Can I Add A Second Wireless Router To My Home Network

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If yous have a big abode or fifty-fifty just a large home network with lots of devices, calculation a 2d router tin not just better coverage both wired and wirelessly, but also ameliorate overall operation. In this article, nosotros'll look at how to gear up up ii routers on the same network, as well every bit some of the benefits and some alternatives you may want to consider.

Can 2 Routers Be Set up on the Same Network?

2, or even more if you wish, routers tin absolutely be set upwardly on the aforementioned home network.

A 2d router can exist set upward to act equally a range extender, or it tin can exist configured to share the same SSID as the chief router, meaning the devices on your network will connect to whichever router provides the stronger point.

You may likewise like: vii Best Wireless Routers for Lots of Devices: Buyer's Guide

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

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

More connectivity for wired devices: Information technology is likely that your primary router but has a limited number of LAN ports available to connect wired devices to it (five if y'all are lucky). Calculation a 2d router immediately provides additional Ethernet ports that provide more devices with wired connectivity without the need for a network switch.
Improve back up for mixed wired/wireless setups: Having a second router is useful if you take 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 go along to connect to the primary 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 cease of the habitation to the wireless devices.
Isolation for certain devices: If certain devices in your dwelling house utilize the network connexion particularly heavily, dual routers tin can be ready to isolate sure devices and prevent a big amount of network traffic affecting the other devices. As an instance, yous may want to look at isolating a particular PC that frequently transfers big files or plays a lot of online games from a smart Television that is streaming video.
Improved wireless coverage: A second router can simply exist used to extend an existing Wi-Fi connection, greatly improving the coverage in your home and providing fifty-fifty those far away devices with a stable wireless connection.
Fill-in device: Information technology doesn't injure having a working backup router available in case one of a sudden fails.

How to Set up 2 Routers on the Aforementioned Network

Now you know the benefits of calculation a second router to your dwelling network, let'southward take a look at how to actually fix it up.

When it comes to connectivity between the two, yous take a choice of a wired or wireless connectedness. We volition cover both methods below, only in both cases, there are a few things that you lot need to consider and set up first.

Firstly, you need to determine which of the routers will be the primary and which will be the secondary. Ideally, you volition pick the newer, fully-featured router to be the primary, but if y'all have two of the same router it doesn't actually matter which is which.

Side by side, place both of the routers close to the computer you volition be using to configure them both. This is merely for ease of access; both routers tin be moved to their permanent location later.

Finally, you need to decide what you want to achieve from the 2d router as there are ii 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 inside the main network which allows you to identify restrictions on any devices that connect to it and therefore is a good idea if you wish to isolate certain devices. A LAN-to-WAN setup doesn't support the sharing of files beyond the two separate networks.

Got all that sorted? Let's move on to performing the setup.

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

Setting up a Second Router Using Ethernet

1. Connecting to the Main Router

First things first, we need to perform the initial setup on the principal router. Make sure the router is first connected to your modem via an Ethernet cablevision, and so connect the figurer you are using to the router using another Ethernet cable.

Some Windows PCs and Macs volition no longer come with a built-in Ethernet port, so yous may demand to buy either an Ethernet to USB adapter to make that wired connection.

2. Logging in to the Primary Router

This master router will be taking control of the connection to the Internet through the modem and should be set up as if it were the only router in the home.

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

Unless yous have previously changed the username and countersign to access the router, which is recommended for security purposes, the router will oft ship with a menu containing these credentials.

Remember that the settings of each router can vary drastically depending on the manufacturer and model. If y'all e'er get stuck finding a particular setting, it is recommended that you lot consult the router'due south manual or the support section on the manufacturer's website.

3. Change the DHCP Settings

If you have decided on setting up a LAN-to-LAN network, you can skip over this step as the DHCP settings tin can exist left as they are.

If setting up a LAN-to-WAN network, you will need to set the DHCP to provide addresses between 192.168.1.two and 192.168.ane.50.

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

4. Configuring the Second Router

Connect and login to the second router as you did with the commencement and navigate to the screen that allows you lot to set the IP address of the router itself.

What you lot set the IP address to is of import depending on whether y'all are going LAN-to-LAN or LAN-to-WAN

LAN-to-LAN: Alter the IP accost to match that of the primary router, but increase the second-to-terminal digit past one. Then if the master router has an IP address of 192.168.1.1, the 2nd router needs to use 192.168.2.1.
LAN-to-WAN: Alter the IP address to 192.168.1.51. Notice this is just outside of the DHCP range we set on the master router.

Once the IP address is set, just make sure that the subnet mask matches that of the master router and that y'all disable UPnP if the option is in that location.

v. Configuring DHCP on the 2d Router

Over again, this stride is different depending on whether yous are setting up LAN-to-LAN or LAN-to-WAN.

LAN-to-LAN: Turn off the DHCP service completely
LAN-to-WAN: Modify the DHCP to provide addresses between 192.168.2.2 and 192.168.2.50

6. Modify the Wireless Channels

If both of your routers are wireless, every bit most are these days, you will need to manually alter the channels so the 2 signals don't interfere with one another. This is hands done by setting the primary router to use any channel between 1 and 6 and so setting the second router to use channel 11.

seven. Position the Routers

And then that'due south all of the configuration work on both routers done. Make sure to save changes, log out and disconnect the router from your reckoner equally it is now fourth dimension to identify both routers where y'all need them.

