you know if you are connecting to the 5GHz or 2.4GHz connection?

 

[KrisK91]

Yes I know I have 2 threads open. But no I'm getting those speeds connecting to the xfinity gateway. And I am connecting to the 5Ghz.

 

[KrisK91]

bump

 

[Cookiegal]

I've merged both of your threads together as they are very closely related.

Kindly only "bump" a thread after 24 hours has gone by without a response.

Thanks for understanding.

 

[KrisK91]

I've merged both of your threads together as they are very closely related.

Kindly only "bump" a thread after 24 hours has gone by without a response.

Thanks for understanding.

My apologies

 

[Cookiegal]

No problem.

 

[Couriant]

Do you get the same speeds when you connect to the other devices you have? (as in through the EA7500 when that is connected to the Ethernet LAN port of the modem)

Don't forget, the ISP doesn't guarantee wireless speeds as there are various reasons that can affect wireless.

Oh, did you get a new modem when you got the Gigablast speed, or before? I had to change my modem when I upgraded the speed to the fastest one available.

 

[KrisK91]

Do you get the same speeds when you connect to the other devices you have? (as in through the EA7500 when that is connected to the Ethernet LAN port of the modem)

Don't forget, the ISP doesn't guarantee wireless speeds as there are various reasons that can affect wireless.

Oh, did you get a new modem when you got the Gigablast speed, or before? I had to change my modem when I upgraded the speed to the fastest one available.

Yes I get pretty close speeds when hardwired into the Xfinity gateway as well as the EA7500. But I am only pulling in about 500-600mbps hardwired into the Xfinity gateway when I should be getting Gig speeds.

Yeah Xfinity sent me the XB7 gateway before I upgraded.

A tech came out to my home and tested the wires outside as well as inside and said everything was pulling in Gig speeds but when he connected to my Gateway wirelessly he said my speeds where pretty crappy. He was only pulling in 200mbps. He swapped out the device with another one. And am still having the same issues.

1. Would I possibly get better speeds from purchasing my own modem?

2. Do you know anything about the new mesh routers? I'm wondering if that would help improve my Wifi signals?

 

[Couriant]

Our resident Networking guy @zx10guy could explain more about the mesh wifi devices.

As to hardwired.... you are only getting half the speeds if you are directly connected with a laptop/desktop now? or you mean you are getting that speed from your EA7500 when that is connected to the modem and you are connected to the router?

As to getting your own modem, you may be stuck with getting their own modem if you have their phone service too. But in theory providing you are getting the right speeds a separate router may be the way to do this as the hardware in the provided modems from cable companies have been subpar. But again, there could be other variables that will lower the speeds of wireless devices.

 

[KrisK91]

Our resident Networking guy @zx10guy could explain more about the mesh wifi devices.

As to hardwired.... you are only getting half the speeds if you are directly connected with a laptop/desktop now? or you mean you are getting that speed from your EA7500 when that is connected to the modem and you are connected to the router?

As to getting your own modem, you may be stuck with getting their own modem if you have their phone service too. But in theory providing you are getting the right speeds a separate router may be the way to do this as the hardware in the provided modems from cable companies have been subpar. But again, there could be other variables that will lower the speeds of wireless devices.

I am getting half the speeds directly connected into the Xfinity gateway. (500 to 600 mbps download speeds)
Also, if I am connected to the Linksys router I am pulling in the same speeds hardwired as well.

No I do not have their phone service. I only have internet with Xfinity. I just figured it was a better route to use their gateway with the whole data cap getting rolled out this coming year. I use over 1.2 TB of data just about every month and figured to rent their gateway at $14 and pay only $11 extra to get the "unlimited plan" would be a better route. But I am thinking about just buying my own modem.. Any idea on which modem would be a good investment in? I have Gig speeds. And with owning my own modem I will have to pay $30 to get the "unlimited plan". That's why I was thinking it would be just worth it to just use their equipment if that I was having to pay only $25 using there's verses paying $30 a month to use my own equipment.

This is a speed test I just connected over wifi to my xfinity gateway on my laptop that is just about a year old and can handle gig speeds. I am only receiving 22% of the speeds I am paying for with wifi. And about 50% to 60% hardwired.

 

[KrisK91]

Also, how can I message @zx10guy regarding mesh routers?