Question How to set up 2 networks at home using multiple routers?

[nu2this]

I have a router giving out 192.168.1.xxx addresses.
A 2nd router is set up in bridge mode and connected to router 1 via the WAN port of router 2
As of now if i plug a LAN cable in to router 2 it gets an IP address from router 1.
If I plug a 3rd router in to the 2nd router using it's WAN port and make it give out 192.168.100.xxx addresses, will it cause any issues?
I do not want any devices connected to routers 1 and 2 (192.168.1.xxx) to be able to see or print to printers on router 3 (192.168.100.xxx)
Will this work? Is there a better way?

 

[aigomorla]

ummm... i assume you don't want to spend over 500+ dollars in a layer 3 switch, and you have very little knowledge to what a VLAN is?
Then no.... it wont work without VLAN's possibly a layer 3 switch to handle VLAN traffic, and some knowledge in how to trunk VLAN.

You could possibly setup a PC with 3 LAN ports, bridge all 3 connections, put it behind major amount of firewall and setup printer share on that single PC, so it has access to your 3 networks. but this can get sort of messy as well, also if that PC ever goes down, there goes your entire print share, not to mention if it gets hacked, there goes access to all 3 of your networks.

But to answer your question yes, there are better ways... however i do not think you will be able to handle it, nor set it up correctly without many hours of research and understanding, and also possible gear upgrades.

 

[Fallen Kell]

You don’t need to spend $500 for a layer 3 switch for VLAN support (heck you can get full layer 3 switches that have support for 10Gb and 40Gb for about $200 used/refurbished off eBay, like the one I own, a Brocade ICX-6610). In fact, most WiFi routers already support VLANs, but might not give you enough control of them to do what you want (all of the ones that have a “guest” network are actually just creating a separate VLAN). And if your WiFi router has support to run third party firmware such as DD-WRT, you most likely can do what you need without additional hardware (there are a few exceptions for some hardware that do not fully support VLANs on the normal ethernet ports, like the Netgear Nighthawk X10 that I have, but luckily for me, I don’t need the VLAN support for use on the normal ethernet ports, just the 10Gb SFP+ port and the wireless which do support VLANs).

But aigomorla is probably correct in that this is probably over your head in terms of configuration at this point in time. Unless you want to spend a bunch of hours of reading up on VLANs, routing tables, firewall ACLs, and best practices, your solution of adding a new router sort of works.

It certainly isn’t the best solution, but it is the easy one.

 

[aigomorla]

heck you can get full layer 3 switches that have support for 10Gb and 40Gb for about $200 used/refurbished off eBay, like the one I own, a Brocade ICX-6610

what KELL i can't hear you over that Jet noise in the background.... (sarcasm)...

lol...

Well i also said he could connect all 3 networks to 1 pc using 3 lan jacks to a single PC and have it share printer across all 3 networks....
That would probably be the jankiest solution i can think of, and would work, but.... it would make any IT or IT knowledgeable person cringle like they smelled something really rotten.

 

[Fallen Kell]

what KELL i can't hear you over that Jet noise in the background.... (sarcasm)...

lol...

Not sure you need the sarcasm quote in there as it is the truth (at least for this switch). There are many others though as well in the lineup that won't be this loud (basically anything that does not have 40Gb support is or can be made quiet).

Initially I could hear the switch from outside my house, but it was also having hardware problems with one of the power supplies and one of the fan modules that was fixed by the seller. Now it is good, but it is in an enclosed rack in my basement. I wouldn't want it in my office/living room/bedroom though. But the ICX 6450 or 7250 are quiet and might be made silent.