Imagine creating a secure smart home network that keeps your IoT devices isolated from the rest of your main network. This can be done by putting them on their own Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). While it sounds straightforward, it’s actually a lot more complicated in practice.
On paper, isolating your IoT gadgets is a great idea for security and reducing broadcast noise. By separating them into their own VLAN, you can segment out devices that don’t have tight security measures like consumer IoT devices. This also reduces the risk of mDNS or SSDP traffic flooding your LAN.
Controlling what devices are allowed to talk back to your main network is another advantage. You can decide which devices access the internet and which stay completely isolated.
In this article, I’ll share my experience with setting up a dedicated VLAN for my smart home devices. While it wasn’t as simple as flipping a switch, the outcome has been worth it.
**My Experience**
I started by isolating devices that weren’t actual computers like cameras, TVs, and Home Assistant. Once I created the VLAN, I migrated most of my smart home onto it. Cameras were first to be added due to security concerns. Next came Home Assistant, followed by my HomePod, TV, and smart plugs.
When everything landed in the new VLAN, some things stopped working immediately, including device discovery, AirPlay, and Home Assistant integration. But fixing these issues was relatively simple – I enabled multicast and discovery protocols and allowed SSDP traffic across subnets.
After making a few targeted firewall exceptions and selecting which devices could access the main LAN, everything is now functional and my network feels cleaner. The benefits of this setup far outweigh the initial complexity.
**Lessons Learned**
If you’re considering setting up a dedicated VLAN for your smart home, be prepared for some initial breakage as your ecosystem adapts to new rules. However, with a basic understanding of VLANs and some tweaking, reaping the benefits becomes seamless.
Source: https://www.xda-developers.com/i-moved-my-smart-home-to-a-dedicated-vlan-and-heres-what-broke