Using two different branded routers on same network?

D

DumpsterDiver727

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
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Ok, here's the deal. I'm moving in with a friend. They already have 3 devices on the network. Two computers and an Xbox 360. When I move in, i'll be bringing 3 devices. 1 computer, 1 laptop, and 1 Xbox 360. They already have a Netgear WGT624 v4 wireless router. I have a Linksys WRT54G and a Buffalo Wireless 125 highspeed.

So how do I go about setting up one of those 2 routers as a switch, so i'm able to have more than 4 devices on a wired network?
 
Just turn off DHCP on your routers. That'll turn it into a switch/hub.

Though how is that Linksys router working out for you? I've had a WGT624 router and it was a POS. Dropped connections, died and needed rebooting constantly. Is your friend experiencing the same with their router?
 
Danny Bui said:
Just turn off DHCP on your routers. That'll turn it into a switch/hub.
Click to expand...

Disabling DHCP does not affect routing features at all.

There's actually more to it than that.

If you don't want routing features....you don't use the WAN/Internet ports at all...you'd uplink them using the LAN ports.

Followed by..ensuring there are no IP conflicts. Many home grade routers come with a LAN IP address of 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. If you uplinked two that had the same IP address...you'd have a network that, well...try it. ;)

So if the first router is 192.168.1.1, ensure the other two routers are in the same range, but not in the DHCP pool. Something like 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.3, or 192.168.1.245 and 192.168.1.244. Disable DHCP on them since you don't want conflicting DHCP services on the same network, and uplink the other 2 routers to the primary one using LAN ports on each. He might as well disable wireless on his two, since he said he only wants wired...thus less wireless interference for the primary router.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
Disabling DHCP does not affect routing features at all.

There's actually more to it than that.

If you don't want routing features....you don't use the WAN/Internet ports at all...you'd uplink them using the LAN ports.

Followed by..ensuring there are no IP conflicts. Many home grade routers come with a LAN IP address of 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. If you uplinked two that had the same IP address...you'd have a network that, well...try it. ;)

So if the first router is 192.168.1.1, ensure the other two routers are in the same range, but not in the DHCP pool. Something like 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.3, or 192.168.1.245 and 192.168.1.244. Disable DHCP on them since you don't want conflicting DHCP services on the same network, and uplink the other 2 routers to the primary one using LAN ports on each. He might as well disable wireless on his two, since he said he only wants wired...thus less wireless interference for the primary router.
Click to expand...

Ahh thank you for correcting me. Shit, didn't think there was more to it.
 
Well that seems simple enough. I tried to post last night on my PSP, but it didn't load because I typed too much. =\ Anyways.. I think I'll be taking my WRT54G and putting DD-WRT on it. Will that make it harder to use as a switch/hub? And just to clarify, because I've been looking at other threads, and it's a little bit confusing; I need to disable both DHCP, and wireless on the 2nd router (i won't be putting all 3 together), and then just plug it in using one of the four LAN ports. That will only give me 3 ports for the room, but I can run an extra cable from the first router. After all, 2 wires running into the room is better than having 4.
 
DumpsterDiver727 said:
Well that seems simple enough. I tried to post last night on my PSP, but it didn't load because I typed too much. =\ Anyways.. I think I'll be taking my WRT54G and putting DD-WRT on it. Will that make it harder to use as a switch/hub? And just to clarify, because I've been looking at other threads, and it's a little bit confusing; I need to disable both DHCP, and wireless on the 2nd router (i won't be putting all 3 together), and then just plug it in using one of the four LAN ports. That will only give me 3 ports for the room, but I can run an extra cable from the first router. After all, 2 wires running into the room is better than having 4.
Click to expand...

dd-wrt will likely make it easier ;)
 
Ok, so everything is running great. But, I have a question. I only have to open a port on one router for my programs to work, not both, right?
 
One of your routers isn't routing anymore.

A router is technically one WAN and one LAN. Just happens that the LAN has a 4-port switch connected to it, built it. You are using the switch and nothing else.
 
For some reason though, I can no longer get some programs (mostly my servers) out to the world anymore. I can access them from my computer only, not even on the LAN anymore. They worked just fine before, but since I added the second router, it hasn't worked. Do i have to add the port forward to the first router, with the 2nd router(now switch)'s IP, and then on the second router, route the ip to the computer? Or how do I go about doing this?
 
your second router shouldn't even have an IP and nothing should be plugged into the WAN port. everything should use the switch ports (LAN). also, you will probably need a crossover cable between the first router and the second router (assuming it doesn't do auto-mdix).
 
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