Using two routers for one network.

[wyatt1121]

I want to hook up another router on my network to improve signal. I know that I have to make them have the same subnet mask and different IPs but do I connect them together, then change the IPs, then use setup wizard or what is the correct order? Need help FAST!

[Samdb]

You could just add another WAP or range extender.

[Levent]

if your second router supports range extension or wireless repeater feature it can be done easily if it doesnt you will need a pc with wifi and ethernet port and still your second router gotta support DHCP relay (you will share the internet with router and set up a dhcp server on your pc)

[wyatt1121]

I have the new router and the cable. I just need to know how to connect them. 

[Hazy125]

What router is it, because as previously stated, if it supports things like range extension then it's incredibly easy

[wyatt1121]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124190

[Samdb]

I have the new router and the cable. I just need to know how to connect them. 

 

Make sure you have the same SSID and DHCP is turned off.

[wyatt1121]

I know generally what to do just not what order to do it in as far as the disk setup and plugging them in. 

[Mac]

I just took an ethernet cable from my Virgin Super Hub downstairs and plugged it into my TP link in my room, I can still use it's WiFi and plug as much as I can into it and it works fine.

[neon]

Connect the new 2nd router to your computer (using a LAN port), login and disable DHCP, its firewall and UPnP, then give it a wireless SSID (which can be identical to your main router), change the IP of the router to something different to the main router (ie if you login to your main router using 192.168.1.1 set the new 2nd router to 192.168.2.1) then unplug it from your computer an connect it to the other router LAN to LAN with an Ethernet cable, boot it up and that should be it.

[Levent]

that router compatible is with DDWRT and ddwrt supports wireless repeater

first install ddwrt

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Installation

then

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeater_Bridge#Instructions

Edited August 18, 2013 by Levent

[ygohome]

Connect the new 2nd router to your computer (using a LAN port), login and disable DHCP, its firewall and UPnP, then give it a wireless SSID (which can be identical to your main router), change the IP of the router to something different to the main router (ie if you login to your main router using 192.168.1.1 set the new 2nd router to 192.168.2.1) then unplug it from your computer an connect it to the other router LAN to LAN with an Ethernet cable, boot it up and that should be it.

 

that is how I have mine setup.  I posted a little diagram in another thread...

 

http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/46743-need-a-router-that-can-send-strong-signals-through-walls/?p=618944

 

@wyatt1121  

 

I gave each wifi signal from each of the routers a different SSID, but you could use the same SSID if you wanted to.

 

But there is a disadvantage to using same SSID name for all of your signals... your computer or device may be using the weaker of the two signals and you would not easily know it if both signals were named the same.  For example:

 

I have a tablet connected to the strong signal on one side of the house... I walk the tablet to the other end where the other signal is stronger... but the tablet maintains the connection to the weaker signal.  If the SSIDs were named the same then I would not easily know I was still connected to the weaker signal other than maybe noticing it only had one bar and internet was slow.  And I would not be able to force the device to connect to the stronger of the two signals (since both signals are named the same and appear only once in the list), unless I shut the device wifi off/on and hope it decides to reconnect to the stronger signal.  Most devices do not automatically switch to the stronger signal automatically unless they completely lose the signal of the weaker one they were already connected to.

 

As to the sequence of steps to setting up the routers... I turned of the wifi on my computer and connected it to each router individually, one at a time, by ethernet cable.  I start with the main router and I plug my computer into port 1 of the router.  Set it up as Neon described or look at my diagram in the link above to get a visual.  Then unplug the main router and set it aside...  then setup your new/second router.  Once you are finished with the router settings, plug one of the four ports (not the WAN port) of router # 2 into one of the four ports of router # 1.  Turn everything back on and you should be set.

 

If you would like to see screen shots of how my linksys gui setup screens look on each of my routers, let me know and I can post them here.

[Blade of Grass]

Make sure you have the same SSID and DHCP is turned off.

