Using TWO Linksys Routers together

[Alphathree33]

I have a crapload of computers all of which need to be connected to a single cable modem. To do the job, I bought a 4-port wireless-g router to go along with my older 4-port regular router. Both are linksys.

When using one router, everything works great. But when I throw a second router into the mix, things start disconnecting and not working. With two routers, I have no problem talking to the routers (192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.2) but internet connectivity dies.

Here is how I set it up (both routers in 'gateway' mode with DHCP enabled... default settings):

Cable Modem -> Router 1 (WAN port)

Router 1 (Ports 2 through 4) -> my computers

Router 1 (Uplink) -> Router 2 (Port 1)

Router 2 (Ports 2 through 4) -> my computers

This set up does NOT WORK. Does anyone know why?

Thanks,
Alphathree

 

[sciencewhiz]

I have no problems using a compusa and either a seimans or SMC router in the same configuration.

Did you really need a wireless router, or would a switch have done?

 

[Utterman]

First make sure that everything with router 1 is setup to share the internet (have DHCP on, dynamic routing set to act as a gateway). Once all that works, hook up the second router the way you had it and then disable DHCP and changed the dynamic routing to act as a router. Hopefully this will work, so just let us know how it goes.

Edit: when you have both routers acting as gateway and DHCP servers, they both conflict with each other since they are both acting like they are in charge.

 

[odog]

either just get a switch or change the routers ip ranges so they do not overlap.

i have the same setup but have a wired router cascaded to a wireless router. the first router, a 3com has a psuedo access list preventing the wireless ips from getting to the computer on the wired lan. this allows the wireless and wired networks to be completely segregated from each other and gives me about a very secure wired network.(wireless security is an oxymoron)


cable modem --> first router lan ip 192.168.1.1 --> second router wan ip 192.168.1.X lan ip 192.168.2.1

this way the wireless and wired ips exist on seperate subnets and will work. with the current setup your breaking a cardinal sin of networking.. you have the same subnet on both sides of the router. with that condition the router doesn't know where to send the packets.

either that or just plug the cable going to the second router into one of the four port skipping the wan port. that way your basically just using it as a switch. this way you would have just one large network and wouldn't have to worry about discontigous networks.

 

[r0guenj]

this is what i am doing:

cable modem to linksys befrs41 to dlink di614+

dhcp enabled on the linksys and disabled w/ static ip on the dlink (connected via regular port, not uplink or wan)

essentially this gives me 6 usable (out of 8) wired ports with wireless access on top of this.

 

[ViRGE]

Wouldn't you want Router 2 Uplink plugged in to Router 1 port 1, and not the other way around? Oh, and make sure DHCP is off on Router 2.

 

[RemisGodly]

also be sure you are running the same firmware on both routers, you may want to upgrade the firmware on both of them and see if that fixes something

 

[Mday]

Originally posted by: ViRGE
Wouldn't you want Router 2 Uplink plugged in to Router 1 port 1, and not the other way around? Oh, and make sure DHCP is off on Router 2.

exactly. disable DHCP, NAT, etc, on the 2nd router which is not directly connected to the modem. it will act as a regular switch. obviously nothing should be connected to the "WAN" port of that 2nd router.

 

[Paulson]

it will work because I have a dead smc that the router portion is toast but it still works as a switch...

 

[chocoruacal]

DSL Modem/Router
-->switch

switch
-->computers
-->lan port on wireless router

wireless router (only DHCP is disabled, assign router an IP address.)
-->computers via LAN
-->computers via wireless

Thats how mine is.

 

[pandego]

I am a bit confused on which ports to use:

Should I use uplink port to connect from wired router to wireless router? What target port on wireless router to connect to? WAN port or other port 1-4?

Do I have to reserve an IP address for the wireless router in the wired router's address space?

e.g. If wired router has 192.168.1.100-110 available, do I have to set the wireless router's IP to 192.168.1.100, and allow the wireless router to use the 192.168.2.100-110 address space?

Thanks

 

[ViRGE]

The wired router won't need an IP address. Basically, you're going to have your cable modem plugged in to the wireless router via the WAN/Internet port, and then you're going to have the wired router plugged in to the wireless by connection the wired's "uplink" port to the wireless's "port 1". You're then going to shut off DHCP on the wired router(so only the wireless router is doing DHCP), and you'll be set.

 

[leolaw]

It does not work? right....
I am not sure but I have never tried installing two routers on the network.....
If you are just running a small LAN, why dont you use a switch for the Uplink?

This will just make the world more simple