1 home network - 1 modem 2 routers Howto


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Thread: 1 home network - 1 modem 2 routers Howto

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    Montreal Canada
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    383

    1 home network - 1 modem 2 routers Howto

    Hi,
    My Network--> Modem to wireless router to 3 computers connected (wired) and often 2 laptops and a printer (wireless) all together. (mix static and dynamic ip's)
    Recently one more user was added to my home network and we all share files, stream music and video more then usually, my Linksys wireless router started to crash more often and needs reboot.
    I have a second Linksys router (not wireless) not being used.
    Is there a way i could connected my second (unused router) to take care of the (wired) computers and removing the load from the wireless router.
    Thank you in advance.

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Newcastle upon Tyne
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    2,978
    Yes.

    Been doing it for years myself and didn't even realise the presence of wireless of my second router. I have to reconfigure the name of my second wireless router so that I can select either one for connection. The wired part of the second router works exactly like a switch.

    What happen is the computers wired to the second router can see each other but on certain functions the second level wireed PC may have a communication problem with the PC connected (wired and wireless) to the first router. I haven't bottom this out yet.

    I have since replaced the second router with a 8-port switch as I need extra RS232 ports for the network attached storge which is just a stand alone hard disk able to work as a server. It is also called the network hard disk and has a small controller inside to handle the files transfer. It is a lot simpler than using another PC as a server.

    The main advantage of a network hard disk is that it can be switched off at any time to save from spinning the disk when no one has a need for it. It is marginally more expensive than the a normal hard disk. Some manufacturers like Seagate makes the hard disk unit (of a network hard disk) exchangeable with a normal hard disk and the difference is just the base unit on to which the hard disk sits. For a normal external hard disk the base unit can be USB2 or USB3.

    The network hard disk of Seagate allows all operating systems to a hard disk larger than 2TB. For example a 3TB hard disk is not possible if wired internally due to the limitation of the MSDOS partition table (OK if GPT partition table is used). It does so by passing 4096 bytes sector information in each transfer via the controller but internally the unit still operates at 512 bytes per sector.

    In conclusion one can use another router as a switch. The difference between a router and a switch is that the former normally has one input RS232 and 4 wired RS232 output ports whereas the latter does not make a distinction between the input and the output.
    Last edited by saikee; 10-14-2011 at 12:58 AM.
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  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2000
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    Sweden
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    I suggest you put the wired-only router first, then attach wireless router to it.
    Check the picture, just make sure you only use the LAN (switch) ports on wireless router.
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    In pingvino veritas!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Montreal Canada
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    Ty

    Thank You for the quick answer.
    My wireless router may be just slowly dying out, but still it's worth a try to use both like you suggest.
    If that does not work i will be shopping for an other wireless router.

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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Elmore Co., AL
    Posts
    214
    Lots of things you could do, but my first recommendation would be to throw away both LinkSys routers and get a new something.

    I struggled with a LinkSys WRT55G (or something) and replaced it with another one I inherited. I finally got tired of rebooting the router and went to the store. I bought from Wal-Mart (because that's where I was the day my patience finally spilled over!) a very inexpensive Belkin F9K1001 "N150" and I wish I had done it months ago.

    It has not crashed even one time since I got it and my wireless range is substantially better than before.

    Now, I'm not saying the N150 is the end-all, do-all of routers. BUT, it is cheap, simple, stable and has been a very good performer for me.

    I actually want something better, but I haven't figured out where I want to balance $$$ against specs for my modest needs.

    I do not hate the LinkSys; it worked very well for a while, but it started that crashing business and it seemed that every time I'd go out of town, my wife would tell me the Internet wasn't working. She's not real handy with unplugging, counting to ten, and replugging and then waiting a few minutes and if I'm not careful, she'll unplug the wrong thing. For less than forty bucks (and you can do better than that!), I made my self and my wife and my granddaughter happy!

    If you need more ports, get a 100 Mbps switch; run the modem to the WAN port on the new router and take any one of the LAN ports to the switch.

    Have fun.

    Chas

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