How To Set Up Second Wifi Router

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If you have a large home or fifty-fifty just a big dwelling network with lots of devices, adding a 2nd router can not only improve coverage both wired and wirelessly, simply also ameliorate overall functioning. In this article, we'll look at how to prepare 2 routers on the same network, besides as some of the benefits and some alternatives you may want to consider.

Can Ii Routers Be Fix on the Same Network?

Two, or fifty-fifty more if yous wish, routers can absolutely exist set on the same dwelling network.

A 2d router tin exist gear up up to act as a range extender, or information technology can be configured to share the same SSID as the primary router, meaning the devices on your network will connect to whichever router provides the stronger signal.

You may also like: 7 Best Wireless Routers for Lots of Devices: Heir-apparent'southward Guide

What Are the Benefits of Having Two Routers on the Same Network?

Setting up a dual-router home network comes with a number of benefits, including:

More connectivity for wired devices: It is likely that your primary router only has a express number of LAN ports bachelor to connect wired devices to it (v if you are lucky). Calculation a second router immediately provides additional Ethernet ports that provide more than devices with wired connectivity without the need for a network switch.
Improve support for mixed wired/wireless setups: Having a 2nd router is useful if you have a wired home network but also want to connect some Wi-Fi enabled devices. The routers can be separated in the sense that the wired devices will continue to connect to the master router, whereas all of the wireless devices would connect to the secondary. This is peculiarly helpful if the wired devices are positioned at the other end of the home to the wireless devices.
Isolation for certain devices: If sure devices in your dwelling house utilize the network connection especially heavily, dual routers can be set up upward to isolate sure devices and prevent a large amount of network traffic affecting the other devices. As an case, y'all may want to look at isolating a particular PC that frequently transfers large files or plays a lot of online games from a smart Boob tube that is streaming video.
Improved wireless coverage: A second router can simply be used to extend an existing Wi-Fi connection, profoundly improving the coverage in your dwelling and providing fifty-fifty those far abroad devices with a stable wireless connection.
Backup device: Information technology doesn't hurt having a working backup router available in case 1 of a sudden fails.

How to Prepare Two Routers on the Same Network

Now you know the benefits of adding a 2nd router to your abode network, let's take a look at how to actually set it up.

When information technology comes to connectivity between the two, you accept a choice of a wired or wireless connection. Nosotros will cover both methods beneath, only in both cases, there are a few things that you need to consider and gear up start.

Firstly, you lot need to make up one's mind which of the routers will be the primary and which will be the secondary. Ideally, y'all will pick the newer, fully-featured router to be the primary, but if you accept ii of the same router it doesn't really matter which is which.

Next, place both of the routers close to the computer you will exist using to configure them both. This is just for ease of access; both routers can be moved to their permanent location later.

Finally, yous need to determine what you desire to accomplish from the second router as there are two dissimilar connection types you can setup: LAN-to-LAN or LAN-to-WAN.

LAN-to-LAN: This extends your existing network connection and SSID to include the second router. LAN-to-LAN connectivity allows you to share files betwixt devices regardless of which router they connect to.
LAN-to-WAN: Creates a second network within the main network which allows you lot to place restrictions on any devices that connect to it and therefore is a good idea if you lot wish to isolate sure devices. A LAN-to-WAN setup doesn't support the sharing of files across the 2 dissever networks.

Got all that sorted? Permit'due south move on to performing the setup.

Related article: What Is the WAN Port on My Router For?

Setting upwardly a 2d Router Using Ethernet

1. Connecting to the Primary Router

Start things showtime, we need to perform the initial setup on the primary router. Make sure the router is start connected to your modem via an Ethernet cable, then connect the computer yous are using to the router using another Ethernet cable.

Some Windows PCs and Macs volition no longer come up with a congenital-in Ethernet port, and then you may demand to purchase either an Ethernet to USB adapter to make that wired connectedness.

2. Logging in to the Main Router

This master router will be taking command of the connection to the Cyberspace through the modem and should exist set up as if it were the only router in the dwelling.

