Can you run 2 routers on 1 DSL incoming?

sweettractors · Jul 7, 2011

k0ua said:
Ken take your secondar router, and just plug a CAT 5 cable from your existing Lan already established by the first router into one of its LAN ports NOT the WAN port, and option it to turn off DHCP, so that it does not try to hand out IP addresses. then the routing function of it will be basicly disabled, and it will just act like an access point. The main router will still hand out DHCP addressed to any other pc's that need one and the secondary router's wireless section will still work for clients, but will distribute the DHCP service to the clients from the existing first router, and your PC's default gateway will be the first router.

James K0UA

He finally got a wireless router this week. It has 5 cat 5 female jack on the back and 1 is offset to itself. We take the end of the cat 5 cable from the first main router and plug it into "which" cat 5 jack on the new wireless router. He wants to run his existing wired computer and a laptop or Ipad wireless. The router came with a CD for setup. Does that need to be run on the old wired computer or the wireless laptop? Ken Sweet

k0ua · Jul 7, 2011

Well, lets first state our goals.
1: use this router for nothing more than a switch and an access point.
we dont want any routing.from this machine.

2: Get DHCP turned off. (Dynamic Host Computing Protocol) we dont want this box handing out any IP addresses. We want out Ip addresses to be handed out by the DHCP server built into the original router.

3: We need to identify the WAN (Wide Area Network) port on this box. Probably the one by itself, (a close up pix would help) and avoid it.

4: we must know the Management IP address that this box is set to now, so that we may manage it. it may be in a quick start guide that came with the router, look for it. or go on the website for the product and download the manual. The manual may be on the CD also, but Browse the CD not let it auto-run so you can try to find the manual. there is liable to be a logon- and password. usually something simple like admin and admin or admin and password or administrator and password or something stupid like that. hopefully the quick start guide will have this.

5: I would avoid running the setup CD at first, because it has its goals, getting you set up to route over the internet, and you have your goals, to disable routing , turn off DHCP and just use the switch ports and wireless radio inside. If worse comes to worse then run the thing, but I would not at first.

Now what I would do is do NOT connect it to the other router yet, and turn it on and try to connect to it either wirelessly or plug in an ethernet cord between one of its LAN switch ports and your computer. Now you are isolated and can concentrate on just working on this box. Hopefully you will get an IP address. Go to the CMD prompt. (start, run, enter the leters CMD hit return key) this should bring up a black Command (CMD) window or if you are old enough you would recognize it as a DOS window.

Now if successful, enter at the prompt the words ipconfig then hit return key

If you have successfully pulled an IP address from this router, you will have something that may look like this 192.168.145.2 or something like that. with a default gateway of 192.168.145.1 or maybe 192.168.145.254 what I am getting at here is to find the default gateway address that is what handed out your ip address to your computer. This is the address we need to manage the router to turn off DHCP this is really all we need to do to this box is just disable DHCP as it is most likely turned on and working out of the box.

So open your web browser either firefox or Internet Explorer or which ever. and in the address box just put in the ip address of this default gateway like the examples I gave you. hit the return key or go arrow if needed. to get your browser to open the built in web page of the router.

Now if it opens.. you are on your own here.. you have got to find the section of the menu that controls DHCP and save the configuration after you turn it off. I would reccomend you put a press on label of the current IP address of the router on the bottom of it so you can remember how to get back into it if you ever need to. As it will never hand out an IP address again. the method you found the IP address this time wont work next time. Now there are usually help buttons on the menu to help guide you around or just start cruising the web pages built into the router to find what you need. be sure to save the changes you made.

Now say you have done all this successfully. Then plug in the feed from the other house to one of the LAN ports, plug in the wired computer to another of the LAN ports, (you have 4, just use any of the 4, avoid the WAN or sometimes labeled internet port) The wireless radio should be working and will hand out addresses from the router in the other building and the wired computer will still work thru that as well, and wa-la you are done.!

Now dont let all this scare you. it is easier than it sounds. And its fun!
On the off chance the default gateway of the original router is the same IP address of this new router, well then you have some more work to do, and would be a good idea to check that first. by going to the CMD prompt on the wired computer and seeing what its default gateway is before you start this. lets say it 192.168.0.1 ok fine make a note of that, and then when you are just plugged into the isolated NEW router, with your laptop, and hopefully get that IP address and see what your default gateway, as long as it is different, than the default gateway of the wired computer (or any computer on the original network) then you are good to go, and can proceed with turning off DHCP on the new router, and then connecting it to the existing network.. If bad luck befalls you and they are the same, then you must change the Ip address of the new router. before you put it on the old network.
Good Luck and have fun.

