I know this topic has been addressed in multiple threads before, but in searching all of them, I didn’t get a very clear sense of whether or not it’s possible (or how difficult it is) to use Vera with an existing router. I would like to just plug Vera into my existing router rather than replace my existing router with Vera (primarily because it also serves as my Vonage phone adapter - it’s a combo). I can probably figure out how to make the existing router/phone adapter disable all of its router functions, but I know it’s going to become a science project that I’m just not interested in undertaking if it can be avoided. So…
If I just plug Vera into my existing router, will it work? Can I use the Findvera.com service, or must Vera be directly connected to my broadband modem? In order to do what I’m asking, would it also become a science project?
Thanks.
Fortunately, what you want to do is both easy and common … it’s how my Vera’s connected to my LinkSys router. The Linksys handles doling out DHCP addresses, as well as my wireless.
So under Vera’s ADVANCED > Net & Wi-Fi, I simply:
- Disabled Vera’s wireless
- Set Vera to “Connect to the Internet” via DHCP (meaning, she’ll get her IP from my primary router)
- Set Vera’s firewall to “No firewall - bridge WAN & LAN”
- Turned off Vera’s DHCP server under LAN
Once you’ve connected Vera’s WAN port to your other router’s LAN port, I think that’s all you’ll need to do! FindVera.com will work fine for you, as it does for me. Perhaps some patience will be necessary while Vera “phones home” the first time (in which case rebooting Vera might make sense immediately after you’ve SAVE’d the above settings).
Good luck.
Brilliant! That’s what I was hoping to hear - thanks to both respondents.