Basic Home Connection Setup with Router and Sophos Home Server?

Question

Want to try to setup a SOPHOS XG Firewall Home Edition on a Server at home. 
 https://www.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-xg-firewall-home-edition.aspx 
 At home my setup is.... 
 Internet ---> Cable Modem ---> Router ---> Connects to PC, Printer, and Switch (for additional devices downstairs) 
 Where would I put the SOPHOS server, can it go in between the Cable Modem and the Router. Dual port network card in SOPHOS server on Ethernet connection IN and one OUT to the Router? 
 Thanks for help.

lferrara · Answer

Albert, 
 you can remove the router and the cable modem (it depends what type of Interface and protocol is using) and attach keep the rest of the network. Of couse the XG should be installed as a Router. 
 The Only interfaces available at the moment are: 
 Available Options: 
 ▪ Static - Click to specify the IP address manually. 
 ▪ PPPoE - Click to enable the interface to receive the IP address from a PPPoE server. 
 ▪ DHCP - Click to enable the interface to receive the IP address dynamically from a DHCP server 
 
 If you need to keep the Cable Modem, simply remove the router. 
 
 Regards,

DaMaN841 · Answer

Hi Albert, 
 Simply put, the Sophos XG Firewall Home Edition is a replacement to your Router, however, I suspect that your Router is also acting as an Access Point. 
 With that presumption, your Home Setup would evolve into: 
 Internet --> Cable Modem --> Sophos XG Firewall Home Edition --> Switch --> Router, PC, Printer, Additional Downstairs Devices 
 Generally, SoHo Routers have a built in Switch, allowing you to connect multiple hosts directly to it. Due to the nature of only having a Dual NIC on your Sophos XG Firewall Home Edition, the OUT, or more accurately, LAN, will need to be connected directly to a Switch, and then other hosts can connect to that Switch. 
 If you have the model number of the Router, I'll be able to be more accurate with my next recommendation, however, from a general standpoint, I also advise that you place the Router in Access Point Mode (AP Mode). If it doesn't support that feature, then at the very least disable DHCP, QoS, Firewalls, etc, so that the Sophos XG Firewall Home Edition can do the heavy lifting. 
 I hope this helps! Best of luck! 
 Cheers, 
 Kyle

DaMaN841 · Answer

Albert Franz said: 
 Kyle, 
 Thanks for the description. I have used DLink DIR-655 router for a long time at home which could easily be put into AP Mode I believe. Though currently I just upgraded to a Synology RT1900ac router at home which has many more features. Any thoughts on those two would be helpful. Thanks again. 
 Al 
 
 For the DIR-655, it seems like you'll have to turn off features manually - here's a quick link I found for that specific router - http://www.technoleros.com/turn-a-d-link-dir-655-router-into-a-secondary-access-point/ 
 For the Synology RT1900ac, that's a very feature rich device. This certainly has an AP Mode, however, you will lose out on a lot of its capabilities when in AP Mode. That being said, I still prefer Sophos over...well anything :) 
 Albert Franz said: 
 Kyle, 
 Just one follow up. Could I still connect a Sophos Home Edition setup to my router from a single IP for testing and learning? And not mess up the rest of the family that would be using wireless or IP's from the Router directly. Realizing the only devices protected by Sophos would be below the Sophos XG Home Edition? Seems like a problem connecting a router to a router, but if I am only using the existing home router to grant me an IP to experiment with a Sophos setup would that work? 
 Internet --> Cable Modem --> Router --> Sophos XG Firewall Home Edition --> Switch --> PC's 
 Thanks again for your help. 
 Al 
 
 I understand that dilemma far too well. Of course what you can do is as follows, however, understand that traffic will not route through it, so really all you'll be doing is checking out the Web Interface. If that's a suitable first step, what you would do is: 
 Internet --> Cable Modem --> Synology RT1900ac --> Switch --> Synology XG Firewall Home Edition & Everything Else 
 You'd be connecting the Synology XG Firewall Home Edition to your switch and setup the LAN so you can connect to the Web Interface and tinker. You can choose a Static IP outside of your Synology RT1900ac's DHCP Range or you can set it as DHCP. Either way, that will be the IP of the Web Interface. Again, be sure not to add a DHCP Server, or you'll have a headache on your hands :) 
 Cheers, 
 Kyle