Company issued Meraki Z3 and home networking issues

[geraddavis]

My company recently upgraded their telecommuter networking hardware. They replaced the Aruba router with the Meraki Z3. While I like the speed and plug-n-play aspect of the Z3, I'm having trouble getting it to co-exist with my personal home network. Previously with the Aruba I could plug my Linksys Velop mesh node into port 4, which allowed me to run the two networks independently. With the Z3 I'm not having the same luck.

What I've gleaned from the sparse instructions is that the proper way to have two networks is to connect the Velop node to the modem first, then connect the Z3 to the Velop node. The problem with this approach is that the second LAN port on my node is occupied with the filter for my cable TV box.

What options do I have here? Is there a way to plug my home network into the Z3 (bridge mode)? Is there a device that I can plug into the secondary port of my Velop node which could in essence give me a third port so that I can run the Z3 off of the node and use the cable box filter?

Thanks,

Gerad-

[PhilipDAth]

You'll need to speak to your support people as only they'll be able to set the configuration.

Your company may want the company network and your home network seperate - to prevent exactly what you are trying to do.

Typically the Z3 would be plugged into your ISP router.  It sounds like your Velop node and the Z3 should both be plugged into your ISP router.

[AjitKumar · Accepted solution]

Hi Gerad

I understand you can add a 4/8 Port Switch to Velop Node 2nd Port. This shall give you more number of interfaces to connect multiple devices.

Kindly check the following url.

https://kb.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=243552

However becomes a little clumsy though.

[geraddavis]

Thanks AjitKumar. I believe this is was what I was thinking of; a switch. This, in essence, will provide me with additional ports on the Velop node. I removed the cable filter from the second port on the Velop node and plugged the Z3 into it and both networks are working as desired. Sounds like I just need to add a switch so I can make use of the cable filter once more and I'll be good to go!

[Uberseehandel]

What exactly is the purpose of the cable filter?

[geraddavis]

Uberseehandel, it's required for the WiFi enabled TiVo cable box to pull content into its menu. Without the filter I can't watch cable TV.

The filter has a coax in, a coax out and Lan port. The cable feed comes into the house and plugs into the filter. From there a coax cable from the filter connects to the modem and an ethernet cable from the filter connects to my wireless router. I connect my cable box to my Wifi network and I have cable TV.

I'm not too versed in the ins and outs of networking hardware, so my initial question could probably have been rewritten to ask "how do I add extra ports to my router?" 🙂 But I was also curious if one of the ports on the Z3 acted as a throughput for devices that didn't need to access the secure network.

[Uberseehandel]

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@geraddavis wrote:

it's required for the WiFi enabled TiVo cable box to pull content into its menu.

The filter has a coax in, a coax out and Lan port. The cable feed comes into the house and plugs into the filter. From there a coax cable from the filter connects to the modem and an ethernet cable from the filter connects to my wireless router. I connect my cable box to my Wifi network and I have cable TV.

I'm not too versed in the ins and outs of networking hardware, so my initial question could probably have been rewritten to ask "how do I add extra ports to my router?" 🙂 But I was also curious if one of the ports on the Z3 acted as a throughput for devices that didn't need to access the secure network.

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I'd forgotten that kind of arrangement was required in some regions. I've got used to phones, streaming media, internet, subscription TV services all coming through a single copper/fibre connection, and then sorting them all out into their respective VLANs as they arrive at the Security Appliance's WAN port.

Incidentally what you appear to need is not more router ports, but more switch ports.

Any port on a router or switch can "act as a throughput for devices that didn't need to access the secure network." This is achieved by setting up VLANs to classify and separate network traffic and then explicitly allowing certain classes of VLAN traffic to pass on specific ports. It is what I generally call, sorting the sheep from the goats.

[Uberseehandel]

Is the ability of the Velop to pass the cable TV data stream important?

Have you considered setting up VLANs to separate private and corporate network traffic?

Is the Z3 configured to use a VPN to connect to corporate sites?

There are ways around the problem you have described, but any company that does not recognise that Internet delivered TV/Media services are the norm, needs to re-examine their requirements as far as Telecommuting devices are concerned.

As far as I can discern, your requirements are:

• separation of corporate and private Internet traffic
• support for cable TV traffic
• extension of WiFi coverage

Before suggesting an approach that should meet your use case, it would be helpful to know if you have other application requirements.

Does your company offer any support in configuring the Z3 appliances?