Yous'll demand to admission the router'due south web interface which is typically done past entering the router's IP address into the URL bar of your spider web browser and then logging in.

Unless you have previously changed the username and password to access the router, which is recommended for security purposes, the router volition often ship with a card containing these credentials.

Remember that the settings of each router can vary drastically depending on the manufacturer and model. If you ever go stuck finding a particular setting, information technology is recommended that you consult the router'southward manual or the support section on the manufacturer's website.

3. Change the DHCP Settings

If you lot take decided on setting upward a LAN-to-LAN network, yous can skip over this step as the DHCP settings tin can be left as they are.

If setting up a LAN-to-WAN network, you will need to set the DHCP to provide addresses betwixt 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.one.l.

Once these changes accept been saved, log out of the router and disconnect your computer from it. That is all of the work completed on the primary router.

4. Configuring the 2d Router

Connect and login to the 2d router as you did with the kickoff and navigate to the screen that allows y'all to set the IP accost of the router itself.

What yous set the IP address to is important depending on whether you are going LAN-to-LAN or LAN-to-WAN

LAN-to-LAN: Change the IP accost to match that of the primary router, but increase the second-to-last digit past one. And so if the primary router has an IP address of 192.168.ane.ane, the second router needs to apply 192.168.2.1.
LAN-to-WAN: Alter the IP address to 192.168.1.51. Notice this is just exterior of the DHCP range we ready up on the primary router.

Once the IP address is set, just brand certain that the subnet mask matches that of the primary router and that y'all disable UPnP if the option is there.

5. Configuring DHCP on the 2d Router

Again, this step is unlike depending on whether you lot are setting up LAN-to-LAN or LAN-to-WAN.

LAN-to-LAN: Plough off the DHCP service completely
LAN-to-WAN: Change the DHCP to provide addresses between 192.168.two.two and 192.168.2.50

six. Change the Wireless Channels

If both of your routers are wireless, equally about are these days, you will need to manually change the channels so the two signals don't interfere with one another. This is easily done past setting the primary router to utilize any channel between one and 6 and then setting the 2d router to use aqueduct 11.

7. Position the Routers

So that'southward all of the configuration work on both routers done. Brand sure to salve changes, log out and disconnect the router from your computer as it is now time to place both routers where you lot need them.

Just recall, y'all will need to apply an Ethernet cablevision to connect the 2 together.

For convenience and so you don't have more wires than needed trailing around your dwelling house, you may want to place the main router side by side to the modem if you are using one that is a separate device.

eight. Connect the Routers

Regardless of which network setup you are using, the routers need to connect to each other, merely the port you must apply volition differ.

LAN-to-LAN: Plug one cease of the Ethernet cable into 1 of the available LAN ports on the back of the chief router, and then plug the other end into an available LAN port on the back of the 2d router.
LAN-to-WAN: Plug 1 end of the Ethernet cable into ane of the available LAN ports on the back of the primary router, and so plug the other stop into the WAN port (may be labeled as "Internet") on the back of the second router.

Once connected, you have successfully connected to a second router to your home network using a wired connection.

Setting up a 2d Router Using Wireless

ane. Is Your Equipment Even Compatible?

Earlier going downwardly the route of setting up the 2nd router wirelessly, you will first make certain that information technology is even possible using the equipment you lot have.

Virtually wireless routers can exist used every bit a wireless admission point or range extender, withal, not all tin exist used to create their own network within the principal router'due south network.

You must ensure that your secondary router has a "span" or "repeater" way.

If yous are unsure, check the manual that came with the router or check on the manufacturer's website.

two. Connecting to the Primary Router

If you haven't already, you will need to perform the initial setup on the primary router. Make certain the router is first connected to your modem via an Ethernet cable if y'all have one, and then connect the computer you are using to the router using a separate Ethernet cable.

Some Windows PCs and Macs will no longer come with a built-in Ethernet port, so you lot may need to buy either an Ethernet to USB adapter to make that wired connexion.

3. Logging Into the Chief Router

This primary router will be taking control of the connexion to the Internet through the modem and should be prepare as if it were the but router in the home.

