Hello Forum,

Just posting this here to see if any network tecchies can help.

In our house, we have installed a full CAT6 network with 20 data points throughout. CAT7 cables from all the datapoints lead to a 24 port patch panel and unmanaged switch in a rack in the cellar. This is linked to a Fritz!box 7390 ADSL modem on LAN port 1. This modem has a WLAN access point, and there is another access point installed upstairs.

The Sunrise IPTV box is, rather unsurprisingly, installed by the television. In addition, there is a PS3, AV receiver and a couple of computers connected directly. WLAN is used for pads, laptop and phones.

All works very well indeed, until one evening we could not access the WLAN; connection was possible, but not authentication and usage.

Spent hours trying to find out why - is someone accessing our network and swamping it? The lights on the access points and switch were showing huge activity.

I used Wireshark (network protocol analyser) to see what the data was, and it turns out it is the multicast IPTV packets for the Sunrise box that are swamping the network. We turned the box off, and the WLAN accessibility returned and the activity went down to somewhat normal levels.

A workaround is to have the Sunrise IPTV box connected to the second LAN port on the Fritz!box (this has a 4-port hub built in to it) and this prevents the multicast packets from swamping the rest of the network. Fine, but you need to know that one of the outputs on the 2-port wall socket is ONLY for the Sunrise box; swap them around and you have a swamped network again.

I want to eliminate this workaround, though. More, I want to find out how we can have the IPTV box and everything else playing together nicely on the same switch.

Any ideas/experiences on how to achieve this ? I have a feeling I should have bought a managed switch instead of a 'brain-dead' switch...

Managed switch and VLANs. Or a better-behaved box. Or get WLAN and plug into the LAN using the WAN connection.

I don't quite understand your setup, and I'm not familiar with Sunrise TV, but I do know that with some "triple play" ISP's (internet, voice, TV) do require specific ports for each service to be used on their modems due to the fact they separate the services with different VLAN's.

eg. IPTV may be only on Port 1 with VLAN 101, VOIP may be on port 2 with VLAN 102, and internet may be on port 3 with VLAN 103.

I don't know if this applies exactly to you, but something to keep in mind. Usually the ISP will tell you this however when they send you the modem or do initial install. (PS- you can check to see what VLAN is on what port with Wireshark)

Try to segment your network... use 10.0.0.x for TV etc and 10.0.1.x for WLAN traffic.

Thanks for the replies, will have a play around with some of your suggestions. Subnets will be the first.

Cheers!