Two WiFi Networks in My Home - How to Make Home Media Server Operate? reddit / selfhosted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OwnWorker9521 · 2023-10-18 01:43 Hi there, First of all, sorry for the handwriting in the image below... wrote it very quickly. I recently installed a secondary router to work with my Quest 3 VR headset (so I can basically stream VR games wirelessly from my PC). This has a different network name and password. My PC is connected to it, along with my Apple TV, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. The thing is my Jellyfin media server is connected via my main router, which like I said before, has a different name and password. I can't have my Apple TV or my PC connect to the media server. I also can't connect from my PC to the media servers via Windows remote desktop, which I also strictly need. Any thoughts how I could fix this? Thanks! https://preview.redd.it/3i7mawtg7vub1.jpg?width=1096&format=pjpg&auto= webp&s=9ce8781b18b5c26d04248f62d7eab3ad32fd732e ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jared252016 · 2023-10-18 02:23 From your diagram you should be able to access it already. It's what is called dual NAT where a router is behind a router. Otherwise you could turn off DHCP on one and use static IPs / routes Would it be possible to plug your media server into both routers? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jonathanrdt · 2023-10-18 02:25 Why do you have a second router and a second network? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- sodium111 · 2023-10-18 02:39 Is this a double NAT situation? I'm unclear on why you need two networks. If you put the secondary router in bridge mode or access point mode, would that solve your problem? Is there a reason you can't set up the VR thing on the main router? Or, why not connect your media server to the secondary network? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RovingShroom · 2023-10-18 02:41 What's the problem on the Quest that forces you to have two routers? Might be easier to solve that and pull everything under your main router. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OwnWorker9521 · 2023-10-18 02:49 I need the secondary router for the Quest 3. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- smegheadkryten · 2023-10-18 02:53 Can you put the second router in AP mode? That way both routers will be on the same network. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OwnWorker9521 · 2023-10-18 02:53 To play on PCVR games with the Quest wirelessly, performance is greatly improved with my secondary router since: 2) It makes an uninterrupted connection to the Quest 2) It's makes an uninterrupted connection for the Quest ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OwnWorker9521 · 2023-10-18 02:55 I don't know why I got downvoted for this lmfao. I'll explain it further if I have to: To play on PCVR games with the Quest wirelessly, performance is greatly improved with my secondary router since: It's Wifi 6E instead of Wifi 5 (my main mesh router) It makes an uninterrupted connection for the Quest ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OwnWorker9521 · 2023-10-18 02:58 I can't play the VR on the main router. The latency would make it unplayable. To play on PCVR games with the Quest wirelessly, performance is massively improved with my secondary router since: It's Wifi 6E instead of Wifi 5 (my main mesh router) It makes an uninterrupted connection for the Quest ---------------------------------------------------------------------- kindrudekid · 2023-10-18 03:33 It would have been cheaper to hardwire and install access points ---------------------------------------------------------------------- cr1tic · 2023-10-18 03:36 Right now your secondary router is running an entirely separate network than the first one. Depending on the feature set of your main router, you could create a subnet for your secondary router and put it in AP mode, so it doesn't create the second network and instead acts as an access point to the first one. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OwnWorker9521 · 2023-10-18 03:38 No, it wouldn't have. First off, I got my WiFi 6e Router for completely free (I got 2 of them for 65$ and sold one for 110$). Also, if I installed access points, I would have to hardwire, which in my scenario, is not feasible. Also, other people in the house with devices could connect to the access point and create interference. Others can't connect to my secondary router. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jerwong · 2023-10-18 04:15 If you can't turn your secondary router into an AP, you can connect the LAN side of your secondary router to the main router so that they can be in a single network. also turn off any DHCP servers on there. Don't connect the WAN. That's the simplest fix. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RovingShroom · 2023-10-18 05:30 I'd assume you can't replace your main router because you've bought other mesh routers compatible with it and your new router isn't compatible with those? Why not connect everything besides the Quest to the main router? Then everything but the Quest can access the server. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- zfa · 2023-10-18 05:35 Please follow the /u/jerwong advice. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- candle_in_a_circle · 2023-10-18 09:49 It depends what make and model these routers are, but u/jerwong’s advice is right. If you want some key words and phrases to figure out how to set it up, you’re running is two subnets, two DHCP servers and an internal NAT firewall on your second routers which is keeping the two networks separate. You want everyone on a single subnet (or separate subnets with a subnet mask to cover both), a single DHCP server (or two in the subnet mask solution could work) and to remove your internal NAT firewall, which will be an outcome of the first two things. If all this is foreign to you and you don’t want to learn, it’s probably best to just spend some money on the problem. The ‘right’ way to do it is to fix the main network so that it works with your Qyest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MindOverBanter · 2023-10-18 11:47 If you really cant merge the two networks, maybe you could add another network interface to the server? Like plug ethernet to the main router and connect wirelessly to the 2nd router? