I’m expecting to receive a VeraLite in the next few days and am looking at the online setup video in order to get a head-start. Have a question about connecting the ethernet cable.
My network setup is:
Telephone line → DSL modem → Airport Express WiFi
Since there are no extra ethernet ports (there’s just one to connect the DSL modem to the Airport Express), how would I hook up the VeraLite during setup?
Would I temporarily disconnect the Airport Express and hook the VeraLite into the DSL modem for setting it up?
I guess you have the old Airport Express with just one ethernet port?
Is your DSL modem really just a modem? Or is it a router too?
If it is just a modem, you are stuck unless you buy more equipment. The Vera Lite has no WiFi, and no other ethernet ports to act as a router.
You could get a wifi/ethernet bridge, and plug Vera Lite into that.
Or you could get a different router (not necessarily with wifi), put that between the DSL modem and Airport Express (setting the Airport Express to bridge mode), and then plug Vera Lite into that.
I have some Netgear ethernet switches which work well and aren’t expensive. Just connect it to your modem then plug your Airport Express and Vera into it - and you’ll still have a couple of free ethernet ports for other things.
[quote=“racarter, post:3, topic:174589”]I have some Netgear ethernet switches which work well and aren’t expensive. Just connect it to your modem then plug your Airport Express and Vera into it - and you’ll still have a couple of free ethernet ports for other things.
FYI… Assuming you are using the Airport Express as your firewall, this will put all devices connected to the switch on the outside of your firewall. And depending on how your ISP servers up ip address (you may not be able to receive more then 1 ip address) so only one device would really work. Nor work the devices attached to the Airport Express via WiFi be able to connect to the devices attached to the switches (as these are on the outside of your firewall).
You really need a router with a built in switch/firewall. The Airport Express is a great device if you are only doing WiFi within your house, but once you grow to requiring ethernet connectioned devices it is limited due to its lack of ethernet ports. You can turn off the firewall on the Airport Express (I believe) so that if you pick up a basic firewall with a switch you can connect it have everything on the inside of your firewall and addressable.
Thanks for all the replies - really appreciate it!
Sounds like the thing to do is find a new Airport Express with the extra ethernet port. That will give me dual band as well (which would be nice), and I can use my old Express for handling some remote speakers.
One more question… If had purchased a Vera 3 which has WiFi, would its WiFi work independent of the WiFi I have now. Or would the Vera 3’s WiFi communicate through my existing home WiFi?
I have another old-style Airport Express I’m not currently using as well. Could I use it as a wirleess extender, and then plug the Vera Lite into its sole ethernet port?
That could actually be ideal because I’d be able to put the Vera Lite closer to devices I want to control. And would have more range on my WiFi network (though no dual band).
[quote=“citysnaps, post:6, topic:174589”]Thanks for all the replies - really appreciate it!
Sounds like the thing to do is find a new Airport Express with the extra ethernet port. That will give me dual band as well (which would be nice), and I can use my old Express for handling some remote speakers.
One more question… If had purchased a Vera 3 which has WiFi, would its WiFi work independent of the WiFi I have now. Or would the Vera 3’s WiFi communicate through my existing home WiFi?
Any advantages?[/quote]
What generation of the Airport Express do you have? I was just looking at Apple’s website and the current version (released in June 2012) does have a second ethernet port which you could plug a switch in to ( similar to racarter suggestion earlier but into the Airport Express verses the DSL Modem) which would be inside your firewall and work directly with your other ethernet/WiFi devices as all would be behind the firewall. You would use NAT and DCHP from the Airport Express to have all your devices on the same network subnet and access the internet.
If you had purchased the Vera 3, you could have used its embedded WiFi router (and retired your Airport Express), used them together as separate WiFi networks (not sure what this would get you) or you might have been able to extended the WiFi network by bridging them (useful if you have a large house or area to cover).
[quote=“citysnaps, post:7, topic:174589”]One more thought that just came to mind…
I have another old-style Airport Express I’m not currently using as well. Could I use it as a wirleess extender, and then plug the Vera Lite into its sole ethernet port?
That could actually be ideal because I’d be able to put the Vera Lite closer to devices I want to control. And would have more range on my WiFi network (though no dual band).[/quote]
If its the old style probably not, as that is meant to be the WAN port. It would depend on which model and software version to see if that would support deactivating the firewall and just using the WiFi to ethernet communications embedded in the device.
[quote=“citysnaps, post:10, topic:174589”]>>> What generation of the Airport Express do you have?
tjoyce, thanks… Unfortunately it’s the first generation Airport Express - probably around 2003. Just one ethernet port…[/quote]
Impressive that it lasted that long! So let me ask this question… How many devices are you looking to connect via ethernet? And are they located together or different locations (within like 300ft of your DSL modem)? (Sorry, guess that was two questions)
Edit: You said you had two Airport Expresses (one your currently using and one that your not currently using), what generations is the other one?
So the simplest solution maybe to just upgrade to the newest Airport Express (or Extreme - which I prefer and use daily). I’m assuming you prefer Apple products, but there are many other WiFi routes that could meet your needs.
Just wanted to report back that I went with a new Airport Express with the LAN port and the set-up went fine. Paired Vera Lite with a lock and works well.
Thanks…
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