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I discovered that there is indeed a web interface to manage the network. Simply enter the IP address of the private network's default gateway, and you are prompted to enter the password for your account. After authentication, you get a web page with your network map and status. There is also an...

Sounds good. I left my iPad on my main network, but it doesn't interact with my Apple TV 4K, which I moved to the IoT network.

True, some devices present more risks than others. In my case, since I was going through the effort of creating a separate network and moving devices, I decided to do it completely - - if the IoT device didn't need to be on the main network, it got moved to the IoT network. It's difficult to...

A guest network is also an isolated network, and it's a best practice to use it for your IoT devices if your network gear does not have an IoT network feature. The only real downside would be if you do use your guest network for actual guests.

Even home theater devices with Wi-Fi capabilities such as disc players, AVR's, smart TV's, streaming boxes, etc. would be considered IoT devices. Best networking practices would mean isolating those devices from your personal computing devices. I ended up placing all those device types on my IoT...

Ideally, the two networks are completely separate, so devices on one cannot see devices on the other. For home automation devices, they rarely need to interact directly with your PC or smart phone. They are usually controlled via an external app or website, so your PC / phone accesses the...

I would suggest Googling "IoT Security Issues". There are lots of articles on the topic. Creating a separate network for your IoT devices keeps those devices from infecting your desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, etc. if an IoT device becomes compromised. I did finish getting my network...

Yes, I am pretty satisfied with the Deco X55 version I bought, too, especially at the price. It's fairly easy to setup and manage (except for this whole IoT feature). The product solved the few coverage issues we had in our house. My only additional wish is that there would also be a way to...

It's a feature that TP-Link has been adding via firmware updates lately. Their first iteration of a separate IoT network didn't offer any traffic isolation between networks, and they received a lot of complaints about this -- deservedly so. This "device isolation" feature is their attempt at...

Yes, in a way, it's like a guest network. However, in this implementation, the isolated devices can still see one another. That does provide for functionality for home automation devices that use a central hub to communicate with the devices. My automated lights don't do that, though. As to...

No, VLANs are not a feature, unfortunately. It's tedious work, but I have just been doing it a little at a time. I figure once I am done, adding new devices in the future shouldn't be a big deal.

So, the TP-Link Deco mesh wireless router system I bought a while back now provides for a separate (sort of) network for so-called "Internet of Things" (IoT) devices -- home automation devices, smart lights, etc. This is in addition to the guest network feature. The implementation was a little...

Just make sure to use waterproof ethernet cables / connectors. Otherwise, there is a significant risk of shorting out the equipment. Funny story. I was the manager of the network group for a large healthcare system. We provided an ethernet connection to a company that would bring in portable...

It really does depend on the environment. In my case, the two remote mesh points connect directly to the base unit which is centrally located in our two story (three, if you count the basement) colonial house, so there is no daisy chaining going on. Running ethernet cable to our upstairs is not...

If your environment is anything like mine, almost all of those 25 devices are probably using little or no bandwidth at any given time. I have about 30 devices that could potentially be on the network, but most of them are items such as light switches, thermostat, or AV equipment (receiver, disc...

The eero 6+ was the other setup I strongly considered, but the TP-Link Deco was a much better price during Prime Day. I was expecting a better discount on the eero systems, since Amazon owns them, but that wasn't the case. The Deco got very good reviews, so I went with the more cost effective...

An ethernet backhaul certainly makes sense if you are able to run the wiring without too much hassle. In our older house, though, it wouldn't be simple, and I think having everything wireless will be fine in my particular case. The single Xfinity wi-fi router covered things well except for my...

To revive an old thread, I finally bit the bullet and installed a mesh network in my home. I picked up this TP-Link Deco X55 on Amazon Prime Day and installed it this afternoon. It's replacing my Comcast Xfinity XFi router/WiFi device, which has for now been relegated to a cable modem...

While this is the most likely cause, it's also possible that the bad cable caused a spanning tree issue, depending on how your network is configured. Less likely, though. In any case, it sound like you found the root cause - - the bad cable.

Yes, the large cable or communication companies can be a royal pain in the butt to deal with. My personal nemesis is AT&T, as I had to deal with them professionally for over a quarter of a century in their various pre/post merger forms. I refuse to buy anything from them in my personal life. I...

Ruckus sounds interesting. Like @Dave Upton and @John Dirk , my background is in network engineering. We used Cisco enterprise gear across all our facilities (I was in charge of the data and voice networks for a large, multi-hospital healthcare system for 27 years), which was swapped out for...