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MRobi83 · 2023-10-18 12:03 OK, let me rephrase that one.... It would have worked properly to hardwire and install access points. Just because something may be slightly cheaper doesn't always make it the best solution, as you're learning here. FYI, it is not a necessity as you say to have a dedicated router for a VR headset. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- sodium111 · 2023-10-18 12:27 This is the way. Done correctly, all of the devices will be on one network (i.e. they can all see each other, and there is a single device - the primary router - that is providing NAT/DHCP services to all devices), AND there will be two wi-fi options in the house with two SSID's, one from the primary and one from the secondary. So you would get the benefit of a faster wireless connection for the Quest. One minor question for OP: do you really need the secondary router *and* that network switch? I would guess the secondary router would have enough ethernet ports. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- HellraiserGN · 2023-10-18 12:27 You should just do access points. I test hardware and reviewed a bunch of VR headsets, Quest included. It's much simpler to just make the 6e an access point . I have four people in the house that stream constantly and I am able to play wireless VR streaming even on my old Quest 2 with WiFi 6(non-e) without any issues. Others connecting to your AP causing interference could be the quality of your access point. I have 29 clients connected to mine and it's rated for 100 devices and I can use the Quest in various parts of the house without any issues. Virtual Desktop wireless bandwidth is at max 400mbps. I switch to AV1 for practically the same image quality and less bandwidth. https://www.uploadvr.com/virtual-desktop-quest-3-update-quest-pro- face-eye-tracking/ But like I said, easiest route is just set it to AP mode. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- kindrudekid · 2023-10-18 12:51 That’s congestion not interference. Interference would be something disrupting you getting full speed. Congestion is traffic. Thing of a a driving a car down street, all potholes , pedestrian, speed bumps etc etc are interference and reducing the speed. Congestion is multiple lanes being pinholed into 2 lanes only causing slow. Even with two routers you can have interference, you only avoided congestion buy making your VR a dedicated HOV lane. Having multiple AP that were hardwired would have enabled you to hand off to different AP etc and even set one AP exclusive to your VR. Plus most routers have QoS options to enable you to prefer quest when in use… Also are you using your own router or ISP provided router. iSP provided router so the bare minimum, you need a more processing power and ram for the router to handle multiple connections successfully. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- jonathanrdt · 2023-10-18 13:14 You could have a second wifi ssid on the same ip subnet. That would allow all devices to communicate without nat and still have a dedicated path for your oculus. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OwnWorker9521 · 2023-10-18 13:26 I’ll try putting the secondary router into AP mode. I can’t connect the PC to the main router because then it will be a wireless connection, which I don’t want. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OwnWorker9521 · 2023-10-18 13:28 Got it. Thanks for the info ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OwnWorker9521 · 2023-10-18 13:32 Okay. Unfortunately, hardwiring is not exactly easy for me to exactly since I have to put the wire though multiple rooms and walls. I also leave for college in a few months anyways lol ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MRobi83 · 2023-10-18 13:33 OK, so how do you have your second router connected? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jdibs77 · 2023-10-18 13:45 I don't think you're quite getting it. The issue here is not the fact that your VR headset works better over 6E on your new device that's closer. The issue is that you're insistent that you need that new device to ROUTE traffic. Turn off all typical router functions, (no DNS, no DHCP, don't use the WAN port, put it in bridge mode if able, etc.) and only use it as a switch/AP. The problem isn't the need for better connectivity, the problem is the fact that the way you have achieved better connectivity causes other issues. And then you double down and insist that you have it set up correctly, when clearly you do not. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OwnWorker9521 · 2023-10-18 14:15 Oh never mind. I get your point, sorry. My secondary router is connected via Ethernet, but I’ll try seeing if I can put it into AP mode like some of the other comments said. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MRobi83 · 2023-10-18 14:35 Now you're getting it! :) If that router doesn't have an AP mode, you could always resell it and buy an actual access point. Use that same ethernet cable and just plug it into the AP, configure and away you go. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- kmisterk · 2023-10-18 15:26 ## Post Removed Hey, OwnWorker9521! Thanks for your submission on selfhosted. 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