RT2600ac Switch RT2600ac from Spectrum to Verizon Mobile 5G Home Internet Modem

[Sambo]

Hoping someone may have some experience with this already...

With Spectrum now at $80 vs verizon 5g at $25, I have to take the plunge. Received box yesterday for 30 day evaluation and it was simple enough to setup, notwithstanding the lack of virtually any information to help the process. It all connects through my existing my verizon app, which had a very confusing interface with respect to the new 5g device, reporting it as not activated yet even though it IS connected to internet. I also discovered the new 5g box has its own phone number assigned which nobody told me about. I suppose that is needed since the signal comes from cell towers.

My current setup, spectrum modem to the RT2600ac with 2 MR2200 access points (one MR2200 powers a POE reolink camera), 2 NASses (DS415play & DS 1520+) are wired to the RT2600. I have my own domain.

The IP for my RT2600 is 192.168.1.1. I'm not even sure how to access the spectrum modem.

The IP for the new verizon 5g box is 192.168.0.1. It is running concurrently next to my spectrum network, and I can connect individual devices to it.

Should I take the plunge and just disconnect the RT2600 from the spectrum box and connect it to the new 5g box?

From the limited info I have been able to see, I think I need to set the 5g box to passthru and shut off it's wireless. I think this will limit the new 5g box's WiFi 6 cababilities by throttling it through the RT2600, so maybe a new RT6600 in the future...

Anyone have any insight?

Sorry if these are newby questions. If they bother you, please don't rain your thunder down upon me!

Thanks in advance...

 

[Rusty]

I think I need to set the 5g box to passthru and shut off it's wireless

You are correct. What you want (if possible) is to place your new Verizon router in "bridge mode". That will put it into a dumb "modem" and pass all the router tasks to the device after it, 2600 in your case.

If bridge mode is not an option, then you will need to leave it as a router, and configure it to work with your mesh system without them both clashing.

That can be done using the "DMZ" option on your Verizon router (if it's supported). What that means is that you will leave your Verizon in its subnet 0, and your 2600 in subnet 1. Next, you take one IP address from subnet 0 (whatever you like), and configure it as the DMZ IP.

After that, that same IP address needs to be configured on the 2600 side by modifying the WAN port settings and manually configuring that DMZ address.

ISP
LAN 192.168.0.1
DMZ 192.168.0.30

Syno
WAN > 192.168.0.30
SUB > 255.255.255.0
GAT > 192.168.0.1
DNS > 1.1.1.1 (or any other DNS server you want)

This way, any traffic that will hit your Verzon box, will pass it along to the DMZ IP. That will go to your 2600 WAN port that is configured with the same IP, and from there it will be NATed towards your LAN devices in subnet 1. This also means that all firewall and port forward configurations are done on your 2600 alone, and not on the Verzion router as well.

 

[Sambo]

Thanks Rusty. That is very helpful and added greatly to my understanding of what I need to do. One thing I meant to add in my original post but forgot to is the issue of the public IP that is assigned; whether it is dynamic or static, and how that may or may not relate to the fact that is is a cellular signal with an assigned phone number.

Under spectrum, it is a dynamic IP, but it hasn't changed in months and I can more or less rely on it for my private domain which I manage thru cloudflare.

I'm wondering if the public facing IP will change often or not and whether DDNS management for example will remain the same?

 

[Rusty]

I'm wondering if the public facing IP will change often or not and whether DDNS management for example will remain the same?

Well with GSM providers usually keep you in several DHCP pools, but considering that you are using a GSM box as a "static" device, in terms you are not moving or changing towers, the IP rarely changes.

That does not mean it will not change, so having a DDNS configured in the back would be your best bet.

Personally, back in 2020/2021 I was in the exact same spot as you, while I was waiting for fiber to be implemented. GSM "homebox" solution using a 4G connection. My public IP hadn't change a single time.

 

[Sambo]

Thanks very much for responding again Rusty. Much appreciated!