How many Wi-Fi devices do you have at home?

Hardware
1

Hi everyone. I’ve been thinking about how I map my network according to how many devices I currently have.

I mapped my network as follows:

  • 172.20.0.0/27: Home Server, pfSense, Fedora VM running FreeIPA with DNS server, UniFi Controller, and UniFi APs
  • 172.20.0.32/27: My main computer, laptop, and smartphone. I have a tablet but it’s not used.
  • 172.20.0.64/27: Home Assistant (LXC), Insteon Hub, my Denon receiver (no default gateway), and NVIDIA Shield
  • 172.20.1.0/24: Home Assistant (LXC), Google Home, Mr.Coffee Wemo Coffee Maker (for brewing tea)
  • 172.20.2.0/24: Home Assistant (LXC), Asterisk, SMTP/IMAP server, Prosody (XMPP Server

Although the /24 is convenient, I’m thinking of keeping the number of hosts down as I don’t need that many in the IPv4 space although it does not make sense in the IPv6 space as I can have as many devices as I want; however, I don’t think my Wemo coffee maker speaks IPv6.

And why do I list Home Assistant 3 times? So the devices in the local subnet does not have to traverse through the default gateway in order to talk to Home Assistant. So I can take out the default gateway from Mr.Coffee Wemo Coffee Maker as it does not need to be connecting to the Internet. I can do the same for LIFX. Of course, I won’t be able to control my coffee maker and light bulbs but that’s fine with me as communication will be done with Home Assistant. Besides, I can create interfaces in LXC with ease:

lxc.net.0.type = veth
lxc.net.0.link = br20
lxc.net.0.flags = up
lxc.net.0.hwaddr = 00:16:3e:[redacted]

lxc.net.1.type = veth
lxc.net.1.link = br30
lxc.net.1.flags = up
lxc.net.1.hwaddr = 00:16:3e:[redacted]

lxc.net.2.type = veth
lxc.net.2.link = br_private1
lxc.net.2.flags = up
lxc.net.2.hwaddr = 02:16:3e:[redacted]

So that’s why I segregate my whole network into multiple smaller networks in order to maximize networking performance (reduce broadcast domain) even if network devices do not talk to each other that much. That’s why I like to manage my networks using Ubuntu Server. Netplan is a very useful feature of Ubuntu Server.

  bridges:
    br0: # Home Server, pfSense, Zentyal, UniFi
      interfaces:
      - enp18s0f1
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
      - 172.20.0.1/27
      - [redacted IPV6 ULA address]
      gateway4: 172.20.0.2
      gateway6: [ULA Prefix]::2
      nameservers:
        addresses:
        - 172.20.0.3
        - [ULA Prefix]:3
        search:
        - graysonpeddie.lan
    br10: # Computers, mobile devices
      interfaces:
      - enp19s0f0
      - vlan10
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
      - 172.20.0.33/27
      - [redacted IPV6 ULA address]
    br20: # Wired Home Automation Devices and Entertainment
      interfaces:
      - enp19s0f1
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
      - 172.20.0.65/27
      - [redacted IPV6 ULA address]

Now my question as the subject says, how many devices do you currently have? You don’t have to list the devices you have, but I want to figure out whether it makes sense to only go with 126 hosts instead of 254 for wireless devices (including LIFX). The reason why I ask is to get a general idea of how I would structure my network. For example, I plan to buy a small house with only 1 or 2 bedrooms and a basement home theater, so I don’t have plans for having so many Wi-Fi devices (except wired, whenever possible).

PS: It would be nice if Konnected could have RJ45 connectors so I can minimize the use of Wi-Fi for stationary devices. I’m not that anti-Wi-Fi, but it would be nice to keep Wi-Fi use to a minimum.

2

I have 44 devices but not simultaneous. Probably average 30 live connections.

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3

I have about 25 or so wifi devices.

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4

I have a cable modem/router and 4 access points (repeater mode) in my network. One AP on each floor ethernet wired to the router.

