# 3 Routers, Can They Be Linked Into One Network?



## -=Rousseau=- (Jun 10, 2006)

My house is large and we have 3 wireless routers to cover the area. (one on each side of the house and another in the basement) The wireless signals barely overlap, but I was wondering if it is possible to link them all together into one network in order to allow us to print from anywhere in the house. (Our printer is connected to a desktop that only connects to one of the routers) We have 3 routers because the basement needed a wired internet connection (Control4 - Theater Controller) and a wireless connection for laptops down there (It's a wireless G Gateway). We already had one router and modem from before we set up the Control4, etc. The other router is a gateway as well and is only needed to provide internet in the other side of the house and upstairs.

Diagram:


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Use the instructions below, and to add the 3rd router, just change it's base address to avoid a conflict with the second router. Should work fine, I have that arrangement working here.

Connecting two SOHO broadband routers together.

Configure the IP address of the secondary router to be in the same subnet as the primary router, but out of the range of the DHCP server in the primary router. For instance DHCP server addresses 192.168.0.2 through 192.168.0.100, I'd assign the secondary router 192.168.0.254 as it's IP address.

Disable the DHCP server in the secondary router.

Setup the wireless section just the way you would if it was the primary router.

Connect from the primary router's LAN port to one of the LAN ports on the secondary router. If there is no uplink port and neither of the routers have auto-sensing ports, use a cross-over cable. Leave the WAN port unconnected!


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## -=Rousseau=- (Jun 10, 2006)

Ok. I set up the primary router with a DHCP range of 192.168.0.2 through 192.168.0.100 and assigned the secondary router 192.168.0.254 as its IP, and turned off the secondary router's DHCP server function. I then connected the lan ports of the two routers, but I cannot get online on the secondary router's connection - I get a "Limited or No Connectivity" error because the computer does not get an IP. What other settings should I put the secondary router on?

Does it make a difference if they are _wireless_ routers? I have a Ethernet over Power adapter to put the secondary router in a different area, but still allow me to hard wire a link between the two. I can connect to the secondary router and get a limited or no connectivity notice, but that's it. The primary still works fine.


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## -=Rousseau=- (Jun 10, 2006)

Well, actually I figured out a work around/solution that works just as well for my purposes. I'll run the cable modem through an ethernet switch, then I'll run one ethernet line directly to one router which will service the immediate area and then I'll run another ethernet line from the switch to the power over ethernet adapter. From that adapter I'll link to the Netgear. True, I'll still have 2 networks, but I'll only need one modem. (If I need to connect to a PC on the other router I'll just walk upstairs... )

```
Modem
                   |
             Ethernet Switch
               |            |
          Router 1       PoE Adapter (Master)
                                 |
                          PoE Adapter (Terminal)
                                 |
                            Router 2
```
Anyone see any problems with that idea?


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## <SKATER] (Dec 13, 2006)

the only problem that I see is from past experience. a cable/dsl modem and a switch do not like each other, meaning that you can not use the switch as a repeater/extender. I believe that they are both considered the same type of networking equipment. I don't have any experience w/ the ethernet over power adapters but here at work some of the exec support folks have used the wireless over power adapters and those have worked quite will. of course the only drawback w/ those is that you can NOT connect them to a power strip or surge suppressor. Hope this helps.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

Of course you can connect a cable/DSL modem to a switch. However, unless you have an ISP that gives you multiple IP addresses, this layout won't work, since you have two direct connections to the Internet and will require two public IP addresses.

Personally, I think the Ethernet over Power adapters suck, and they're not nearly as reliable as simply running a cable, not to mention loads slower too.


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## <SKATER] (Dec 13, 2006)

I agree w/ you on the EoP adapters. very slow. running cable is always best.


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## -=Rousseau=- (Jun 10, 2006)

So the switch will not work (Comcast only supplies one IP, you have to pay for up to 4 additional), and EoP is slow. The original plan worked fine, as long as I didn't want to use the second router wirelessly (I should have probably mentioned the fact that they were wireless  ). The secondary router would not allow me to connect wirelessly, though it would allow me to access the internet, etc by connecting via ethernet.

What I want to do is this:

We have a 2 story house with a basement (8,030 Sq. Ft. total size), which houses a theater which requires a wired and wireless signal for the control system to work (Control4). We have 2 routers, one DLink and one Netgear Rangemax MIMO G, one router, one wireless repeater, and two EoP adapters and enough ethernet cables to run it all. What would be the best solution to get wireless internet available throughout the house? We want the first and second floors to be on the same network so that everyone can print off of one printer, etc. The basement really doesn't have to be on the same wireless network though. Two things are absolutely required: We want only one modem - we would get charged an additional $42 a month for one more modem, and we need both a wired connection and a wireless connection in the basement. Any ideas?


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## <SKATER] (Dec 13, 2006)

run the cable to the basement and plug it into the ethernet port on the wireless router there and turn off DHCP on that router as JohnWill stated.


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## -=Rousseau=- (Jun 10, 2006)

I did that, but the wireless would not work on the secondary router in that setup. (Well, I ran a cable between the two routers, but in the same room...)

Edit: I tried again, and now it works. Go figure. :4-dontkno 

Thnx all.


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## <SKATER] (Dec 13, 2006)

that's how it goes. welcome to what we deal w/ daily.


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## johnwill (Sep 26, 2002)

If you wired the two secondary routers with my previous instructions, just make sure the two router base addresses don't conflict, it'll work fine. I've had three routers connected just that way in my house, and the wireless coverage was seamless. I currently have two with hi-gain antennas and get good coverage, so the 3rd is back in the closet. 

You want ONLY the primary router handing out DHCP addresses, the secondary routers are really just wireless access points with a switch when configured properly.


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