No internet access on Laptop when I add 8 port switch to network

Lazybones

Hi dear experts.

Looking for your help please.

My current setup is house wired for ethernet (cat5e). With patch panel in Comms cabinet.

Have Vodafone Giga home box in Comms room and using 1 Lan port on the router to connect to my work laptop (windows 11) located in my upstairs office.

This weekend I bought an 8 port unmanaged gigabit switch as I wanted to move the Vodafone router to a more central location in the house.

Setup the gigabit switch in the Comms room. Moved the Vodafone router to middle of house (connected to ethernet port in the living room). Everything working fine. Internet connection working for all WiFi devices in the house.

Everything going great or so I thought. Then I went to check if my laptop had access through it's ethernet port. No access.

The ethernet port for the laptop that had benn working when everything was connected to the Vodafone router would no longer connect to the internet.

I though it would be a case of plug and play with the new unmanaged switch (Tp link)

I have put router back in to Comms room again and connected back as it was and I have ethernet connection to work laptop and can access internet.

Any ideas on why I do not have a successful ethernet / internet connection on the work laptop when I put the unmanaged gigabit switch into the equation?

Thanks in advance!

sundodger5

can you ping the router?

Lazybones

Please Forgive the stupid question. How do I ping the router?

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121989708#Comment_121989708

Assuming you are on windows.

Hold down the windows key and press 'r' type in cmd. A black window will pop up. Type in ipconfig.

Next to default gateway, it will have some numbers. type ping followed by the numbers. Does it say "Reply from", or does it say timed out?

BeerFarts

Where is the internet connection coming into the house? You mentioned moving the router so what happened to the cable that was plugged into the WAN/Internet port of the router? Did you plug this into the switch instead?

Lazybones

Hello,

Yes, the cable from the ont that was plugged into the wan port on the Vodafone router, I plugged into port one on the switch.

This allowed me to move the router to the living room and still maintain internet access.

The problem arose when I tried to connect the laptop to the network via ethernet. It would not connect to the internet via ethernet.

Thanks again.

Lewis_Benson

OK thats your problem.

You need to connect the ONT to the routers WAN port only.

Your other devices are probably all getting public ip addresses therefor getting Internet access. But there is none left in the ISP DHCP pool for your laptop.

TheChizler

Looks like you're switching the WAN connection, it's the LAN connection you need to switch so other devices can connect to the router. Is there a second Ethernet port in the living room you could use to connect the LAN ports to the switch?

Lazybones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121989933#Comment_121989933

Hello and thanks.

I probably didn't explain fully. The cable from the ont is plugged into port one on the switch. And in turn the network wall port in the living room is plugged into the Wan port on the Vodafone router. Hope I am explaining that correctly. This configuration gives me a working internet (WiFi ) connection.

The problem arises when I try and connect via ethernet from the work laptop. There is no internet access. All WiFi connection are working ok.

Please Forgive my technical ignorance.

TheChizler

Is this your setup?

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121989983#Comment_121989983

Have you used ethernet on your work laptop at home before?

Lazybones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121990003#Comment_121990003

My setup is ONT—patch—switch—router

Lazybones

Yes. This was where only the Vodafone router was in place. Worked successfuly.

This scenario was: ont--patch--vofafone router—office ethernet port.

In response to Lambshankredemption :-)

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121990132#Comment_121990132

And how does the laptop fit into that? If it's just into the switch and the router only has one connection to the switch it won't work. The ONT should be directly connected to the router (patch is ok), no point switching it.

TheChizler

This would work if you have a second wall port by the router.

Edit: You don't even need the switch if the laptop is the only wired device

Lazybones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121990150#Comment_121990150

Ok. Have moved the router back into the living room. And on the patch panel have run a patch lead from the ont port on the patch to the port for the living also on the patch panel. It's like a loop cable on the patch panel for want of a better description. This has internet working again with the router now back in the living room.

Now how do I use the switch to get an ethernet connection up to my work laptop in the office?. Port 9 on the patch panel is my office network port connection. Thanks again!

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121990280#Comment_121990280

Could you just plug your laptop into the port in the office?

I wonder is the switch providing its own DHCP leases,which is messing up the routing.

What is the model of the switch?

This is it

Its difficult to understand exactly how you've things wired, or how many cables you have available, etc.

If I'm understanding it right the best way to connect if you need the router in the living room and have two cat5e available is

ONT - patch panel to living room - router WAN port - router LAN port - back to patch panel on second cat5e - out of patch panel to feed the switch. You can then connect your structured cabling from office, bed rooms, etc into the switch. Connect your laptop, etc. to the other end and you should get a DHCP lease from the router.

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121990280#Comment_121990280

Is there a second port in the wall in the living room that goes back to the patch panel? This is key

Lazybones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121990438#Comment_121990438

Hi, yes there is a second port in the living room. So let's say that this is port 5. Do I plug an ethernet cable from port 5 on the wall into Lan port 1 on the back of the Vodafone router?

Then at patch panel port 5 back in the Comms room what do I do? Thanks in advance:-).

smuggler.ie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121990503#Comment_121990503

Providing that living room has two ports (A , B )
at the patch panel :
Port A to ONT
Port B to switch

in the living:
Port A to WAN on router
Port B to LAN on router

In the living you can use remaining router LAN ports for wired devices.
At the patch panel you can patch other ports to the switch for wired connections in other part of the property

Lazybones

Thanks Everyone for all your help.

niallb

Great to hear you got sorted with that second run. Good diagrams are the business!

It's the neatest wiring arrangement you'll get that puts things in the right order.

For anyone finding this thread in the future here are two reason it wasn't working with the switch wired before the Gigabox.

One is that the Gigabox is providing the DHCP addresses for your ethernet attached devices through the LAN port, and the switch couldn't see that port.

It's also tagging traffic for your network with VLAN 10 at least if it's Eir or Vodafone.

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991420#Comment_121991420

Glad to help!