Around 60 ethernet devices, mostly around 40 connected. All home assistant related stuff have static DHCP IP addresses but phones, laptops, etc is by dynamic DHCP IP. Some devices have a wired connection but most are wifi devices.

Next to the Wifi network there is a mesh Zigbee network with around 30 devices and a few Blue Tooth devices (few RasPi’s) and still some 433 MHz devices where I don’t have a substitute for.

So I regard my home network as a mix of wired and Wifi ethernet, Zigbee and Bluetooth. As these last three use 2.4 GHz bands there extra care to be done.

I keep a flat C class IP (256) network scheme for ethernet as it is IMO too much hassle to segregate. I don’t have much broadcast or bandwidth related worries (but would like more analysis).

But IMO you have to keep an close eye on your network as it is basic for a good functioning home automation system (and of course for other uses).

Would like to hear if someone is using some sort of ethernet bandwidth analyzer…

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5

I have 55 devices per my IP scanner, 12 of which are on Ethernet.

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6

WiFi: 27 constantly, ~10 additionally up and down during the day.
Wired: Something around 20 I think.

May I ask the question (since you have Unifi equipment): Why don’t you segregate with VLAN? In terms of security that would be a lot better. I haven’t done it yet, but have the equipment in place to run multiple WiFis for HA-related devices (one online, one offline), guests and internal/trusted devices.

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7

I appreciate your input everyone. It seems to me I shouldn’t need more than 62 Wi-Fi home automation devices in a network (my smartphone lives in the subnet as my computer and laptop) and that to me is a lot.

All of my computing devices I have in my home network have static IP addresses configured or reserved IP address assigned by DHCP, so no dynamic IP addresses in my network unless I bring in a new device into my home network (be it a smartphone, Doorbird, or any other device) which will then be configured either as a static IP or DHCP-assigned reserved IP address. To me, that is how I keep track of my devices in my home network.

If I am going to have recessed lights in the near future and want to change color, I would probably go with ZigBee as I don’t like the idea of having 1 IP address per light. In my opinion, lighting needs to be in its own network without creating another SSID just for the lights.

Thanks.

I do use multiple VLANs in my Ubuntu Server. Here’s my netplan configuration:

network:
  ethernets:
    enp24s0:
      dhcp4: no
    enp18s0f0:
      dhcp4: no
    enp18s0f1:
      dhcp4: no
    enp19s0f0:
      dhcp4: no
    enp19s0f1:
      dhcp4: no
  bridges:
    br0: # Home Server, pfSense, Zentyal, UniFi
      interfaces:
      - enp18s0f1
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
      - 172.20.0.1/27
      - [IPv6 ULA address]
      gateway4: 172.20.0.2
      gateway6: [prefix]::2
      nameservers:
        addresses:
        - 172.20.0.3
        - [prefix]::3
        search:
        - graysonpeddie.lan
    br10: # Computers, mobile devices
      interfaces:
      - enp19s0f0
      - vlan10
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
      - 172.20.0.33/27
      - [IPv6 ULA address]
    br20: # Wired Home Automation Devices and Entertainment
      interfaces:
      - enp19s0f1
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
      - 172.20.0.65/27
      - [IPv6 ULA address]
    br30: # Wireless home automation devices
      interfaces:
      - vlan30
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
      - 172.20.1.1/24
      - [IPv6 ULA address]
    br40: # Virtualization
      dhcp4: false
      addresses:
      - 172.20.2.1/24
      - [IPv6 ULA address]
    # The next set of "private" bridges is only for private communication
    # between two or more Linux containers or virtual machines (hosts).
    # Private communication between hosts is not routable from and to and
    # is not monitored or intercepted by the main home server.
    br_private1:
      dhcp4: false
    br_private2:
      dhcp4: false
    # Test lab between virtual machines in two VLANs
    br1200:
      interfaces:
      - vlan1200.0
      - vlan1200.1
      addresses:
      - 172.20.200.1/24
    br1201:
      interfaces:
      - vlan1201.0
      - vlan1201.1
      addresses:
      - 172.20.201.1/24
  vlans:
    vlan10:
      id: 10
      link: enp18s0f1
    vlan30:
      id: 30
      link: enp18s0f1
    vlan1200.0:
      id: 1200
      link: enp18s0f1
    vlan1200.1:
      id: 1200
      link: enp19s0f0
    vlan1201.0:
      id: 1201
      link: enp18s0f1
    vlan1201.1:
      id: 1201
      link: enp19s0f0
  version: 2

So my Ubuntu Server is my router behind a virtual pfSense router running in KVM.

