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Cheap unmanaged switch Multi-WAN using MACVLAN

MACVLAN Setup

Device Details

  • Device type: MACVLAN
  • Base device: br-lan
  • Mode: Bridge
  • Device name: Any name

Notes

  • MACVLAN is not a replacement for VLAN, use VLAN whenever possible.
  • Some modems, especially ISP-supplied ones, may cause rogue DHCP scenarios. They reject DHCP messages, but the server remains on for internal reasons. MACVLAN is not suitable in this case.
  • MACVLAN is used for budget setups.
  • Do not enable software offload in the firewall when using MACVLAN, as it may affect the ARP table.
  • Some white-label brand 100-Mbit switches may perform poorly with multiple addresses from the same port due to limited switching fabric. Use a cheap gigabit switch.
  • Disable IPv6 on all modems.

Diagnostics

Simple Check

  • Microsoft Rogue DHCP Checker should show one DHCP server:

Advanced Check

  • For Linux/MacOS: Disconnect SmoothWAN and the client from the network. Use Wireshark to listen on the broadcast, reconnect the client to the network, and observe any DHCP messages. There should only be a single source.