Hey all,

 

I am unsure if this was answered somewhere else, as I am new to unraid (The server has been up for 2 weeks). My internet went out for a couple of hours here this evening and I was unable to connect to the server. From browsing what the forum and Reddit have to offer when I google my issue it seems to be a DNS problem but I am not sure where to start in troubleshooting as I have already gone through the Unraid guide (https://docs.unraid.net/connect/help/#how-to-disable-ssl-for-local-access). I will try to give as much context in hopes one of you smarter people may know what is going on.

 

My ISP's router is passing the router job over to the mesh network in the house. I can see all the devices connected from the app on my phone so I know everything is on the local network. My desktop and PC running Unraid are wired into the routers, and the routers are wired together. The Unraid server IP is statically assigned, I have Pihole installed on the Unraid server with everything on the network pushed to its address for the DNS from the router side.

 

On the Unraid server, SSL/TLS is set to "yes". I unplugged the modem to sim an outage after going through the guide at the above URL.

 

I attempted to connect to it from the IP address of the server (my usual way), the "localhostname".local and the ip.hash.myunraid.net using both https and http in front of the URLs. None of them work, When I have ISP connection only the IP and ip.hash address connect to web UI, the localhost.local does not load anything. 

 

I probably have something configured wrong, or something not configured but I am unsure of where to start.

 

The end goal of solving this is to access my Plex content, and game servers when there is an internet outage.

 

If there are any photos I can provide to aid in troubleshooting let me know.

 

Appreciate the time anyone takes to read this.

 

EDIT 1: I resolved this over the weekend. It was a hardware issue with a port on my router. My PC would not connect to my LAN when ISP connectivity was inactive, hours of troubleshooting to move a cable from my router to my ethernet switch..... 

Edited November 18, 20241 yr by IhasPeanut

I would highly recommend you buy a separate router / switch and have the devices connected to the switch the maintain and use ips.
 

Adding a dedicated network switch would likely resolve a lot of these connectivity issues and improve the overall reliability of their local network.

Here's why and how:

Why Add a Network Switch?

Direct Connectivity:

Many ISP-provided routers aren't designed to handle advanced networking setups like Unraid and Pihole.

A proper switch ensures that all local devices remain connected, even if the ISP router fails.

LAN Independence:

A switch separates the local area network (LAN) from the router's functionality, allowing devices to communicate directly without relying on the ISP router's performance.

Scalability:

As more devices are added, the switch provides additional Ethernet ports, ensuring seamless communication across devices.

Reliability:

Dedicated switches typically have better hardware for managing LAN traffic, compared to consumer-grade routers.

 

Proposed Setup

Hardware Recommendation:

A basic Gigabit Ethernet Switch (e.g., TP-Link TL-SG105 or Netgear GS308) is sufficient for most home setups.

Updated Topology:

Current:

[ISP Router] <---> [Mesh Router]
   |                    |    
[Desktop]          [Unraid]

 

 

Proposed

[ISP Router] <---> [Mesh Router] <---> [Switch]
                                      |   |   |
                               [Desktop] [Unraid] [Other Devices]

 

By moving devices (Unraid, desktop, etc.) to a switch, you ensure all devices are on the same LAN regardless of the ISP router's state.

Unraid Configuration:

Keep the static IP for the server.

Test local DNS resolution (e.g., via Pihole) to ensure the myunraid.local address resolves properly.

 

Steps to Resolve Offline Access

Verify Network Topology:

Ensure all critical devices (Unraid, desktop, Plex client devices) are connected via the switch.

Avoid directly connecting devices to the ISP router.

DNS Troubleshooting:

Test Pihole as the DNS resolver. Use the static IP if .local addresses fail.

SSL Configuration:

If SSL is unnecessary for local access, you can disable it entirely (per Unraid's guide).

Testing:

Simulate ISP outages again and verify connectivity between local devices.

 

Conclusion

A dedicated switch will solve many issues caused by relying on the ISP router for local network management. It provides a more stable and scalable setup, especially with a network-dependent service like Unraid and Pihole in the mix.

 

switches:
https://a.co/d/dqmkrVW

cheapee swithes from 10-30 
https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-networking/5-port-switch/