Connect additional router via BOTH LAN and WAN...?

[JimmyB]

I know one can add a router to an existing network and connect via a LAN port to use it simply as a switch, or connect via the WAN port to make use of the added router's features. Can one do both simultaneously?

The question dawned on me when using a router to connect a new printer to our network by reception. Since it's a wireless router, wired and wireless connections can be established via DHCP proivded by our network server if I connect via the LAN port; if I ALSO connect via the WAN port, could this added router hand out IP addresses with it's DHCP turned on, perhaps on a different subnet for guest access...? Maybe with third-party firmware? And assuming every device (except guest devices) are assigned static IPs?

Perhaps this is a poor example of a theoretical setup, but at the moment I'm more curious as to whether or not this is a possibility rather than actually implementing this. (In my example, I'd require a switch between my existing network and the router in question, so the hardware involved appears to negate any need of setting things up like this.)

So much to learn...so little time!

 

[L&LD]

You can connect both cables; but only one of two scenarios would be possible:

1) The 2nd router is simply an AP and the DHCP addresses are assigned by the main router.

2) The 2nd router is also a DHCP server and therefore it will be (must be) on a different subnet than the main router.

 

[sfx2000]

should only have one DHCP server on the network for most purposes, in any event, only one per subnet... otherwise you will running into serious issues with IP conflicts.

this is probably getting too deep, but the LAN ports on most SOHO routers are just mapped different from the WAN port - so with the right know how, and access to config file, one can do pretty much anything. That's well beyond the scope of this forum though...

 

[Just Checking]

Modem with multiple WAN Ports

I just tried the same experiment and got some interesting (to me anyway) results. Here is my setup:
1. Actiontec C1000A modem/router/switch/wireless AP setup in Transfer Bridge mode with the wireless and router turned off. In this mode, the four LAN ports are WAN ports. My ISP is CenturyLink DSL.
2. Network #1 - Asus RT-AC66R with DHCP IP address #1. This router is connected from WAN Port #1 on the Actiontec C1000A to the WAN Port on the RT-AC66 router.
3. Network #2 - Buffalo WZR-1750DHP with DHCP IP address #2. This router is connected from WAN Port #2 on the Actiontec C1000A to the WAN Port on the Buffalo WZR-1750DHP router.

Each router has independent NAT capability and I can assign static addresses to each client on that network. The networks have full access to the internet independently. Clients on Network #1 cannot see clients on Network #2. The networks appear to be discrete in all ways. I can switch a client from one network to another (either wireless or wired LAN) and the client is recognized and seen by each network.

Clients with Wireless cards and Ethernet Adapter Ports cannot have the wireless on one network and the ethernet LAN on the other network. At least, this was not possible for the HP Elitebook 8460p laptop that I tried this on.

Each network has separate homegroup and workgroup names and passwords. I am running Windows 7 Pro 64-bit on all my client PC's and servers so I don't have access to a domain server to test that out.

What I have not tried, but as the next step, is to connect one of my servers with multiple ethernet adapter cards up to both of the networks simultaneously and see what happens. Unlike the Laptop with wireless and wired ethernet LAN connections, my servers (Lenovo TS140's) with multiport Ethernet Adapter Cards may be able to connect to multiple networks simultaneously and act as a bridge between the networks. That is my hope anyway.

This was all enabled by the fact that I had a modem with multiple ports that default to WAN ports in Transfer Bridge mode. Normal modems, like a Motorola Surfboard cable modem, only have one WAN port so you can't get multiple independent IP addresses with those. I am a relative neophyte at this and do this for fun so I have no experience with enterprise level modems or large server farms.

I plan on setting up a security monitoring network independent of the data serving network. This way, I can avoid bandwidth problems from the cameras utilizing data network bandwidth. If I can get the networks to talk to each other, that would make things even better.

Another project to occupy 100's of hours of my time!

 

[roldogg]

Correct

You can connect both cables; but only one of two scenarios would be possible:

1) The 2nd router is simply an AP and the DHCP addresses are assigned by the main router.

2) The 2nd router is also a DHCP server and therefore it will be (must be) on a different subnet than the main router.

This is the case, and if you wanted to use the second router as a guest network, I would suggest option 2. You would hook it up via the WAN port, and make sure the 2nd router is using an IP of something like 192.168.0.1 assuming the main router is using 192.168.1.1. In the first scenario, whoever uses the guest network would be able to see everything on your main network.

 

[remixedcat]

+1 on the guest network idea.

 

[stevech]

This is the case, and if you wanted to use the second router as a guest network, I would suggest option 2. You would hook it up via the WAN port, and make sure the 2nd router is using an IP of something like 192.168.0.1 assuming the main router is using 192.168.1.1. In the first scenario, whoever uses the guest network would be able to see everything on your main network.

One network. One router. A box named "router" but with NAT/routing and DHCP disabled (WAN unused), is an access point (AP).

Strongly urge you to not do double-NAT and use two subnets. Forever a big PITA and not needed.

If you insist on guests with wired LAN access, get a cheap switch with VLAN support. Or force guests to use only WiFi and have a common WiFi router with a guest SSID that routes only to the Internet. That's best.

 

[speedingcheetah]

How about get a main router that supports a guest wifi?

I have CenturyLink C1000A in bridge mode with my Asus AC56U....much better performance than with ISP modem in router mode.

I will occasionally connect a random router to my network just to test or configure it...using daisy chained routers simply plugged up to each other...can lead to issues. Not recommended.

 

[roldogg]

The Asus routers support 6 guest networks (3 2.4ghz and 3 5ghz). I don't know why someone would need 6 guest networks, but it's there. They also have an option to separate the guest network from the main network.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[remixedcat]

My Amped RTA15 has 8 guest networks (4 per band) and my Meraki MR12 has 15 SSIDs!!!