This article provides a brief overview of Control4, how it interacts with eero, and best practices for utilizing Control4 on an eero network. Guidance for best setup topologies are also included.
What is Control4?
In IoT and home/business automation, Control4 is a powerful tool that can be utilized to help control a wide variety of home or business devices, such as thermostats, security systems, music playback equipment, and more.
Control4 is often combined with other Snap One equipment to provide users with a complete Snap One-powered network solution, which allows for easier integration and communication between networked devices.
In addition to providing integration between devices while on the home network, Control4 also enables users to remotely access and control these devices, even when not connected to the network itself.
Setting up Control4 with eero
Using Control4 on a home network generally requires the use of a network switch to directly connect each device via ethernet. This network configuration is also possible with eero, however, there are some additional steps and guidelines to keep in mind when using Control4 with eero.
Selecting a Switch
The kind of network switch used will factor heavily into the overall stability and performance of Control4-enabled devices on an eero network. To ensure the best possible experience, eero recommends using an unmanaged network switch, especially when hardwiring eeros to one another.
Managed Switches generally come with enhanced functionality that can be useful for managing traffic in various situations. Though a Managed Switch can be made to work with the eero system, we generally recommend using Unmanaged Switches as their ease of use combines well with our system.
In the event that a managed switch is used between eeros, we recommend disabling features such as Spanning Tree Protocol (STP/RSTP), Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP), and removing any Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) or Quality of Service (QoS) features.
Using a Snap One router
If a Snap One router is being used together with other Snap One equipment, the overall setup method for integrating eero will be slightly different. Any eeros on the network will need to be isolated by connecting them to a dedicated switch. The eeros on the network will also need to be reconfigured to bridge mode, enabling them to continue passing a Wifi signal without interfering with the existing Snap One router setup.
For more information on how to bridge your eero network, see How do I bridge my upstream modem/router combo device?
If you’d like additional information regarding best practices for network topology, refer to our article on Examples of common network topologies.
Note: Configuring eeros into bridge mode will reduce overall functionality of eero when compared to NAT mode configuration. For a complete description of the features that are unavailable or restricted in bridge mode, see What advanced features do I lose access to if I put my eeros into bridge mode?
Media over IP (MoIP)
If a Media over IP (MoIP) service is being utilized on the network be sure to isolate the MoIP equipment onto its own dedicated switch with IGMP enabled. For more information on MoIP, see Snap One's article.
Examples of Valid Topologies
There are a variety of different topology solutions for setting up eero together with Control4 hardware, depending on the networking environment and equipment being used. Review several examples of valid topologies below, as well as explanations for each setup.
eero with Control4
In this configuration, the eero serves as the primary router for the network, with other eeros and any Control4 equipment hardwired to the gateway eero via a network switch.
Snap One router with eeros
This topology combines existing Snap One equipment with eero, and uses the Snap One router to serve as the primary DHCP server on the network.
In this configuration, what would be the gateway eero is connected behind the primary Snap One router in bridge mode, allowing it to provide wireless coverage without interfering with the existing NAT.
Additional eeros are connected to the network via a network switch. Note that the switch servicing leaf node eeros has advanced features such as STP and IGMP disabled to ensure stability.
eero PoE Gateway Setup
This configuration uses an eero PoE gateway instead of a standard eero to eliminate the need for additional network switches. The eeros on the network are configured for bridge mode to allow the Snap One router to manage DHCP.
Snap One router with eeros and MoIP
This setup has multiple switches meant to serve bridged eeros, Control4 and wired clients, and a dedicated switch for Media over IP (MoIP).
As mentioned in the section above, MoIP requires IGMP to be enabled, necessitating an additional switch to isolate it from the rest of the network.