My current network configuration involves a TP-Link ER-605 wired-only router connected to my ISP’s cable modem. Local devices connect to the router via Ethernet or WiFi provided by TP-Link Deco devices that are configured as mesh APs and connected to the router via Ethernet. I have an MT-3000 router that I use when I travel to connect to an OpenVPN server running on my home NAS device.
I decided to order a Brume 2 gateway and would like to add it to my existing home network in order to:
Use the Adguard feature of the Brume 2 with all devices connected to my home network; and,
Enable only my MT-3000 travel router (currently runs an OpenVPN client) to connect to the VPN server configured on the Brume 2 (I.e., all traffic not coming from the MT-3000 would bypass the VPN). This would replace the OpenVPN server I currently have running on my NAS
I’m looking for guidance on how to connect the Brume 2 to my existing network and configure it to accomplish these two objectives. Thanks.
Connect the Brume 2 as a LAN device behind your ER‑605 so it’s on the same subnet as your Deco mesh. Enable AdGuard Home on the Brume 2 and set your ER‑605 DHCP to hand out the Brume 2’s IP as the DNS server so all devices use its filtering. Then configure the Brume 2 as a VPN server, forward the VPN port from the ER‑605 to it, and set your MT‑3000 travel router to connect as the only VPN client. This way, all home traffic gets AdGuard filtering, while only the MT‑3000 uses the VPN.
By way of clarification - in the DHCP configuration I currently have the router’s IP address set as the default gateway and no DNS specified (I have primary and secondary DNS addresses set in the router’s WAN configuration). Should I leave the default gateway as-is and then just add the Brume 2’s IP address as the Primary DNS? If so, do I then have to configure DNS settings in the Brume 2?
If you do not plan to use the Brume 2 as your primary router—which is generally the simpler setup—you should connect the primary router’s LAN port to the Brume 2’s WAN port. Then, enable Drop-in Gateway mode on the Brume 2. For configuration steps and an overview of this mode, please refer to the documentation:
If your goal is just to use AdGuard Home solely for DNS filtering, you only need to update the DNS settings in your main router’s DHCP configuration. Set the DNS server to the Brume 2’s WAN IP address (which is the address it receives within your main router’s LAN).
Of course, you also need to enable ADG Home on Brume 2 and configure the relevant settings (upstream DNS, filter lists, etc.).
Thanks for the response. Before I move forward adding the Brume to my existing network set-up, I should probably consider replacing my existing router with the Brume 2, since it would provide all the necessary functionality in a single device. I’d need to purchase a larger Ethernet switch (I currently have two switches connected to the LAN ports on my existing router; one in the same location as the router and another in a different location). But it seems like that would simplify the configuration; I’m assuming I’d just need to establish a connection to my ISP’s cable modem via the WAN port, plug the switch into the LAN port and then configure dhcp services, AdGuard home and an OpenVPN server on the Brume 2, correct?
