A little IT help - setting up a 2nd router as an access point

[JeremyD]

So have a cable modem and wireless at one end of the house - setting up a router as a second point of wireless access at the other side of the house -

I accessed the main router - put on channel 6 -

Have a couple of questions - number 1 - do I leave this as automatic connection?


Here I disabled the DCHP server - cause that will be handled by the main router?


And I disabled NAT - right?



Anything else I am missing before I connect everything?

[id10t]

Disable DHCP. Set the wireless part of things. Plug wire from "real" router into one of the switch ports - NOT the upstream internet connection port.

[stomachmonkey]

This is the second router that we are looking at correct?

How is it connected to the primary router?

Wireless or hard wired? Hard wired is better if you have the option.

What I see from the pics are standard primary router screens, it actually has the default IP address of a primary router, 192.168.1.1

You want to dig through the set up screens and look for an option to put the secondary router into either 1) AP mode or 2) Bridged.

What model number is the router?

You may be better off flashing the firmware to DD-WRT or Tomato.

[JeremyD]

This is the 2nd router - it will be hardwired my main router is at 192.168.0.1

model number is a linksys ea6400

[John Rogers]

I set mine up by hardwire, disable DHCP and assigned a set IP address. I have noted that it will appear to go "off line" unless something close by wants to use it. The administrator login should work the same as before and it should show up on the main router.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by JeremyD

This is the 2nd router - it will be hardwired my main router is at 192.168.0.1

model number is a linksys ea6400

Your primary router is not likely a Linksys then, going to assume provided by your internet cable provider. FIOS routers default to 192.168.0.1. Linksys routers default to 192.168.1.1. Currently your primary and AP are not on the same subnet.

Page 37 here. http://downloads.linksys.com/downloads/userguide/1224698289716/EA6400_combo_PDF_En-FrCA.pdf

So that's a dual band AC router.

If you have older devices, none N, take the time and set the 2.4 ghz band to accept legacy a.b and g, devices and the 5.0 band restricted to only N.

WIFI networks operate at the speed of the slowest connected device. By assigning slower legacy devices to 2.4 you leave 5.0 available to get full speed for your faster N devices.

The 2.4 band is almost certainly more congested if you live in a neighbor hood. If you can see your neighbors WIFI signals then you are almost certainly overlapping. 5.0 is less congested and the adjacent channels are farther apart so less likely you'll overlap.

[JeremyD]

These are my choices for connectivity = should I choose Bridge - or use a static IP?



And administrative options



and my NAT unchecked =



As you can see - I know just enough to be dangerous

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by JeremyD

These are my choices for connectivity = should I choose Bridge - or use a static IP?






As you can see - I know just enough to be dangerous

Select Bridge and it should handle the rest for you.

[JeremyD]

Thank you - Thank you - Thank you

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

So that's a dual band AC router.

If you have older devices, none N, take the time and set the 2.4 ghz band to accept legacy a.b and g, devices and the 5.0 band restricted to only N.

WIFI networks operate at the speed of the slowest connected device. By assigning slower legacy devices to 2.4 you leave 5.0 available to get full speed for your faster N devices.

Thanks for the tip, I have been having some Wifi issues lately, so I just made that change. I also updated the Wifi networks to "mine" and "mine_N" to see if that will make a difference. They used to share the same SSID. Is it good to split them by speed?

Thanks!

[id10t]

Originally Posted by Neilk

Thanks for the tip, I have been having some Wifi issues lately, so I just made that change. I also updated the Wifi networks to "mine" and "mine_N" to see if that will make a difference. They used to share the same SSID. Is it good to split them by speed?

Thanks!

Yes, otherwise all traffic will be stuck on the speed/protocol of the slowest device broadcasting on that frequency.