I'm trying to use 2 routers on 1 cable modem!

[PCapprentice]

Well i hope you guys can help me out. I posted this in the networking forum but its seems as though there are a zillion more people in this forum

I'm trying to connect 2 routers with my single cable modem. I thought I could simply connect the cable modem to the wan of router A and then connect a port from A to the Wan of router B. It works!!! about 50% of the time.

Am I missing something here? I am not a networking guru, but I'm hoping there is a nice easy way for this to work.
Any help would be appreciated

 

[Codewiz]

Why?

EDIT: You only allowed 10 minutes in the Networking forum.... You should have given it more time.

 

[Spooner]

What's the reason behind this? 2 access points? Greater wireless range? CAn you do this?

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: Codewiz
Why?

That's the first question I'd ask. What on earth are you trying to accomplish?

 

[dabuddha]

Connect a cable from any port on Router A to any port in Router B. Use a cross over cable.

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: Spooner
What's the reason behind this? 2 access points? Greater wireless range? CAn you do this?

There is absolutely no reason I can think of where this could have any useful purpose. The WAN port of the router is looking for a device(DSL modem, cable modem) not another router.

I would assume he just wants another switch to have more ports.

 

[Nyical]

It can be done, though piggy backing is just a headache sometimes.

the router your piggy backing, turn off DHCP and if its got the same IP I would recommended you change the 3rd and 4th octet to something like x.x.2.100 or somehing like that.

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: Nyical
It can be done, though piggy backing is just a headache sometimes.

the router your piggy backing, turn off DHCP and if its got the same IP I would recommended you change the 3rd and 4th octet to something like x.x.2.100 or somehing like that.

But why do that? If he wants it to act like a switch then just turn off DHCP and use the regular ports to connect the two routers, not the WAN port.

Or just buy a switch and sell the second router.

A router is for ROUTING. In a small LAN there is no need for two routers.

 

[Radiohead]

What are you attempting to accomplish by this?
If you're trying to extend the range of your wireless or you need more ports, just plug 1 router into the other...

 

[Spooner]

On a side note, does plugging in another wireless router really expand your wireless range?

 

[Zee]

ive connected 2 routers to my dsl. I just plugged them all together and it worked automatically. I also turned off dhcp on my second router though. Dont know why u'd have problems.

I did it cuz i needed more ports (5 computers)

 

[Electric Amish]

I'm guessing he has both a wired and wireless network and wants to connect both to the broadband connection.

 

[PCapprentice]

Ok , I'm gonna have to come clean since everyone is asking, "WHY??"

Well, I'm living with my friend and we live in a huge 2 bedroom apartment. The cable modem and connections are very much closer to his side of the room. So the router is also on that side.

Well, I have only one 100 ft long cable (which is needed to reach my room after I prettily hide the cable around the apartment to my side)

The problem is I have 2 computers (1 laptop and 1 desktop). And I also have an extra router. So I figure I might as well use the router to connect both my computers instead of wasting money and time and buying another 100ft long cable to connect my computer. You see I have like 3 cat 5 cables but they are all not too long.

So basically I'm just using what I have instead of going out and buying a 100ft long cable when I can use that money for strip clubs.

Hopefully that answers your question

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish
I'm guessing he has both a wired and wireless network and wants to connect both to the broadband connection.

Turn off all the routing features of the wired router and then plug the wired router into the wireless router like it is a switch.

 

[Nyical]

Originally posted by: Codewiz

Originally posted by: Nyical
It can be done, though piggy backing is just a headache sometimes.

the router your piggy backing, turn off DHCP and if its got the same IP I would recommended you change the 3rd and 4th octet to something like x.x.2.100 or somehing like that.

But why do that? If he wants it to act like a switch then just turn off DHCP and use the regular ports to connect the two routers, not the WAN port.

Or just buy a switch and sell the second router.

A router is for ROUTING. In a small LAN there is no need for two routers.

Well one could be just a standard Cat5 and the other could be a wifi, and some people would rather do things the hard way.

But I would just do it the same way as you described.

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: PCapprentice
Ok , I'm gonna have to come clean since everyone is asking, "WHY??"

Well, I'm living with my friend and we live in a huge 2 bedroom apartment. The cable modem and connections are very much closer to his side of the room. So the router is also on that side.

