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I've got a TP-Link Deco X50 with my Virgin Hub 5. Reasons to get a dedicated router too?

namecaps
On our wavelength

I've got this 3-pack, and it all seems to be working well, except that I probably need some more because I have a very large area to cover:

Deco X50 | AX3000 Whole Home Mesh WiFi 6 System | TP-Link United Kingdom

Via the TP-Link Deco mobile app, I get very basic local & remote monitoring of the above network.

So I was pondering in investing in a dedicated router like an Archer AX55 in order to get more advanced management:

Archer AX55 | AX3000 Dual Band Gigabit Wi-Fi 6 Router | TP-Link United Kingdom

But then I'm thinking... do I really need more advanced management? Answer: probably not.

Are there any other reasons why adding an AX55 or similar into the mix would be a smart move?

7 REPLIES 7

legacy1
Alessandro Volta
Is your hub in modem mode? you likely don't need a dedicated router it would be if you had wifi AP that a router would be good to get.

You likely have all the advanced management by your mesh like QoS/BWM only if you wanted firewall control would you want something better then a home router or more subnets.
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namecaps
On our wavelength

The hub isn't able to put into modem mode because I've got a static IP (I've double-checked this reality with Virgin tech support, and they confirm that it's true).

Strangely when I was performing the setup of the Deco X50 devices using the TP-link Deco app, I could only seem to get Internet access (when connected to the Deco wi-fi) when I told the app that I had a dynamic IP. When I told the app that I had a static IP, I couldn't get Internet access.

I'm not sure if that's correct or not. It's possible I wasn't getting Internet access (when I selected the Static IP option in the TP-link deco app) because I wasn't waiting long enough, and/or because I wasn't entering the correct settings (IP, subnet, DNS, etc.) for a Static IP.

But I'm 99% sure I was entering the correct Static IP settings.

So maybe I wasn't patient enough. I don't know.

Does anyone else?

legacy1
Alessandro Volta

You have a dynamic IP modem mode will get you a new WAN IP with one of your Deco in DHCP router mode getting that IP if that don't their are other reasons.

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@namecaps wrote:

The hub isn't able to put into modem mode because I've got a static IP (I've double-checked this reality with Virgin tech support, and they confirm that it's true).

Strangely when I was performing the setup of the Deco X50 devices using the TP-link Deco app, I could only seem to get Internet access (when connected to the Deco wi-fi) when I told the app that I had a dynamic IP. When I told the app that I had a static IP, I couldn't get Internet access.

I'm not sure if that's correct or not. It's possible I wasn't getting Internet access (when I selected the Static IP option in the TP-link deco app) because I wasn't waiting long enough, and/or because I wasn't entering the correct settings (IP, subnet, DNS, etc.) for a Static IP.

But I'm 99% sure I was entering the correct Static IP settings.

So maybe I wasn't patient enough. I don't know.

Does anyone else?


Hang on, are you on a normal domestic connection or a business one? I’m guessing that it’s the former as you have a Hub 5. In that case you absolutely do not have a static address as VM don’t offer them on domestic connections, you almost certainly have a dynamic public IP address!

If, indeed you are on a normal domestic connection then you haven’t spoken to VM technical support (assuming that such an entity exists), you have actually been speaking to a random call centre worker on whatever passes for minimum wage in that part of the world, who probably has never even seen a VM hub in the flesh, so to speak, and whose training consists of reading from a pre-scripted set of responses in front of them!

namecaps
On our wavelength

I'm sorry! My bad!

I accidentally crossed my own wires by mixing up my residential setup (with a Hub 5 without Deco mesh) with my business setup with a Hitron Chita (which I was told is like a Hub 5!) which has the Deco mesh.

I've changed the subject line too.

Sorry!

So yes, I *do* have a static IP address with my Virgin media business service. And I know for sure that the option to switch to modem-only mode on a Hitron Chita is disabled when you've got a static IP address.

So the remaining question is: should I be able to select "Static IP" in the Tp-link Deco app setup?

Whether or not I'm supposed to be able to... I wonder if it matters, i.e. what am I missing out on?

namecaps
On our wavelength
Turns out that I wasn't able to edit the subject line, but that's ok.

legacy1
Alessandro Volta

@namecaps wrote:


So the remaining question is: should I be able to select "Static IP" in the Tp-link Deco app setup?


No Hitron has the Static IP even then its not Static some else posted here upset that their Static IP got changed.

modem mode will give you the WAN IP to Deco its not Static but may not change for months/years

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