Question about DHCP

[Speedbird]

Hello.

 

 

So I plan to have this network, where I have 2 routers. One connects to the WAN and has the TV hooked up to it (my ISP uses IPTV), the other one is a wireless acces point and an ethernet switch. I read this guide that I have to disable the DHCP server on the second router, but that guide assumed that it was just a switch, not an access point, and that WLAN comes from a router connected directly to the WAN. So my question is, do I enable DHCP or not on the 2nd router (the one that gets internet from another router)?

[smogsy]

no you should not run 2 devices giving out DHCP. 

 

You will get IP conflicts & devices will get confused.

 

Disable DHCP on the wifi access point. 

 

 

Here is how it works

 

1. Device asks  (requests) for an IP to all that will listen

2. A device (DHCP server) responds giving it a valid IP.

 

the request for an IP will broadcast across the entire home network.

 

in my case Virgin media router is my only DHCP server

 

 

if you have 2 you will eventually have devices fighting over the same IP unless you changed that but their no point.

 

 

Heres mine simlair to your setup

[Speedbird]

no you should not run 2 devices giving out DHCP. 

 

You will get IP conflicts & devices will get confused.

 

Disable DHCP on the wifi access point. 

 

 

Here is how it works

 

1. Device asks  (requests) for an IP to all that will listen

2. A device (DHCP server) responds giving it a valid IP

 

 

if you have 2 you will eventually have devices fighting over the same IP unless you changed that but their no point.

 

 

Heres mine simlair to your setup

-snip-

 

Ok, thanks.

 

But what about port forwarding? I will be running a server in my network, so how would I forward ports? I guess I have to do it twice, first by forwarding traffic from the router to the access point, and then to the server. And can I access the WebGUI of the 1st router (the one connected to the WAN) if I'm connected to the access point?

 

[smogsy]

1. Forward ports on router 1 (WAN)

2. check if NAT is disabled on router 2 when going into Access point mode (should be)

3. Job done.

 

depends on what type of server/ports your running though

[Speedbird]

1. Forward ports on router 1 (WAN)

2. check if NAT is disabled on router 2 when going into Access point mode (should be)

3. Job done.

 

depends on what type of server/ports your running though

 

Ah, ok. I forgot that NAT will be disabled. I will be forwarding ports 25565 for Minecraft, 27015 for Source games, and whatever the port is for FTP. I'll have to see how to disable NAT on DD-WRT. Thank you very mch.

[smogsy]

you shouldn't disable just forward the ports you require forwarded. 

 

Turning off nat will open you to all sorts of dodgy stuff its like turning off your AV

 

 

[Speedbird]

you shouldn't disable just forward the ports you require forwarded. 

 

Turning off nat will open you to all sorts of dodgy stuff its like turning off your AV

 

I meant disabling NAT on the 2nd router. The router that's connected to WAN will have NAT enabled of course.

[Zorro_zz]

It depends on which configuration you are going for, LAN-LAN or LAN-WAN. That is, you can configure the second router as simply an AP+switch (LAN-LAN) or have it be on a different subnet (LAN-WAN). For your case I think the former fits better, as the latter requires port forwarding though two routers and you gain nothing from a separate subnet.

As such, give the second router an IP in the same subnet as the primary one (prefaribly outside of the DHCP range), DISABLE DHCP, and connect one of its LAN ports to a LAN port on the primary router. Now it will simply act as an AP+switch, the primary router will take care of everything else. Port forwarding should be done on the primary router.

If you want to roam between the two routers configure on them the same SSID and password.