Can someone explain why the WCO Base is connected to my wifi and does it need to be? I thought all the communication was via the ethernet port.
I noticed that I had not enabled internet access on my NetGear router for this device. I also don’t see any issues with the operation of the Camera or the Base.
So why is it attached to my WIFI? Guessing it was related to initial setup but is there an ongoing need for it?
Oh and by they way. If it can be attached to my wifi and run its own private wifi for the cameras why the ethernet port? I have seen a lot of folks complain that being tethered to the ethernet port is real bummer.
You do not need to enable internet access for the WYZE base because it is hard wired into your home router. The MAC filtering you’re thinking of is likely only configured on the WiFi network broadcasting from your NetGear. With the base using an Ethernet cable to plug into a LAN port on your NetGear router, the base is now on the same subnet as the rest of your LAN.
Once the base obtains a valid IP address from your router and makes connectivity with the Internet, the base will then fire up its own WiFi SSID. Once the WYZE SSID is up and running, the light on the base will become the most obnoxious solid blue light you have seen in your life. If you look at the wireless networks in your area from a PC or phone, you will see a new WiFi SSID clearly defined as a WYZE network.
The base will hand out IP addresses to WCOs that attach with it. The WYZE WiFi SSID is on it own subnet and the base hands out the IPs to the WCOs. I could share the subnet here, but I am going to skip it for now. You can look at the ‘Device Info’ for your WCO and see its IP address.
All WCOs attached to the base are double NATed behind your home router and of course the base itself.
Well it is That is my question. It is also attached via the Ethernet port. This is a fully functional setup. I am asking while fully functional why does it ALSO attach to my wifi.
Good point on the ‘cheesy’ mac filtering. That is not really security. I understand and agree with everything you are saying. Now, add to that the fact the base ‘is’ also attached to my wifi. Not by my doing. Only because I happened to notice while messing around last night. So yes, I agree the mac filtering is really only wifi based and the WYZE Base unit has access to the internet via the LAN port on my NetGear.
The thing is this. Everything is up and running and cabled as you described and as Wyze describes. Yet the Base Unit is also is attached via the wifi. I don’t know if it is using it for anything but I know for sure it is acting as wifi client and is connected to my 2.4G wifi. The NetGear has handed out an IP address on that WIFI connection as well. So the base unit must have DHCP’d for an IP on my wifi. The ip address is pingable on my wifi network as well. I have not scanned the ip address yet to see if it is listening to anything on the IP address.
Take a closer look at your router. I would be willing to bet that your wired network and your WiFi network are configured with the exact same network (likely 192.168.0.x or 192.168.1.x). This gives you the appearance that anything wired into a LAN port on the router is also on the WIFI network.
Trust me, the WYZE base is communicating via the Ethernet cable via a LAN port on your router and NOT the WiFi SSID broadcasted by your NetGear router.
Here is a simple test. You said you can ping the WYZE base station while on another device connected to your NetGear WiFi. While pinging that IP address, unplug the Ethernet cable running to the WYZE base. The base will stop replying to that ping request proving communication to/from the WYZE base is via the Ethernet cable.
The WCO cameras will communicate with the WYZE base via the base’s WiFi network. Which in turn communicates via the Ethernet cable plugged into your router. I hope this makes sense…
Good Point! Now that you mention that I know the NetGear app and even the Web Interface sometime miss-represent the connection type. It shows LAN, 2.4G and 5G but I have in the past seen it be wrong.
I will play around with that and report back. Thanks!
For now I have to leave it alone. Cyber School today for the kids and therefore must submit a Change Request before digging in and possibly having an unplanned outage. Ha ha.
That is my question. It is also attached via the Ethernet port. This is a fully functional setup. I am asking while fully functional why does it ALSO attach to my wifi.