Question 2 Separate LANs on the same hardware - how?

[bob4432]

My current network set is a basic home setup - coax comes in and is connected into a cable modem, which then goes into a router. After that it goes throughtout my condo via CAT5E to multiple GbE switches for wired and then the main router is a older "N" router, while at the other end of the condo is a "AC" based AP. This setup has served me well but the 2 current routers are being replaced because they have been dropping their WIFI abilities. I have a pair of "N" routers that will run the IOT devices and have a pair of Asus AX routers inbound for the other part of the LAN.

Now what I want to acquire - add a different network that has internet availability, with the ability to have ports forwarded to this 2nd network as well as having it able to go online. What I need to acquire is to keep these 2 networks from comminicating with each other or even being able see each other. Reason being is that I am slowly acquiring IOT devices and would like the IOT devices (Smart Outlets, Electrical Switches, Cameras, etc) which will be in the "N" LAN to be out of site from the "AX" LAN.

I have enough routers, switches & computers to accomplish this (4 routers of different generations, 5+ 5 & 8port Gb/s dumb switches, 5+ IOT devices and I believe 6 computers. I also have a RaspberryPi 4b that if possible I would like to integrate that into the mix if it doesn't cause many issues, but it is by no means a must have.

My reason for wanting do this is to isolate the two networks from each other as I am going to have IOT Cameras running Blue Iris and the cameras will need to write and have access to "N" network's computer - write to it's HDD/SSD and be able to alert me when a camera needs to let me know when a rule has been tripped and secondly so I can operate the other IOT devices when away from home. I believe I can do this and run 2 networks on the same switches, please advise if I am incorrect - again multiple dumb GbE switches w/ a router and AP on each LAN.

So, please let me know how I can have 2 networks on the same hardware that cannot even see each other.

Thanks in advance,
Bob

 

[Fallen Kell]

Could you explain how I could accomplish what you have listed above ^^. I came across one of these - https://offerup.co/zEfTHSmfQkb - could something like that be a part of a solution for me? I know it is overkill as I would be connecting only 3 machines to it, my question would be how would I connect that to a 10GbE switch and use the SFP+ connectors via a pci-e card in a computer. How would I make the jump from 40->10GbE? And would a 10GbE switch be quiet enough to sleep in the same room as the switch?

Thanks in advance,
Bob

Well first thing is you need to be very careful with infiniband switches. Not all infiniband switches can work for TCP/IP (i.e. standard networking) and even fewer support a QSFP+->4xSFP+ breakout cable or even a QSFP+->SFP+ adaptor (and even the cheapest adaptors would make a switch like you posted much more expensive than getting one like I mentioned such as the Brocade ICX-6610 or ICX-6450 if you just need a couple 10gbe ports). I think the adaptors would run you about $70 each and then you would need either a SFP+-SFP+ DAC (which are relatively cheap, but require you to be with a few meters of the switch), or you need to run fiber and get the appropriate 10gig fiber SFP+ transceivers for both ends of the cable (i.e. at your computer and at the switch).

What I have are 10gbase-t (RJ45) cards in my computers and I have CAT6a cable run in my house, and I use the Nbase-t transceivers (were $35 when I bought, but up to $50 now unfortunately) for each of those plugged into a SFP+ slot.

The systems that I have connected at 40gbe are local to the switch and connected using 6foot DAC (which are only like $30-35).

 

[bob4432]

Well first thing is you need to be very careful with infiniband switches. Not all infiniband switches can work for TCP/IP (i.e. standard networking) and even fewer support a QSFP+->4xSFP+ breakout cable or even a QSFP+->SFP+ adaptor (and even the cheapest adaptors would make a switch like you posted much more expensive than getting one like I mentioned such as the Brocade ICX-6610 or ICX-6450 if you just need a couple 10gbe ports). I think the adaptors would run you about $70 each and then you would need either a SFP+-SFP+ DAC (which are relatively cheap, but require you to be with a few meters of the switch), or you need to run fiber and get the appropriate 10gig fiber SFP+ transceivers for both ends of the cable (i.e. at your computer and at the switch).

What I have are 10gbase-t (RJ45) cards in my computers and I have CAT6a cable run in my house, and I use the Nbase-t transceivers (were $35 when I bought, but up to $50 now unfortunately) for each of those plugged into a SFP+ slot.

The systems that I have connected at 40gbe are local to the switch and connected using 6foot DAC (which are only like $30-35).

Thanks Fallen Kell

 

[bob4432]

Are there any brands to stay away from due to some licensing issue? Would there be any brand that would need me to buy a license to use the switch?

 

[Fallen Kell]

Many enterprise switches will potentially have license issues. Read the thread (well just the first 3-4 posts in the thread and/or the links to the initial configuration for the various switch models) about the Brocades on Serve The Home forums about those switches for information. For other models and/or manufacturers, you will have to research each switch.

 

[fkoehler]

If you find something interesting on eBay or wherever, try to get whomever to send you console output from bootup, and if possible a show license command.

A fair bit of equipment has simply had the config and nvram cleaered, with the last install OS still on flash. You could very well find yourself some kit already licensed with a decent enough OS for what you need. A lot of infrastructure out there even in large companies is running OS versions that are easy 4-5, 8 years old. Unlike consumer gear or computers, once something is running without issue in the network space, it can often go EOL/EOS before there is any need to consider an OS upgrade.
My only complaint with running enterprise gear is 24/48 port switches primarily, is the hit you take on power consumption vs the smaller 5-12 port generics. I picked up a "Cisco SG200-10FP 10 Port Gigabit GbE SFP PoE Small Business Smart Switch " https://www.router-switch.com/cisco-sg200-10fp-datasheet-pdf.html for about $30, and had to build a PSU for it for $20-25 since its hard to find one with it this cheap. Appears OS is freely downloadable and still in support through 2025.

I would assume Brocade, HP and Arista have similar offerings worth checking out.

 

[Fallen Kell]

My only complaint with running enterprise gear is 24/48 port switches primarily, is the hit you take on power consumption vs the smaller 5-12 port generics. I picked up a "Cisco SG200-10FP 10 Port Gigabit GbE SFP PoE Small Business Smart Switch " https://www.router-switch.com/cisco-sg200-10fp-datasheet-pdf.html for about $30, and had to build a PSU for it for $20-25 since its hard to find one with it this cheap. Appears OS is freely downloadable and still in support through 2025.

I would assume Brocade, HP and Arista have similar offerings worth checking out.

Yes, you have to watch it for power consumption. The big ones will draw some power, but those details are all covered on that other thread for the Brocades at least (i.e. how many watts for each model with each config, etc.). Mine is 80W, less than a lightbulb from 10 years ago... But you do have to worry about some of the enterprise switched out there (a lot of the stuff we have at work is over 1200W).

 

[fkoehler]

Just checking eBay, and this looks like a decent switch with 20 RJ-45 1Gb, and 3-4 combo ports for RJ-45, SFP /XFP up to 10Gb.
Max power of 63W, and Layer 3.... Now I'm feeling some buyer's remorse...
Foundry Brocade FLS624 24-Port Gigabit Ethernet Stackable Layer 3 Switch | eBay

 

[bob4432]

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