Knowledge Base Use Non-Omada Gateway to Omada Layer 3 Switch Environment with Zero Omada Config
Hello, this guide should be easily adaptable for even a different Internet Gateway. The steps below is tailored for v14 TL-WR841N and Omada L3 SG3428X Switch for demonstration purpose. I also have a video link at the bottom of this post if you would like to see it in action. The TL-WR841N does NOT support 802.1Q so it can not create different VLANs, This Internet router is an entry level router and officially supports only a "flat network" on its LAN.
Goal:
- Demonstrate separation of responsibility between WAN/Firewall/VPN/etc. router vs LAN router
Use Case:
- Use Omada Switch and Access Point with a non-Omada Internet Gateway/Firewall/VPN/etc.
Note:
- For demonstration purpose, I am using a $19 TL-WR841N as my Non-Omada Gateway (NOG)
- The same "general" idea can applied to other L3 devices (see below for "Extra Tip for Non-Omada L3 Set Up")
Assumption:
- Omada L3 SG3428X Switch is configured/set up and running.
- Default VLAN 1 as Management VLAN for Omada
- Default LAN IP for WR841N
IP Network and VLANs
- LAN - 192.168.0.1 - non-Omada Gateway WR841N
- VLAN 1 - 192.168.0.100 - Omada SG3428X (MAC xx:xx:xx:xx)
- VLAN 10 - 192.168.10.X - Omada SG3428X SVI
- VLAN 20 - 192.168.20.X - Omada SG3428X SVI
Omada Prerequisite
- Identify L3 Switch IP
Devices > Omada Switch > IP Address > 192.168.0.100 - Identify all L2 VLANs defined in L3 Switch that needs access to Internet
Settings > Wired Network > LAN > VLAN 10 > 192.168.10.0
Settings > Wired Network > LAN > VLAN 20 > 192.168.20.0 - Identify port/vlan of Omada with Profile "All" [or Profile VLAN 1]
Devices > Switch > Ports > Port 1 : Profile All (or Profile VLAN 1)
Non-Omada Gateway WR841N Set Up
- Configure basic WR841N settings
Operation Mode > Wireless Router
Network > LAN > IP Address: 192.168.0.1 > Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 - Other than 192.168.0.0 make sure no IP network repetition/conflict between Omada SVIs and WR841N IP Networks
- Add all Omada IP networks (Step 2 of Omada Prerequisite) as Static Route pointing to Omada L3 Switch IP as "Next Hop" (Step 1 of Omada Prerequisite)
Advanced Routing > Static Route List > Add New > Destination IP Address : 192.168.10.0 > Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 > Gateway : 192.168.0.100 > Status : Enabled > Save
Advanced Routing > Static Route List > Add New > Destination IP Address : 192.168.20.0 > Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 > Gateway : 192.168.0.100 > Status : Enabled > Save - Reserve an unused WR841N LAN Port 4
- Connect WR841N LAN Port 4 to the Omada Switch Port (Step 3 of Omada Prerequisite)
- Optional: DHCP IP Reservation for SG3428X of 192.168.10.100
DHCP > Address Reservation > Add New > MAC Address xx:xx:xx:xx > IP Address : 192.168.0.100
Recommended: Assign static IP for SG3428X of 192.168.10.100
Omada L3 Set Up
- Optional: Reboot
Testing
- Configure any Switch port as VLAN 10 or VLAN 20 access ports
- Plug any PC. It should get either VLAN 10 or VLAN 20 IP address
- Ping WR841N IP 192.168.0.1. It should reply.
Omada Verification
- Insights > Routing Table > Switch > SG3428X > Destination IP/Subnets: 00.0.0/0. > Next Hop: 192.168.0.1 > Distance: 254
Extra Tip for Non-Omada-L3 Set Up
- Optional: A static route to 0.0.0.0.0 with next hop to NOG IP 192.168.0.1 can be manually configured if the network device doesn't automatically detect/assign this.
If you would like to see this in action, you can refer to diagram below for this video.