topic Re: Isolating smart devices in Broadband

Isolating smart devices

Hithisisadam — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 07:28:21 GMT

Hi - I've read that isolating smart devices from personal devices on a home WiFi network is a sensible security step (oven does not need to access my whole network etc). Guides on this talk about a VLAN as best way with guest WiFi as fallback, but Sky routers don't support either. I've also read that adding another router is problematic re IP addresses. I have a basic understanding of networks but no means an expert.

What would be the best way to achieve this? Would one of those relatively cheap WiFi extenders set to a different SSID and password for use by the smart devices hide the rest of the network from them?

Appreciate any input

Re: Isolating smart devices

Chrisee — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 07:50:19 GMT

@Hithisisadam you cannot do this on a Sky hub but using a cheap 2.4GHz WiFi access point should work but you will have to be caseful to ensure the AP doesnt intefere with the Sky WiFi. Two signals on the same or adjacent WiFi channels will interfere. This is relatively simple if you only have a Sky hub . It can be effectively impossible if you have more than one Sky Q box as you cannot control the 2.4GHz channel each uses. TP- link make a range of suitable APs you can often pick up for under £20. Rebooting a Sky hub will cause it to find the least congested channel.

If you have chinese IOT kit like smart plugs only use ch 1 to 11 as many of their chips dont support ch12 or 13 which are not used in the. US. Some of the branded tech like Hive does nit use wifi as such but instead uses a wireless tech called Zigbee which avoids all this messing around.

Re: Isolating smart devices

TimmyBGood — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 07:53:14 GMT

@Hithisisadam wrote:

Would one of those relatively cheap WiFi extenders set to a different SSID and password for use by the smart devices hide the rest of the network from them?

Only if it has an 'AP (Access Point) isolation mode'