It doesn't matter if it has the same SSID, 

 

The SSID is ONLY there to make it easy for humans to distinguish between networks. Your device uses the BSSID to connect to a network, and the BSSID is the SSID, as well as a few other things such as a MAC address combined. The SSID, no matter how you name it, does not affect your devices in any way at all. It is just there to help humans understand which network is which without having to compare MAC addresses and such.

Your device will act just the same no matter if you have the same SSID, or different SSIDs on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks.

 

You're probably getting a bit confused because you have seen several APs broadcast the same SSID, and your can roam seamlessly between them. Those are lightweight access points and uses a WLC to keep track of which LWAPP you are connected to. It's not something you can do with "fat access points" like your home router.

[LAwLz]

You don't want two routers on the same network, since that's quite complex and you would need to setup static routes or run a routing protocol between them. What you want is to run one of them as a simple switch, without using the routing part.

 

Are you going to connect them by wire or wireless? If it's wireless, then take the new router and put it in "range extender mode" or "repeater mode" or something like that. If it's with a wire then put your new device in "bridge mode" (or something along those lines, everyone seem to have their own name for it) and simply plug in an Ethernet cable between them. You want to have DHCP and NAT turned off in both instances (might be done automatically when put in bridge mode). Voila! You will now have two wireless networks and devices on both of them should be able to access the Internet as well as communicate with each other.

 

 

 

(ie if you login to your main router using 192.168.1.1 set the new 2nd router to 192.168.2.1)

Great post except that part. 192.168.X.X is by default a C network, so he should only change the last part of the IP, otherwise he will run into issues. So if his first router is 192.168.1.1, he should change it to 192.168.1.2 or 192.168.1.3 or whatever.

I would also suggest you use different SSIDs (you can use the same, but there is no reason to do so) for the two networks so that you can easily distinguish between them. Other than that your post is spot on.

[Blade of Grass]

You don't want two routers on the same network, since that's quite complex and you would need to setup static routes or run a routing protocol between them. What you want is to run one of them as a simple switch, without using the routing part.

 

Are you going to connect them by wire or wireless? If it's wireless, then take the new router and put it in "range extender mode" or "repeater mode" or something like that. If it's with a wire then put your new device in "bridge mode" (or something along those lines, everyone seem to have their own name for it) and simply plug in an Ethernet cable between them. You want to have DHCP and NAT turned off in both instances (might be done automatically when put in bridge mode). Voila! You will now have two wireless networks and devices on both of them should be able to access the Internet as well as communicate with each other.

 

 

 

Great post except that part. 192.168.X.X is by default a C network, so he should only change the last part of the IP, otherwise he will run into issues. So if his first router is 192.168.1.1, he should change it to 192.168.1.2 or 192.168.1.3 or whatever.

I would also suggest you use different SSIDs (you can use the same, but there is no reason to do so) for the two networks so that you can easily distinguish between them. Other than that your post is spot on.

By class c you mean a /24 network right ;)

Having them on different subnets will only cause issues if he is routing between the computers, if he doesn't do that then it shouldn't matter, right?

[LAwLz]

By class c you mean a /24 network right ;)

Having them on different subnets will only cause issues if he is routing between the computers, if he doesn't do that then it shouldn't matter, right?

Yes I mean a /24 network.

Having them in different network will cause problems unless he runs both as routers (and at that point he will need a routing protocol or static routes like I talked about before). If he does like I said and use one of them as a switch instead of using both as routers, so that he won't need to configure a routing protocol, then both need to be on the same network.

 

Want to send a packet from one network to another? Then you need a router.

Want to send a packet within the same network? Then you need a switch.

 

So in short, it does matter what IP he use because if he is going to use his new router like a switch and avoid routing protocols, then he needs to have everything on the same network, which is probably 192.168.1.0/24. I hope that made sense, if it didn't then you just have to trust me.