Lol this never even occurred to me. Seems like the simplest way to start, thanks!

That’s where it broke down for me. It all makes sense except for the wired ethernet in the SFP port on the bell modem/router. The routers I’ve been looking at that were suggested like TP-Link with openWRT capabilities only have Wan and Lan, there’s no SFP.

Yeah I hadn’t realized this. I was hoping I could just swap out a new router for the current isp unit. It’s beginning to make sense though, I just have to turn the Bell modem/router to act as just a modem. Gonna take some time and research more into it before I make any decisions. Thanks for taking the time.

DGS-108, it’s a switch. It’s just so I can wire in without having to run cables all the way to the router/modem.

OK that makes sense, thank you. WAN from bell to new router would cover the WiFi, then the blue cable into the new router, which would pass the signal back through the WAN line to the bell router and out the fiber line? Or would I need another cable to go LAN to LAN from new router to bell to get the signal to the fiber line? Does WAN go in both directions?

Edit:

and plug the blue ethernet into one of the new router’s LAN ports so that the new router is managing the ethernet for your home devices

Wouldn’t that just completely bypass the Bell modem/router though?

Fiber and only internet service. I’m not sure if ethernet box is the right term. The ethernet cable goes from the modem through the walls to the other side of the house. The end of that cable is connected to a D-Link box that has 6 more connections for multiple devices.

wait, do you have 2 devices from your ISP? what kind(s) are they (make/model)

No just the one. It’s a Bell Home Hub 3000. There’s a blue cable that plugs into LAN4, a telephone cable that plugs into TEL1 (both of these come from the junction box where the router/modem is), and white cable that plugs into a plug that’s closed off marked sfp, which then runs through the wall to a spot in the living room where I have an ethernet box that has a few devices connected by wired ethernet.

I get that connecting a new router o the WAN port will run all wireless connections through the new router, but the white ethernet cable would still come out of the isp modem/router. I don’t understand how the wired ethernet would come from the new router.

Ok cool. So if I understand, the isp router is used as a modem, so instead of devices connecting to the isp modem/router, the new router sits between the connection so the isp modem/router goes to the new router, which connects to devices?

So the main cable goes into the isp router on LAN4, I connect from WAN to my new router, and I assume I also need to swap the cable that goes from the isp router to my ethernet junction from the isp router to my new one, so ethernet also goes through the new one?

Ok, looks like my isp router doesn’t have bridge mode but using DMZ apparently works. Honestly it’s the basics that I’m not getting. The setup seems pretty general, I guess I have to keep my isp router as a modem and connect the new router to the WAN on the isp modem/router. That makes sens but there’s another wire from the isp modem/router that goes to an ethernet box. Wouldn’t that bypass my new router? Would I have to swap the ethernet wire to the new one?

Ok, looks like my isp router doesn’t have bridge mode but using DMZ apparently works. Honestly it’s the basics that I’m not getting. The setup seems pretty general, I guess I have to keep my isp router as a modem and connect the new router to the WAN on the isp modem/router. That makes sens but there’s another wire from the isp modem/router that goes to an ethernet box. Wouldn’t that bypass my new router? Would I have to swap the ethernet wire to the new one?

This is great thank you

When you say supported router do you mean one that supports OpenWRT?

Oof. Looks like I’ve got more homework to do. I’m tired lol. Thanks for the write up, I’ll look into this more.

Do you use the Syncthing-Fork F-Droid app for android?

Yep, I am

Do you remember how high it was? Last I checked a few days ago it was a little over 2k I think. I gave the benefit of the doubt about the Trump appointee comments but glad I took this last week to move things off Proton. Not sure about a VPN replacement and gonna pay a few months for any mail I didn’t remember to move but otherwise I’m out and happy for it.

Awesome, thanks so much for taking the time. Looking forward to trying to set this up

I lterally just ordered 2 Mi boxes for this lol. I’m goin to put Lineage on them but they have to be the 2nd gen S box is that what you have?

Appreciate it thank you! So basically in either setup syncthing just checks for an updated version of the file on any device and replaces the old versions on all devices? Do I have this right?:

A simple 2 device setup would be easy with a p2p structure, but can get convoluted when adding more as they all then need to connect to eachother. If I have multiple devices (which I do) a star-shaped structure means each device only has to connect to the main server device.

In the p2p example, the phone adds a new password, the notebook sees the change through syncthing monitoring the phones folder, and replaces it’s file with the new one. If I change something on the phone when I’m out of network, the change is local and works fine on the phone (but obviously wouldnt on the notebook) then syncs when i get back on the network and updates the notebooks file.

In the star-shaped structure, all devices point to the server file. I change something on network on my phone, the server file then sees the change and updates, then the other devices do the same. If I change something off network, again the same as the p2p example with one extra step; once back on network the server sees the change on the phone, updates, then the other devices update to that.

Is that the jist of it?

Edit: So basically if I wait for my laptop, I set it up, then on my phone for example I set syncthing to the folder on the laptop, then change the local Keepass folder to the syncthing laptopo folder?

I’ve been making changes to get off Proton lately and this is my plan, but I have a question if you don’t mind? This is the first time I’ve tried self-hosting, and I’m waiting on a laptop I’m getting returned from a friend to host things like Keepass, Immich, calendars, etc. I’m trying to get my ducks in a row as best I can while I wait.

I’ve switched to Keepass from Proton Pass already, and it was significantly easier than I was expecting. Currently I’m doing things manually, every time I add/change something I copy the file to my devices, so each one has a local file.

If I understand correctly, Syncthing will, well, sync the things lol. I slap Syncthing on each device and point them to where the keepass file is located right? But is the location the local file per device or the “master” file on the laptop server? I suppose my question is: Is there a master file on the server computer (my returned laptop) that devices sync to, or can I make a change on say my phone, and everything syncs without there being a “central” host, basically Syncthing replaces “me” in my current flow? If the latter, I suppose i don’t need Keepass/Syncthing setup as a dedicated server?