TP Link AC3200 As Second Router With XFinity Set Up
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Hi!
I am looking to hook up my AC3200 router as a secondary router on a Xfinity Gateway.
I dont want it to be just a bridge.
I want it to have its own settings and SSID so I can lock down the devices that will attach to it a little more than the XFi Gateway allows. I want to plug from the LAN on the XFi Gateway to the WAN on my AC3200. I have it currently LAN to LAN but am not getting the security I want from my TP-Link router.
How do I set this up?
I am asking for advice about the setup of my TP-Link AC3200 router, not for any help with the XFi Gateway. If there is something I need to know about it that you feel obliged to add, Im happy to have it.
Thank you!
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If you want to have a second router on your network, how you mentioned is how it would be connected (LAN on Xfinity > WAN on Archer C3200). If you only want the C3200 do manage the wireless devices or be your main wireless access it would be best to disable the Wi-Fi on the Xfinity if it is a router as well. You will set up the C3200 as you normally would if it was connected to a modem for example.
One other thing to note is that if you have applications (computer programs or gaming systems) that will run behind the C3200 which need ports to be opened, you will need to do double port forwarding since you will be going through two firewalls.
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PlayerOne,
Yes if you connect your Xfinty gateway to the WAN of the Archer C3200 it would work mostly. The WAN address on the C3200 would be a DHCP address from the Xfitiny Gateway. One thing you would need to ensure is that your C3200's LAN subnet is different than your Gateway's. For instance if the Gateway is 192.168.0.1 you would want the C3200 to be 192.168.1.1. I don't think that will be a problem though as I believe Xfinity uses a class A subnet for their gateways, and by default TP-Link uses a Class C subnet.
Something to consider in this setup are the obvious double NAT that this creates. Double NAT does not stop access to the internet but can cause service breaking issues with services such as Gaming, Port Forwarding, and access websites that are secured using SSL. You can try to mitigate this by assign the DHCP address given to the C3200 into a DMZ on the gateway. In Theory this should open all ports for that address, however in application this is only 50/50 at best.
If you do anything that requires UPNP such as playing online games, Security Cameras any remote accessible smart home product it would be best to put the Gateway in modem only mode and have the C3200 provide the network and routing for your home network eviroment. That, or you can put the C3200 as a Access Poin and have it provide the wireless for the network.
Hope this helps but let us know if it doesn't
Best Regards
Carl | TP-Link Support
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If you want to have a second router on your network, how you mentioned is how it would be connected (LAN on Xfinity > WAN on Archer C3200). If you only want the C3200 do manage the wireless devices or be your main wireless access it would be best to disable the Wi-Fi on the Xfinity if it is a router as well. You will set up the C3200 as you normally would if it was connected to a modem for example.
One other thing to note is that if you have applications (computer programs or gaming systems) that will run behind the C3200 which need ports to be opened, you will need to do double port forwarding since you will be going through two firewalls.
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So the current config, with LAN to LAN, requires me to disable DHCP on my Archer3200.
You are saying I can just hook it up as I normally would if I do LAN to WAN (XFi to TPLink) and that should work. I will leave it as DHCP enabled and let it get its IP from the XFi Gateway. My only issue would be if I were to be doing port fowarding; which I am not. Is this correct?
Also, the XFi router has its WiFi devices that it would deal wiht and my Archer would be the devices I want behind it.
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PlayerOne,
Yes if you connect your Xfinty gateway to the WAN of the Archer C3200 it would work mostly. The WAN address on the C3200 would be a DHCP address from the Xfitiny Gateway. One thing you would need to ensure is that your C3200's LAN subnet is different than your Gateway's. For instance if the Gateway is 192.168.0.1 you would want the C3200 to be 192.168.1.1. I don't think that will be a problem though as I believe Xfinity uses a class A subnet for their gateways, and by default TP-Link uses a Class C subnet.
Something to consider in this setup are the obvious double NAT that this creates. Double NAT does not stop access to the internet but can cause service breaking issues with services such as Gaming, Port Forwarding, and access websites that are secured using SSL. You can try to mitigate this by assign the DHCP address given to the C3200 into a DMZ on the gateway. In Theory this should open all ports for that address, however in application this is only 50/50 at best.
If you do anything that requires UPNP such as playing online games, Security Cameras any remote accessible smart home product it would be best to put the Gateway in modem only mode and have the C3200 provide the network and routing for your home network eviroment. That, or you can put the C3200 as a Access Poin and have it provide the wireless for the network.
Hope this helps but let us know if it doesn't
Best Regards
Carl | TP-Link Support
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