Cascading Routers With Default Settings Worked

[Nick Buchny]

Hey everyone,

Recently I was researching how to get 2 routers working on one network, a lot of what I read involved changing a lot of settings etc etc. however last night I simply took a LAN port from my main modem/router and plugged it into the WAN port of the second router. The second router got assigned an IP automatically (10.0.X.X.X or something), I configured the networks separately and they both seem to be working fine independantly with no settings (DHCP, DNS, etc) changed.

I was wondering if there was some underlying problems that may not be immediately apparent occurring because otherwise this seems like a fine configuration for me.

thanks!

 

[DigitalHamster]

It sounds like you are just looking to turn one router into an internet switch / repeater.
If it works, I say keep it as it is.
However, it is better to turn off DHCP and Firewall.
This should make the second router a simple extender and mean the primary router can see all connected devices.

EDIT: Only turn off DHCP and Firewall on the second router!

 

[BuddhaSkoota]

Recently I was researching how to get 2 routers working on one network, a lot of what I read involved changing a lot of settings etc etc. however last night I simply took a LAN port from my main modem/router and plugged it into the WAN port of the second router. The second router got assigned an IP automatically (10.0.X.X.X or something), I configured the networks separately and they both seem to be working fine independantly with no settings (DHCP, DNS, etc) changed.

I was wondering if there was some underlying problems that may not be immediately apparent occurring because otherwise this seems like a fine configuration for me.

Two routers in this configuration would create a double NAT issue for you. It will negatively affect certain applications (e.g. online gaming, VoIP, Skype) to the point where they may not work at all.

You should consider configuring the second router as a switch/access point to avoid having a double NAT problem. See this forum sticky: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/36406-43-convert-wireless-router-wireless-access-point

 

[Nick Buchny]

Yes I thought issues would arise as well however I've been playing overwatch with no issues online and the other people using the network haven't mentioned anything either... its it possible that the router got automatically reconfigured by the master or something? I know minimally it changed the IP automatically when I plugged it in and I couldn't log into it anymore (the slave) which sounds like what happens when it gets configured to an AP.

Is there a test I can do to see the effects it may be having?

 

[DigitalHamster]

As far as I am concerned, you could test for the following:
- Games (are they all working properly, weird lag, no voice chat etc.)
- Internet websites
- Videos, youtube for example
- Try pinging other devices on your network. They should all respond.

If there aren't any issues, I see no reason to change it until a problem arises.

 

[Nick Buchny]

As far as I am concerned, you could test for the following:
- Games (are they all working properly, weird lag, no voice chat etc.)
- Internet websites
- Videos, youtube for example
- Try pinging other devices on your network. They should all respond.

If there aren't any issues, I see no reason to change it until a problem arises.

Yeah Ive played OW total of around 4 hours since the change and voice is working fine I'm getting around half the ping everyone else is, youtube works great etc.

On speed tests in getting lower than I should be would this be a factor?

 

[DigitalHamster]

It depends what speeds.
If it reaches a maximum of 10MB/s (100mbits/s) this means one of the routers is 100mbit and just can't go any faster.
Both ways this will be 5MB/s.
This also occurs at 100MB/s (1Gbit/s) and 1GB/s (10Gbit/s).

There will also be a tiny increase in ping from going through two routers.
I tested once with a pair of Raspberry Pis. The ping through the router was micro seconds, so negligible difference.
If you haven't disabled the firewall on the second router, this could be a cause.

 

[Nick Buchny]

It depends what speeds.
If it reaches a maximum of 10MB/s (100mbits/s) this means one of the routers is 100mbit and just can't go any faster.
Both ways this will be 5MB/s.
This also occurs at 100MB/s (1Gbit/s) and 1GB/s (10Gbit/s).

There will also be a tiny increase in ping from going through two routers.
I tested once with a pair of Raspberry Pis. The ping through the router was micro seconds, so negligible difference.
If you haven't disabled the firewall on the second router, this could be a cause.

Off the master I should get its full speed right? The throttle isnt global just local to the slower router?

 

[DigitalHamster]

The final speed you get from connecting to the second router can be limited by either router.
If connecting to the main router is faster, you know the second router is slow.
If no change, either the first is the slower of the two, or they are the same speed.
If you are happy with the performance, don't worry about it

I am fairly sure that going across multiple routers will only slightly increase latency, and should not reduce bandwidth.

 

[Nick Buchny]

The final speed you get from connecting to the second router can be limited by either router.
If connecting to the main router is faster, you know the second router is slow.
If no change, either the first is the slower of the two, or they are the same speed.
If you are happy with the performance, don't worry about it

I am fairly sure that going across multiple routers will only slightly increase latency, and should not reduce bandwidth.

Cool thanks for all your help!