network? two routers, wired and wireless??

Here is the situation. I want to install two routers. I am currently running a linksys wireless router in a central location of the building, with a hard wire coming out of one of the ports, going to my office, and attaching to the desktop computer. What I would like to do, is add a wired router, in the office, running off the line that comes from the wireless routers hard wire port. This way I could run the network printers and other network wired pc's in the office off the wired router. The question is, can I attach a second router down stream of the first router? thank you

 

Sounds like you need a switch, not a router for the second group.

 

can you tell me the difference?

 

A router hands out ip addresses, while a switch basically expands ports of the router, and does not hand out ip addresses. The devices off of the switch will gain their ip addresses from the router. Switches are cheaper, and have no setup, you just plug it in and it works. If you got a router, you would pay more and then have to configure it to disable all of its router functions to turn it into a switch, which really wouldn't make sense.

"Basically, the difference is that a switch connects different segments of the same Local Area Network (LAN) together, while a router allows different networks to talk to each other." - http://en.allexperts.com/q/General-Networking-Lan-1049/Router-versus-Switch-2.htm

 

Just to help him a little bit (and my curiosity because i'm in a similar/identical situation), How would one turn a router into a switch? IE Disabling it's ip routing functions?

 

there may be more than just this, but you would need to disable dhcp, and select operating mode from gateway to router. That should basically dumb it down to act like an expensive switch. this is from my knowledge on a linksys router, others may be different.


this is a fairly common switch, one which i have deployed hundreds of times, if not more. It works great http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124005

 

You can use a router but the switch is what you need.

If you use a router if you all ready have it. Turn off DHCP in the second router, then connect LAN to LAN. Your main routers will handle the IP assignments.

 

you guys are awsome. I appreciate the help. Can I use that switch to network two pc's together in that same office also, or does it have to be a router for that?

 

Most all of the smaller switches are auto config, and will assign IP's if a DHCP server is not found. If you have on 1 cat5 ran to a room and need to expand, no problem the switch is what you want.

I use a gige switch to expand my system. Using GigE allow me to connect 8 - 10 pc's using 100baset with out a bottle neck.

 

I have a similar situation with a wireless router in one room that also has several wired PCs connected to it and an office where I would like to connect multiple PCs *AND* provide a stronger wireless signal. Is it possible to use a wireless router in the office, turn off the DHCP as suggested, but leave on the wireless so I could boost the wireless signal in my office and surrounding area? Thanks.

Jeff James

 

When it comes to roaming it's a little different and not all AP support it. But in general yes you can use the AP radio of the second router. But again you need to connect lan to lan. For roaming to work I would set the ssid the same but to different channels.

I would only do that after replacing the std low gain antenna with some high gain ones.