Ooma Telo Home port, DHCP Router or Switch Functions?

[tomcat]

thunderbird:
I do think you are trying to make things more difficult than they need to be.

When the Ooma Telo is connected behind a router with an Enabled DHCP Server, the Ooma Telo would auto sense the active Enabled Router DHCP Server.

There would have to be a way for the telo to tell the difference between a router's DHCP server and an ISP's DHCP server. There are probably ways to fingerprint a DHCP server or some other kind of signature to tell the DHCP servers apart, but the telo would have to be programmed for each one in order to know whether it should configure itself for router mode or switch mode.

An additional external switch could be connected to the Ooma Telo's Home port to allow additional devices to be connected through the Ooma Telo's Home port.

I know I could purchase another switch and place it ahead of the Ooma Telo, connecting both the Ooma Telo and the Computer to the Switch, but I don't want to purchase another switch for just one extra port.

Putting the switch in front of the telo would allow you to do everything you are wanting to do.

[nn5i]

There would have to be a way for the telo to tell the difference between a router's DHCP server and an ISP's DHCP server.

That's rather trivially easy. If the IP provided is in a private range it's from a router. Otherwise it's from an ISP.

[tomcat]

There would have to be a way for the telo to tell the difference between a router's DHCP server and an ISP's DHCP server.

That's rather trivially easy. If the IP provided is in a private range it's from a router. Otherwise it's from an ISP.

You make a good point. Though, I still don't think I would want the telo making that decision for me (to run in switch mode or router mode).

[nn5i]

Well, there could be three choices in a menu: Router, Switch, Auto.

[thunderbird]

thunderbird:
I do think you are trying to make things more difficult than they need to be.

When the Ooma Telo is connected behind a router with an Enabled DHCP Server, the Ooma Telo would auto sense the active Enabled Router DHCP Server.

There would have to be a way for the telo to tell the difference between a router's DHCP server and an ISP's DHCP server. There are probably ways to fingerprint a DHCP server or some other kind of signature to tell the DHCP servers apart, but the Telo would have to be programmed for each one in order to know whether it should configure itself for router mode or switch mode.

All Internet providers that I know of will only allow one IP address to be issued, at a time, from their DHCP server, (unless the customer pays for additional IP addresses). Ooma Telo autosensing would check to see if more than one IP address is available. If only one IP address is available, the Ooma Telo would not change to Switch Mode. This would also apply to a modem and/or Router with DHCP functions disabled.

An additional external switch could be connected to the Ooma Telo's Home port to allow additional devices to be connected through the Ooma Telo's Home port.

This statement is for other users.

I know I could purchase another switch and place it ahead of the Ooma Telo, connecting both the Ooma Telo and the Computer to the Switch, but I don't want to purchase another switch for just one extra port.

This statement is for my setup.

Putting the switch in front of the Telo would allow you to do everything you are wanting to do.

Except if I have my computer connected to my Ooma Telo's Home port. Than I wouldn't be able to print and file share with my other LAN computers. But I would be able to access Ooma Setup pages.
If my Ooma location computer is connected to the switch, than I can't access Ooma Setup unless I port forward 172.27.35.1:80.

Well, there could be three choices in a (Ooma Setup) menu: Router, Switch, Auto.

Router, Switch, Auto chose is the ideal solution.

Note: These are basic ideas and refinement is probably required.

[nn5i]

These are basic ideas and refinement is probably required.

When I was a hiring manager -- seems so long ago -- I had lots of folks who could refine. But I would kill for a chance to hire the few who could come up with original basic ideas.

[thunderbird]

bump

[atjaguarx]

When you put a Telo behind your router don't use the Home port at all and you won't have any double NAT problems.

If you don't use the home port, you lose the QOS features that the Ooma device provides.

[KungFuCat]

Another method would be to use a variation of man in the middle.

Ooma telo's suggest connection is between the modem (cable/isdn/adsl) and the home router.

I call this idea "Invisible mode"

Initialization Process follows (Auto discover routers MAC and IP address):

• When the tel power on the unit is brought to default.
• Internet port disabled/powered off.
• Home port is enabled
• Listen for a DHCP request from the Home Port.
• Temporarily store the DHCP request packet.
• Retrieve the MAC address from the DHCP request packet. This should be the MAC address of your router.
• Set the Internet port to the MAC address found in the DHCP packet.
• Turn On the Internet port / power on.
• Pass the stored DHCP request over the Internet Port (toward modem).
• Wait for response from the DHCP server.
• Note the IP address's the DHCP server response. This will be the listen IP address
• Pass the DHCP server response to the Home port

Operation process is based on filters.

• Incoming packets from internet / modem
  
  • Destination the router IP and/or MAC?
    
    • Yes
    • If it is on a Ooma port, intercept it.
    • If it is a DHCP update, adjust listening IP address if needed and pass packet.
    • All others pass through.
    • No
    • Pass packet trough.
• Outgoing packet from home port.
  
  • If packet is going to the telo setup page (IP 172.27.35.1), intercept it (like it does now).
  • Is there any "telo" packets needed to be sent?
    
    • Yes - Send telo packets first
    • No - pass packet through.

This really boils down to a man in the middle. All packets that are not for the telo are passed through. To the router and modem the telo is essential invisible. Any packets on the telo TCP/UDP ports with the router IP are intercepted and never make it to the router. Since the device would be sharing the MAC and IP address of the router no additional NAT translation would be needed. A variation of this trick could be used for discovering the MAC address of the modem and cloning that to the home port to become even more invisible. However that should not be needed as routers are normally not picky like cable ISP's tend to be.

In the event you would like to use the Ooma device behind the router, unplug the device and plug it back in WHILE holding down the Play button. This would switch the device into "Choice mode" and given voice prompts to cycle through the available modes of operation.

"Invisible" mode, defined above.
"Client" mode, DHCP client turned on, Home and Internet ports act like a switch, Intended for behind the router.
"Standard" mode, DHCP server/client turned on, similar function to current ooma telo.
"Static" mode, DHCP turned off, IP address set to 192.168.1.10 (or something), used for troubleshooting.

Invisible Pros:

• No Double NAT issues, AKA game console friendly
• ISP Single IP/MAC friendly
• IPv6 should pass through
• Zero setup / Fully automatic

Invisible Cons:

• Most likely to be really buggy on first deployment
• Would require Standard or Static mode(s) to be default and in firmware until Invisible is bullet proof.
• No Convenient way to have multiple devices on same line, maybe, not sure how they do there port management.