James K0UA

Iplayfarmer · Jul 8, 2011

I'm glad to see this discussion and all of the good information. I'm planning something similar some day for connecting my future workshop to my home network. We're also considering a dual wireless system allowing a WiFi hotspot for my wife's salon customers and a separate wireless network for the family. I'll probably have to ask the same questions all over again when the time comes, but it's great to see what the possibilities are now.

sweettractors · Jul 8, 2011

k0ua said:
Well, lets first state our goals.
1: use this router for nothing more than a switch and an access point.
we dont want any routing.from this machine.

2: Get DHCP turned off. (Dynamic Host Computing Protocol) we dont want this box handing out any IP addresses. We want out Ip addresses to be handed out by the DHCP server built into the original router.

3: We need to identify the WAN (Wide Area Network) port on this box. Probably the one by itself, (a close up pix would help) and avoid it.

4: we must know the Management IP address that this box is set to now, so that we may manage it. it may be in a quick start guide that came with the router, look for it. or go on the website for the product and download the manual. The manual may be on the CD also, but Browse the CD not let it auto-run so you can try to find the manual. there is liable to be a logon- and password. usually something simple like admin and admin or admin and password or administrator and password or something stupid like that. hopefully the quick start guide will have this.

5: I would avoid running the setup CD at first, because it has its goals, getting you set up to route over the internet, and you have your goals, to disable routing , turn off DHCP and just use the switch ports and wireless radio inside. If worse comes to worse then run the thing, but I would not at first.

Now what I would do is do NOT connect it to the other router yet, and turn it on and try to connect to it either wirelessly or plug in an ethernet cord between one of its LAN switch ports and your computer. Now you are isolated and can concentrate on just working on this box. Hopefully you will get an IP address. Go to the CMD prompt. (start, run, enter the leters CMD hit return key) this should bring up a black Command (CMD) window or if you are old enough you would recognize it as a DOS window.

Now if successful, enter at the prompt the words ipconfig then hit return key

If you have successfully pulled an IP address from this router, you will have something that may look like this 192.168.145.2 or something like that. with a default gateway of 192.168.145.1 or maybe 192.168.145.254 what I am getting at here is to find the default gateway address that is what handed out your ip address to your computer. This is the address we need to manage the router to turn off DHCP this is really all we need to do to this box is just disable DHCP as it is most likely turned on and working out of the box.

So open your web browser either firefox or Internet Explorer or which ever. and in the address box just put in the ip address of this default gateway like the examples I gave you. hit the return key or go arrow if needed. to get your browser to open the built in web page of the router.

Now if it opens.. you are on your own here.. you have got to find the section of the menu that controls DHCP and save the configuration after you turn it off. I would reccomend you put a press on label of the current IP address of the router on the bottom of it so you can remember how to get back into it if you ever need to. As it will never hand out an IP address again. the method you found the IP address this time wont work next time. Now there are usually help buttons on the menu to help guide you around or just start cruising the web pages built into the router to find what you need. be sure to save the changes you made.

Now say you have done all this successfully. Then plug in the feed from the other house to one of the LAN ports, plug in the wired computer to another of the LAN ports, (you have 4, just use any of the 4, avoid the WAN or sometimes labeled internet port) The wireless radio should be working and will hand out addresses from the router in the other building and the wired computer will still work thru that as well, and wa-la you are done.!

Now dont let all this scare you. it is easier than it sounds. And its fun!
On the off chance the default gateway of the original router is the same IP address of this new router, well then you have some more work to do, and would be a good idea to check that first. by going to the CMD prompt on the wired computer and seeing what its default gateway is before you start this. lets say it 192.168.0.1 ok fine make a note of that, and then when you are just plugged into the isolated NEW router, with your laptop, and hopefully get that IP address and see what your default gateway, as long as it is different, than the default gateway of the wired computer (or any computer on the original network) then you are good to go, and can proceed with turning off DHCP on the new router, and then connecting it to the existing network.. If bad luck befalls you and they are the same, then you must change the Ip address of the new router. before you put it on the old network.
Good Luck and have fun.

James K0UA

Thanks James, You are a wealth of knowledge on electronics. We are going to give that a try this weekend. I will update first of next week. Ken Sweet

k0ua · Jul 8, 2011

Good deal Ken, give it a try.. sure I left out a few things, in the way of you getting off track if something goes wrong, but I believe the thrust of what I posted will get you there, if all goes well. You can always post back if you get lost, stick with it and you will make it work.

James K0UA