Mesh network

Hi

I am using box 2 with a BT Whole Home mesh network (I am in the UK). This gives me three nodes, which easily eliminates dead spots. Setting up was a bit of a puzzle until I realised that one of the nodes, which would normally have an ethernet connection to the router, had to be connected to the ethernet port on the back of the box instead - obvious really... You may need an ethernet switch if you have other devices with wired connections.

This setup allows the box to manage all the network addresses and therefore protect everything - at least, that's what the devices list says; who knows what it's actually doing?

Only a couple of minor problems: to set up a guest network you have to switch off the mesh nodes so that whatever device you're using connects directly with the box. I haven't bothered with this as the BT system provides its own guest network. Secondly, I haven't been able to make the new privacy mode work with my Echo Dots at all - but this may be another issue entirely.

I don't believe you need a mesh network of BitDefender Box if you already have a good wireless router.  I installed my BitDefender Box 2 using the option 'Case 2: Using your personal router'. As a result, my BitDefender Box 2 is connected directly to my own Arris modem. My Box 2 is acting as my primary router. The single port of my Box 2 is connected to an Ethernet port on a 5-port Ethernet switch. I use ethernet cable to connect LAN ports from this switch to my smart TV, Roku box and Chromecast stick. One of the LAN ports on this switch is connected to my Netgear Nighthawk X6 router with two 5GHz and one 2.4GHz wifi channels. The Netgear router is set to Bridge Mode, with Wfi enabled with good key encryption, using the same SSID and password foe all its Wifi channels. As I discovered later using NetSpot Network Analyzer, that same SSID and password got applied to the 5GHz and 2.4GHz wifi channels on the Box 2.

With the above setup, network between the Box 2 and the Netgear router and all laptops, iPads, iPhones, smart switches, smart thermometers, smart speakers are routed back through Box 2, and I get reports about all the 'bad traffic' that is blocked between any two devices on my home network.

Since my Netgear has far superior wifi antennae that can work as a directional matrix array, I have no needed a mesh network router. As long as my Netgear router reaches every smart device in my home, its network traffic is monitored by the Box 2.