Well, I have only one 100 ft long cable (which is needed to reach my room after I prettily hide the cable around the apartment to my side)

The problem is I have 2 computers (1 laptop and 1 desktop). And I also have an extra router. So I figure I might as well use the router to connect both my computers instead of wasting money and time and buying another 100ft long cable to connect my computer. You see I have like 3 cat 5 cables but they are all not too long.

So basically I'm just using what I have instead of going out and buying a 100ft long cable when I can use that money for strip clubs.

Hopefully that answers your question

I think a switch to switch connection doesn't require a cross over cable. Plug the 100ft cable into the switch side of your router and then plug your desktop and laptop into the other switch ports on the router. Make sure that all the routing functions on your router are disabled.

 

[Beau]

What cable modem is it?

Could be that the modem can only bind to one MAC address, meaning that you can only hook one network appliance to it: one router, one computer, or one switch, etc.

The only way to have two routers on a network like this is to actually have 3:

CableModem
|
Router1
||
Router2Router3

 

[geckojohn]

I've seen it done before... just make sure that they have different ip addresses! it can be done, oh yes

 

[PCapprentice]

I think a switch to switch connection doesn't require a cross over cable. Plug the 100ft cable into the switch side of your router and then plug your desktop and laptop into the other switch ports on the router. Make sure that all the routing functions on your router are disabled.

ok codewiz, will do. thanks

 

[kermalou]

DHCP

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Originally posted by: Codewiz
Why?

That's the first question I'd ask. What on earth are you trying to accomplish?

Theres plenty of reasons to do this. I myself have 1 router hooked up to my dsl modem, and 2 more routers hooked up to my first router ( 1 wireless, 1 not ). The other wired router is all the way in my living room so I can hookup my Xbox/PS2/htpc. The wireless router is there for obvious reasons.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: PCapprentice
Ok , I'm gonna have to come clean since everyone is asking, "WHY??"

Well, I'm living with my friend and we live in a huge 2 bedroom apartment. The cable modem and connections are very much closer to his side of the room. So the router is also on that side.

Well, I have only one 100 ft long cable (which is needed to reach my room after I prettily hide the cable around the apartment to my side)

The problem is I have 2 computers (1 laptop and 1 desktop). And I also have an extra router. So I figure I might as well use the router to connect both my computers instead of wasting money and time and buying another 100ft long cable to connect my computer. You see I have like 3 cat 5 cables but they are all not too long.

So basically I'm just using what I have instead of going out and buying a 100ft long cable when I can use that money for strip clubs.

Hopefully that answers your question

dont plug it into the wan port just plug it into one of the lan ports and your router/switch will work fine.

 

[Codewiz]

Originally posted by: dabuddha

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Originally posted by: Codewiz
Why?

That's the first question I'd ask. What on earth are you trying to accomplish?

Theres plenty of reasons to do this. I myself have 1 router hooked up to my dsl modem, and 2 more routers hooked up to my first router ( 1 wireless, 1 not ). The other wired router is all the way in my living room so I can hookup my Xbox/PS2/htpc. The wireless router is there for obvious reasons.

Except for your wireless router there is no reason to do this. If you have two wired routers, the second router only acts as a switch so why not just buy a switch

You don't even need the wireless router. You just need it as an access point. Wireless routers are just cheaper than Access points.

Now that he explained the situation I understand BUT he is not going to be using the second router as a router. It is effectively just being used like a switch.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: PCapprentice

I think a switch to switch connection doesn't require a cross over cable. Plug the 100ft cable into the switch side of your router and then plug your desktop and laptop into the other switch ports on the router. Make sure that all the routing functions on your router are disabled.

ok codewiz, will do. thanks

On the second router, make sure it has an ip address in the correct subnet, and make sure that ip address is not used by anything else, including the original router. Turn off dhcp on the second router. The 100ft router to router connection will require either a crossover cable or the use of one of either router's uplink ports (if you get a link light, you did it right), and that connection is made to one of the LAN ports on the second router, not the WAN port. That's all there is to it.

 

[Dragnov]

Er, I'm doing that right now.

Cable modem to WAN PORT on Router 1. And then regular Cat5 cable on a random port on Router 1 to WAN PORT on Router 2.

Didn't change any settings. Didn't mess w/ DHCP. Everything worked perfectly right off the bat.

(For those wondering why I am doing this, is because I have a print server on Router 1, while Router 2 doesn't and is used for wireless.)