Y'all'll need to access the router'south spider web interface which is typically done by entering the router's IP accost into the URL bar of your web browser and so logging in.

Unless you have previously changed the username and password to access the router, which is recommended for security purposes, the router volition often send with a card containing these credentials.

Call back that the settings of each router tin vary drastically depending on the manufacturer and model. If you lot ever go stuck finding a particular setting, it is recommended that y'all consult the router's manual or the support department on the manufacturer'due south website.

Once you have completed the initial setup, you can log out and disconnect from the router equally we won't need to connect to the main again.

4. Logging Into the 2d Router

Now it is time to connect the 2nd router to your computer using an Ethernet cablevision, logging in and opening the configuration page.

Yous will demand to browse to a setup page that is likely to exist called either "Internet" or "Wireless".

The router does not need to connect to the modem (if yous accept one equally a separate device) at this phase.

5. Enable Bridge Fashion

Within the setup page, you are looking for "Network Mode" under "Connection Blazon" or "Wireless Mode".

Select "Bridge Mode" or "Repeater Style" depending on the model of your router (both mean the aforementioned affair).

If you practise not encounter this option, it is likely that the router doesn't support bridging and you lot volition therefore either buy a router that does or connect the two routers over Ethernet as described above.

half-dozen. Set the Second Router's IP Accost

The IP address of the second router must be set to fall within the DHCP range of the chief router.

For example, if the master router has a DHCP range of 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.50, you will demand to prepare the 2nd router'due south IP address to be annihilation in between.

Whilst configuring the IP address, make sure the subnet mask matches that of the chief router.

vii. Give the 2d Router a Unique Name

It is recommended that y'all requite the second router a unique name and so it is articulate which router you are connecting to when joining your devices to the network.

Yous may want to name both routers depending on the position of them in your dwelling house, just it really doesn't matter what proper name you choose.

Make certain both routers are prepare to use WPA2 which is likely to be the case out of the box.

You lot may as well want to make sure both are set to utilise the same password for ease of use; just make sure it is something secure that cannot exist easily guessed to assistance avoid any unauthorized access.

viii. Position the 2nd Router

The configuration of the second router is now consummate, so you tin can identify it in an area of your home where you want it to repeat the betoken provided by the primary router.

For a good connection between the routers to be maintained, it is recommended that the second router is placed where it receives at to the lowest degree 50% of the signal strength from the primary router, but the college the ameliorate.

If there is a direct line-of-sight between both routers, yous should notice the 2d router receives the strongest signal compared to any walls existence in the way.

Alternatives to Setting up a Second Router

Setting up a second router on your domicile network is relatively easy, but in that location are a few alternatives that will achieve the same result of extending your network, just without any router, IP accost or DHCP configuration beingness needed.

Y'all may want to instead look at adding a network switch instead of a second router. Switches come up vary in terms of the number of available Ethernet ports they can add to your network and the blazon: managed or unmanaged.

For a Wi-Fi network, you lot may want to consider only calculation a wireless access point rather than an additional router. These can help extend wireless coverage throughout your domicile and only use a single LAN port on your primary router.

Glossary

We mentioned several technical terms in this commodity, many of which are abbreviated, and so here is a cursory clarification of each to ameliorate your understanding of these usually found terms you'll undoubtedly come up across when designing and building your dwelling house network.

LAN (Local Surface area Network): A local network that allows the devices connected to it to communicate with each other.
WAN (Wide Area Network): A network that connects multiple LANs with each other.
SSID (Service Set Identifier): The name of a Wi-Fi network.
LAN-to-LAN: Extends an existing network connection and SSID to a 2d router.
LAN-to-WAN: Creates a second network within a primary network.
IP Address (Internet Protocol Address): Numerical label assigned to each device continued to your network.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): Dynamically assigns an IP address to each device continued to your network.
Subnet Mask: Masks an IP address and divides information technology into a network address and a host address.
UPnP (Universal Plug and Play): Permits devices to seamlessly find each other's presence on a network.
WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access Two): A type of encryption to secure Wi-Fi networks.