Just retrieve, yous will need to utilise an Ethernet cable to connect the 2 together.

For convenience and so you don't take more wires than needed abaft around your home, you may desire to identify the chief router adjacent to the modem if you are using one that is a divide device.

8. Connect the Routers

Regardless of which network setup you are using, the routers need to connect to each other, but the port you lot must utilize will differ.

LAN-to-LAN: Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into one of the bachelor LAN ports on the back of the primary router, and so plug the other end into an available LAN port on the back of the 2d router.
LAN-to-WAN: Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into 1 of the available LAN ports on the back of the primary router, so plug the other end into the WAN port (may exist labeled equally "Internet") on the back of the second router.

In one case connected, yous have successfully continued to a second router to your abode network using a wired connection.

Setting up a Second Router Using Wireless

1. Is Your Equipment Even Compatible?

Before going down the route of setting up the second router wirelessly, yous will showtime make sure that it is fifty-fifty possible using the equipment you have.

Most wireless routers can be used every bit a wireless access point or range extender, even so, not all tin be used to create their ain network within the chief router's network.

You must ensure that your secondary router has a "bridge" or "repeater" mode.

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

2. Connecting to the Master Router

If you oasis't already, you will need to perform the initial setup on the chief router. Make sure the router is outset connected to your modem via an Ethernet cable if you have i, then connect the computer yous 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 may need to purchase either an Ethernet to USB adapter to make that wired connection.

3. Logging Into the Primary Router

This master router volition be taking control of the connection to the Internet through the modem and should be set upward as if it were the just router in the abode.

You lot'll need to access the router'due south web interface which is typically done by entering the router's IP address into the URL bar of your web browser so logging in.

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

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

One time y'all have completed the initial setup, y'all can log out and disconnect from the router as nosotros won't need to connect to the chief once more.

4. Logging Into the Second Router

At present information technology is time to connect the second router to your estimator using an Ethernet cablevision, logging in and opening the configuration folio.

You lot will need to browse to a setup folio that is likely to be called either "Internet" or "Wireless".

The router does non need to connect to the modem (if you have one as a divide device) at this stage.

five. Enable Span Mode

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

Select "Bridge Mode" or "Repeater Fashion" depending on the model of your router (both hateful the same thing).

If you practise not see this option, it is likely that the router doesn't support bridging and you will therefore either purchase a router that does or connect the 2 routers over Ethernet every bit described above.

6. Set the Second Router's IP Address

The IP address of the second router must be set to autumn within the DHCP range of the primary router.

For example, if the primary router has a DHCP range of 192.168.one.2 to 192.168.ane.l, y'all volition need to ready the second router'due south IP accost to exist anything in betwixt.

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

7. Give the Second Router a Unique Name

It is recommended that you give the second router a unique proper noun and so it is articulate which router you are connecting to when joining your devices to the network.

You may want to name both routers depending on the position of them in your home, but it really doesn't matter what proper noun you choose.

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

You may besides desire to brand certain both are ready to employ the aforementioned password for ease of use; simply make sure it is something secure that cannot be easily guessed to help avoid whatever unauthorized access.

8. Position the Second Router

The configuration of the second router is now complete, so you can identify it in an area of your home where you desire it to repeat the betoken provided by the chief router.

For a good connexion betwixt the routers to be maintained, it is recommended that the 2nd router is placed where it receives at least 50% of the signal strength from the chief router, merely the higher the better.

If there is a direct line-of-sight between both routers, you lot should find the second router receives the strongest bespeak compared to any walls beingness in the way.

Alternatives to Setting upwardly a Second Router

Setting up a second router on your home network is relatively easy, merely there are a few alternatives that volition achieve the same event of extending your network, but without any router, IP address or DHCP configuration beingness needed.

You may want to instead look at adding a network switch instead of a second router. Switches come vary in terms of the number of bachelor Ethernet ports they tin add to your network and the type: managed or unmanaged.

For a Wi-Fi network, you may want to consider simply adding a wireless access point rather than an additional router. These tin help extend wireless coverage throughout your dwelling house and only employ a single LAN port on your principal router.

Glossary

We mentioned several technical terms in this article, many of which are abbreviated, so here is a brief description of each to better your understanding of these usually found terms you'll undoubtedly come up across when designing and building your home network.

LAN (Local Area Network): A local network that allows the devices continued to it to communicate with each other.
WAN (Wide Area Network): A network that connects multiple LANs with each other.
SSID (Service Gear up Identifier): The proper name of a Wi-Fi network.
LAN-to-LAN: Extends an existing network connection and SSID to a 2nd router.
LAN-to-WAN: Creates a 2d network within a primary network.
IP Address (Cyberspace Protocol Address): Numerical label assigned to each device connected to your network.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): Dynamically assigns an IP accost 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 discover each other's presence on a network.
WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Admission 2): A type of encryption to secure Wi-Fi networks.