Can you run 2 routers on 1 DSL incoming?

sweettractors · Jan 23, 2011

I have a friend at Church that has a DSL connection at his shop with a wired router. Off the back of the wired router, he ran a Cat 5 cable underground to the house (wireless would not work) to run the house computer. Here is the problem, Now after several years, his wife wants to run a laptop and or handheld wireless devices in and around the house. The Pastor and another fellow told her she could just plug a wireless router into the Cat 5 cable that is in the house now. I don't see how this would work? Seems like the ISP would be seeing 2 IP address from 2 routers. How about a wired switch at the shop and one of the outlets would attach to the Cat 5 cable going to the house and then install a wireless router in the house. Any Ideas? Ken Sweet

k0ua · Jan 23, 2011

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

sweettractors · Jan 23, 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

Man, that was fast, Thanks, James. Ken Sweet

k0ua · Jan 23, 2011

Glad to help Ken, if you need any clarification, let me know.
James K0UA

johnrex62 · Jan 23, 2011

Most wireless routers support NAT (Native Address Translation) and will assign a non-routeable IP address to the connected devices while maintaining a routeable address on the router to communicate back to the public network.

This gives each computer on the wireless network a local IP and manages traffic outside the wireless segment back to the parent domain and the internet while protecting the identity of the local segment computers.

This is built in and needs only be turned on. The router will handle all the technical management. You can either assign IPs to these computers manually or have the wireless router assign them via it's own DHCP as a 192.168.x.x network.

WM75Guy · Jan 23, 2011

You do not need a second router. I would get a wireless access point and attach it to the cable in the house. Tigerdirect sells a D-link for $80.

Luremaker · Jan 23, 2011

repowell said:
You do not need a second router. I would get a wireless access point and attach it to the cable in the house. Tigerdirect sells a D-link for $80.

I think purchasing a wireless router is the less costly option. Many wireless routers sell around here for $20 or so. They must be even less expensive in the USA.

MicroPilot · Jan 23, 2011

Most routers also have the option to put them in "Gateway" mode, basically turning the routing functions off.

k0ua · Jan 23, 2011

I think purchasing a wireless router is the less costly option. Many wireless routers sell around here for $20 or so. They must be even less expensive in the USA.

Thats why I outlined it the way I did, wireless routers are cheap, and please dont forget the wired computer still in the remote location, that does not have a wireless in it. the router will have a 4 port switch built in as well as the wireless. All he has to do is turn off DHCP in this router, and plug the existing cat5 cable feeding the wired computer into a LAN port, not the WAN port, then plug the wired computer back into one of the existing switch ports in the router, and WaLa. he is in business with 2 more wired ports ready and waiting, and wireless for all.. Sure there are other ways to do it.. you could set up a static route between routers. get an access point and a switch .. etc etc.. this is the lowest cost, easiest way for him to do it.. I have done it many times..

James K0UA

Luremaker · Jan 24, 2011

k0ua said:
Thats why I outlined it the way I did, wireless routers are cheap, and please dont forget the wired computer still in the remote location, that does not have a wireless in it. the router will have a 4 port switch built in as well as the wireless. All he has to do is turn off DHCP in this router, and plug the existing cat5 cable feeding the wired computer into a LAN port, not the WAN port, then plug the wired computer back into one of the existing switch ports in the router, and WaLa. he is in business with 2 more wired ports ready and waiting, and wireless for all.. Sure there are other ways to do it.. you could set up a static route between routers. get an access point and a switch .. etc etc.. this is the lowest cost, easiest way for him to do it.. I have done it many times..

James K0UA

James, is there any way of turning the second router into a "hot spot" where visiting wireless users would have to log in as guest. I was thinking about this over the weekend that it would be really nice if that was possible. I have teenage boys at home and many of their friends stay at my place on weekends and all surf the net with their wireless devices like cell phones and ipods. I usually just leave on a unsecured router to give them access to the net. Doing this opens my internet to anyone who drives near my place which I would rather not do.