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Use Obi with Mac Airport router?!

Started by Dmsel1, April 18, 2011, 11:12:08 AM

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Dmsel1

Trying to set up the Obi using Airport router (this router only has one ethernet port). Also using cable modem that also is NOT a router (and has one ethernet port). Looks like you need two ethernet ports in the router to pull this off with Obi? Am I missing something...is there an add-on product that will provide additional ethernet ports? Or do I need a diff router?

Thanks!!

RonR

If your router only has one WAN port for the cable modem and one LAN port for your local area network, you would need to expand that one LAN port using an ethernet switch.

You might want to consider buying a new router that has four LAN ports instead.

emachac

I am using a newer Airport router with a cable modem and my OBI110 is working just fine. If you do buy a new router - think about QOS. My router doesn't support it and I can easily kill a phone conversation with a heavy download.

RonR

Quote from: emachac on April 19, 2011, 09:05:20 PMIf you do buy a new router - think about QOS. My router doesn't support it and I can easily kill a phone conversation with a heavy download.

Even QoS in a router can't help that much.  Your router can't control the stream coming from your ISP.  It can prioritize your outgoing packets somewhat and make that direction a little better with heavy uploads, but the download side is not under your control, so you can't prioritize it.

srhuston

Quote from: RonR on April 19, 2011, 09:42:24 PM
Even QoS in a router can't help that much.  Your router can't control the stream coming from your ISP.  It can prioritize your outgoing packets somewhat and make that direction a little better with heavy uploads, but the download side is not under your control, so you can't prioritize it.

Intelligent network hardware can prioritize incoming traffic by lowering TCP window size, sending back ICMP Source Quench messages (reporting that the downstream network is too congested for the amount of incoming traffic) or delaying the return TCP ACKs.

srhuston

Quote from: Dmsel1 on April 18, 2011, 11:12:08 AM
Trying to set up the Obi using Airport router (this router only has one ethernet port). Also using cable modem that also is NOT a router (and has one ethernet port). Looks like you need two ethernet ports in the router to pull this off with Obi? Am I missing something...is there an add-on product that will provide additional ethernet ports? Or do I need a diff router?

So Modem -> Airport -> OBi is the goal?  And I'm guessing there's other things you want to plug in besides the OBi (like your computer :P )

Yes, an ethernet switch is what you need.  They're pretty cheap and easy to add, most now even handle auto-crossover so you don't need to remember to use a special cable in the right circumstances (such as switch-to-switch connections).  Unless you *want* to replace your router, don't bother buying a new one just for more ports.

pendo

Hi,

Brand new obi user here.  This may be a less than ideal setup but it's what I'm using right now--primarily because of where my router is at the moment--I have the obi110 connected to our imac in which I've enabled internet sharing.  So my signal chain is cable modem>time capsule>wireless to imac>obi110. 

Only had the unit a week now I think, but it's been working very well.  Still getting used to different things, like no names on CID, and don't really know about any of the other features besides dial tone, lol.  Just thought I'd share another possibility that works.