Introduction to My Home Network

Introduction

I used to love tinkering with various complex network configurations: multiple VLAN divisions, complex DNS splitting rules, layer 3 switches, various firewall policies, multiple wireless SSIDs… As a tech enthusiast, these configurations were indeed very fulfilling and could bring a “scientific and interference-free” internet experience.

However, when these complex configurations were applied to a home network, problems arose:

The configuration was too complex, making it difficult to troubleshoot when issues occurred, affecting family internet usage
Some devices might not be able to connect to the internet properly due to firewall rules
Overly aggressive DNS splitting configuration caused some domestic apps to malfunction
More devices meant more failure points and higher maintenance costs
Family members just wanted to browse TikTok and shop on Pinduoduo, and didn’t need so many “advanced features”

After multiple attempts and reflections, I finally understood: for home networks, stability and simplicity are far more important than rich features. So, I started to simplify, building a minimalist yet adequate home network solution.

Design Principles

When designing my home network, I followed two core principles:

Fewer devices, the better - Reduce failure points and lower maintenance costs
Less configuration, the better - Simplify management and improve reliability

Network Topology

The entire home network topology is as follows:

China Unicom Fiber -> Optical Modem B610-4E (Bridge Mode)
                    |
            Wired Router RB5009UG+S+
            (Dial-up, DHCP, DNS, VPN)
                    |
          +---------+---------+
          |                   |
    Wireless Router      Switch MERCURY SG116M
    zte BE5100              |
    (Bridge Mode)      Wired devices in each room

Equipment

Optical Modem B610-4E
Wired Router RB5009UG+S+
Wireless Router zte BE5100
Switch MERCURY SG116M
UPS TG-BOX850
Various Cat 6 network cables

About the Optical Modem B610-4E

I use China Unicom broadband, and the optical modem is configured in bridge mode. The benefits of this are:

Avoid network issues caused by double NAT
Reduce one layer of forwarding, lowering latency
Let the more powerful router handle dial-up and network management

After configuring bridge mode, the optical modem only handles optical-to-electrical conversion, and all routing functions are handled by the RB5009.

Wired Router RB5009UG+S+

The RB5009UG+S+ is the core of the entire network. This is an enterprise-grade router from MikroTik running RouterOS. The reasons for choosing it are:

Powerful performance, if it doesn’t break, you might never need to replace it
RouterOS is feature-rich and highly customizable
Stable and reliable, suitable for long-term operation

Main Function Configuration

Dial-up

As the core router, the RB5009 handles PPPoE dial-up connection to the ISP network. There’s nothing special about this, just standard configuration.

DHCP Server

I use the network segment 10.10.100.0/24, with a DHCP address pool of 10.10.100.100-10.10.100.200. Actually, I prefer a simpler network segment like 10.10.10.0/24, but my previous company used that exact segment, so to avoid network segment conflicts when connecting via VPN, I changed to 10.10.100.0/24 and have been using it ever since.

The DNS address advertised by the DHCP server is 10.10.100.1, which is the router itself, and all devices perform DNS resolution through the router.

DNS Server

RouterOS’s DNS functionality is quite powerful, eliminating the need for an additional DNS server. I’ve configured the following domestic DNS as upstream:

114.114.115.115
114.114.114.114
223.5.5.5
223.6.6.6
119.29.29.29

To improve DNS resolution speed and reduce queries to upstream servers, I set the Max Cache TTL to 1 day (86400 seconds). This way, frequently accessed domain resolution records are cached longer, greatly improving access speed.

Back to Home VPN

Since China Unicom broadband provides a public IPv4 address, I’ve configured RouterOS’s “Back to Home” VPN feature. This is a unique RouterOS feature that’s very simple to configure:

Enable the Back to Home VPN server on RouterOS
Use the RouterOS mobile app to scan a QR code to connect
No need for complex certificate configuration or port forwarding

When I’m out and need to access my home NAS, surveillance, or other intranet services, I just need to enable VPN on my phone to securely connect back to my home network. Compared to traditional OpenVPN or WireGuard, Back to Home is much simpler to configure.

About the Wireless Router zte BE5100

This wireless router is configured in AP (bridge) mode, only responsible for providing wireless network coverage, with all routing functions handled by the RB5009. I chose the BE5100 mainly because:

Supports WiFi 7, faster speeds
Good signal coverage, basically covers the entire home
ZTE offers good value for money
Very stable in bridge mode

The advantage of this configuration is more centralized network management, all devices are on the same network segment, no need to deal with multi-level NAT issues, and policy configurations are all managed uniformly on the RB5009.

About the Switch MERCURY SG116M

Since the RB5009 has a limited number of ports, and every room in my home has pre-wired network outlets, I added a 16-port gigabit switch.

MERCURY SG116M is a very cost-effective unmanaged switch:

16 gigabit RJ45 ports, meeting the connection needs of all wired devices at home
Plug and play, no configuration needed
Low power consumption, low heat generation
Affordable price, just over a hundred yuan (now it’s basically a steal at current prices)

All room network cables converge to this switch in the weak current box, then connect to the RB5009 through a single network cable.

About Network Cables

All network cables in my home use Cat 6 (Category 6) cables. Although Cat 5e would be sufficient for gigabit networks, considering:

The price difference between Cat 6 and Cat 5e is minimal
Cat 6 cables have more stable performance and better anti-interference capability
Less signal attenuation, better transmission quality
Reserve space for possible future 2.5G/5G/10G upgrades (though unlikely)

So I went directly with Cat 6 cables. However, for my current usage scenario, gigabit network is completely sufficient:

NAS file transfer speed within the LAN can max out gigabit (about 110MB/s)
300M broadband download speed is about 62.5MB/s, far from the gigabit bottleneck
No network latency is felt in daily use

About UPS TG-BOX850

To prevent sudden power outages from damaging equipment or interrupting the network, I equipped all network devices with a TG-BOX850 UPS.

This UPS has a capacity of 850VA/510W. All my devices (optical modem, router, switch, wireless router, NUC, NAS, etc.) have a total power consumption of about 100W, and can continue to supply power for 20 minutes after a power outage. Although power outages are rare at home, having a UPS provides peace of mind and also serves as voltage regulation to protect equipment.

Operation Status

This setup has been running stably for a long time with virtually no issues:

Router runs 24/7, rarely needs rebooting
Low network latency, gaming and video calls are smooth
Fast DNS resolution, high cache hit rate
Stable VPN connection, good remote access experience

Final Thoughts

Building a home network is a continuous optimization process. But you don’t need to pursue the most expensive equipment or pile on too many features. Based on your actual needs, choose appropriate equipment, do good basic configuration, and maintain stable operation—that’s what matters most.

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Have Fun

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