I might have to think about implementing RADIUS-assigned VLAN, although home automation devices do not support 802.1x authentication. Both my Coffee Maker and Google Home do not support WPA2-Enterprise. If it does, I can work around having more than 2 SSIDs since I have one SSID per VLAN.

As to omission of the IP address for private bridges, it’s so I can have private communication that’s not possible with UNIX socket. For example, I tried mounting mailserver’s /var/run/dovecot in xmppserver’s /var/run but I get a “too many symbolic links” message upon starting xmppserver Linux container (LXC), so by omitting the default gateway for a specific subnet, the communication can be kept private. It’s kind of similar to having multiple computers connected to a switch without a router.

And as for VLAN 1200 and 1201, I started reading a book about RHCSA/RHCE so I created two VLANs as a test lab. I think the two VLANs is more for advanced topics in RHCE. It’s from an Exam Preparation Guide by Asghar Ghori. I use a Kindle format due to my visual impairment. I’m currently looking for a job and haven’t read the book in a while.

8

i have > 60 devices but i have it all in a /24
i don’t detect any slowness in performance. i still saturate my gig link to my server.
everything streams and plays fine. my network is not open. but i’m not worried about securing my IOT stuff beyond a wifi password. too much extra work, and besides, one of my neighbors would have to hack my network and then figure out what is what and then figure out how to turn my lights on and off… and i just don’t see all that happening.
so to each his own, but doing a risk vs. reward analysis, seems like allot of extra effort that i don’t need.
then again, i’m someone who logs in as root because i’m too lazy to type sudo all the time.

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9

This is one reason I went with the Philips Hue lights. Also, the zigbee mesh network expands from each light making it easier to reach those places the wifi does reach or has poor signal.

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10

I also have a cable modem, router and 2 cabled access points. I run a flat network as well I just assign certain device types different ranges. For instance my camera’s are all 192.168.1.20x my Home Automation Devices such as NUC, Lutron Pro Hub Osram Hub etc. are all 192.168.1.5x or .6x. Things like my NAS’s, Servers etc. all have the same treatment. Then there is the Z-Wave, Zigbee and Bluetooth as well. I agree with the flat network it’s easier to manage.

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11

Yes, I also group certain devices to a different ranges, and keep 1 to 150 for these static dhcp ip’s as I see expansion in number of ethernet devices (e.g. sonoff’s and shelley’s).

Also comparing to the Zigbee network (where you cannot do much in network arrangements) it seems too much hassle to have the ip / eth. network segregated by vlan’s, routing or other. Also more complexity leads to more difficulties in problem solving. My 2 cents.

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12

I have presently 20 devices connected by wifi, and a total of about 48 devices (so about 28 wired). I have a box of 20 odd wifi lights to install.

I have them all on one class c network, but that is because I am a bit lazy.

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13

About 60 devices, 50/50 wired/Wi-Fi. Plus, Z-Wave and Lutron RA2 devices, -about 50 additional.

4 VLANs: management, internal, IoT and guests.

1G fiber to the house, all UniFi gear, about 450/450 Wi-Fi speed with UniFi nanoHD access points.

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14

bastard fibre company doesn’t come to our “country” suburb.

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15

More amazing, I live on a small island, at the end of private road, …, used to have CenturyLink at 5 up/down, then LTE at 50/50, now fiber happiness… Really pretty amazing to have the external link as fast as the internal network.

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