How to extend guest network when there is a switch between Mercusys Halos

As we know, a guest network is a network that is separated from your main network, providing internet access only for connected devices. Devices on the guest network cannot access devices on the main network.

When you connect one or more satellite Halo units to the main Halo unit through a switch, then you may need to add some configurations on the switch so that the guest network will work properly on the satellite Halo units.

Case 1: If you have an unmanaged switch.

If it is an unmanaged switch, no extra settings need to be configured on the switch. Just connect them, and the main network and guest network will work as expected.

Here are the two typical connection structures when working with the unmanaged switch.

Case 2. If you have a managed switch.

1. Please make sure that the version of your Mecusys App and firmware is up-to-date. Please refer to FAQ below if you have any questions: How to upgrade a MERCUSYS device to the latest firmware

2. When you wire the satellite Halo unit to the main Halo unit through a managed switch, you may find that you cannot have access to the Internet via the guest network of the satellite unit. Here we will teach you how to do the configuration on your managed switch so that the problem can be solved.

1) The main network and the guest network are separated by VLAN. The guest network is tagged with VLAN ID 591 by default, while the main network is untagged. You can also customize the VLAN ID as between 3-1024. Here we take VLAN ID 591 as an example.

Note: The VLAN ID button will only show up when your Halos are wired together through a network switch.

2) If you have only one satellite Halo, we assume the main Halo connects to port 1 of the switch, while the satellite Halo connects to port 2.

If you have two or more satellite Halo units, we assume the main Halo connects to port 1 of the switch, while the satellite Halo units connect to port 2 and port 3.

3) Configurations on the switch

Here we take the TP-Link easy smart switch TL-SG3428X as an example. Other switches work similarly.

Topology 1 (only one satellite Halo)

Configure the VLAN setting of the guest network

Go to L2 FEATURES>>VLAN>>802.1Q VLAN>>Add a new entry: Set VLAN ID as 591 and VLAN Name as a guest. Then select the Tagged Ports as 1-2 (port 1 leads to the main Halo, port 2 leads to the satellite Halo). After that, click Apply to save the settings.

Now the guest network will work properly on the satellite Halo.

Topology 2 (two or more satellite Halo units)

Configure the VLAN setting of the guest network

Go to L2 FEATURES>>VLAN>>802.1Q VLAN>>Add a new entry: Set VLAN ID as 591 and VLAN Name as a guest. Then select the Tagged Ports as 1-3 (port 1 leads to the main Halo, and port 2&3 leads to the two satellite Halo units). After that, click Apply to save the settings.

Now the guest network will work properly on the two satellite Halo units.