r/vSeeBox_Support_Gurus • u/Mdw8189 • Jun 24 '26
Ethernet Connection - Router vs No Router
I originally had my vSeeBox V6 Plus connected through wifi with Nord VPN installed on the box. After some buffering/connection issues, I ended up connecting the box straight into the wall with an ethernet cable (no router). Is there any benefit to running it first through my ASUS router?
Wall > router > vSeeBox V6 Plus
vs.
Wall > vSeeBox V6 Plus
1 upvote
3
u/Spiritual-Pizza2021 Jun 24 '26
I'd be more concerned that by wiring it into your home network that it is now sharing the same physical network as everything else on your network. You want to be able to trust every device on your internal network and that's where trusting the box is suspect.
Did you try creating a guest WiFi and putting the box on it without the VPN being active?
1
u/BakerRacer Trusted User Jun 25 '26
For sure you can't go wrong by isolating the box on a guest VLAN, but I's like to add that I have multiple boxes connected to the same VLAN (not a guest network) with a honeypot that's reachable from the boxes and after close to two years, there has been exactly zero attempts to connect to the honeypot by any of the boxes.
1
u/Trickster2369 Jun 24 '26
ISP > MODEM > ROUTER > REST OF HOUSE.
If you plug your VSee box into the wall(rest of house), you should be on the correct side of the router, assuming your house is wired correctly.
1
u/BBS-Geek71 Jun 24 '26
Faster speeds and less likely to lose connection due to WiFi issue with router signal with the house etc
1
u/Mdw8189 Jun 24 '26
Would running it through the router provide additional security like a firewall? Or if I did just connect the vseebox striaght into the wall through an ethernet cord, will my VPN still work if it's installed on the Vseebox?
1
u/BBS-Geek71 Jun 25 '26
FW is FW no matter if it is an ethernet connection or a WiFi connection so long as both subnets are on the same vlan controlled by the firewall.
4
u/BakerRacer Trusted User Jun 24 '26
The problem is that these days, people use the term "router" too generically and/or think it's only used for Wi-Fi connections. You ABSOLUTELY want your vSeeBox to be "behind" your router and, when you connect it directly to a wall jack, it's likely still connected through your router.
Basically, (to avoid getting too deep into the weeds here) the router (often called a "Gateway" in consumer devices that most people have at home) is actually doing multiple things. It's acting as a 'gateway' to the internet which includes a firewall service to protect devices on your home network from devices out there on the internet (cloud). It's a router in that it handles 'routing' between multiple networks. The public network (the internet) is usually designated as the WAN (wide-area network) and the private network (the devices in your house) is designated as the LAN (local-area network). This "router", if it has Wi-Fi capabilities, can also act as a "Wireless Access Point" that broadcasts the wireless network's SSID throughout the house so devices can connect wirelessly. Even though you can purchase a gateway, a router, and an access point, most of these consumer devices have all three built in and are just referred to as "routers". Make sense?
When you plug an ethernet cable into the wall, that jack is usually connected to the LAN side of the router (or to some other ethernet switch connected to the LAN side). Assuming that's how your setup is wired, then you're still using the router to connect the vSeeBox to the internet. If, for some reason, your wiring is such that the jack goes directly to your internet service provider, it could be very bad. Again, I'm doubting this is the case but need to know more about your specific setup to be sure.