I need help with routers

Jun 23, 2018
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I am new here and pray this isn't asked anywhere but sure it is. Im ok with computers, but with wifi and such not so good. I have upgraded to Spectrums Gig internet. They gave me a Askey Wave 2 wifi router. I had previously purchased a Netgear Orbi RBK50. What one would be better to use for speed and coverage, Id say I have at least 20 devices connected between myself my hubby and my 4 kids. Someone had told me I could use bouth routers either LAN to LAN or LAN to WAN. This is foreign to me. I have no clue where to go for help or guidance so really hoping someone can guide me in a good direction!
Thanks, Shawna
 
Solution
The Orbi is a wifi extender kit for maximising wireless across larger properties, or properties with wireless blank spots. Toms US site did a review on it:

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/netgear-orbi,review-4263.html

The Askey is basically 'just a wifi router'. That's not to say it's good or bad (no personal knowledge of it), but that it probably won't be as good at extending wifi as the Orbi, in situations where the Orbi excels.

Unless you have specific need to segregate your network, choose. You probably don't need both. If it were me, I would test them both and see if one was better than the other in my house. All things being equal, the Orbi is probably better at overall coverage, but is a multi-device, so requires more siting...
Some routers have modems built in. When an ISP assigns you with a public-facing IP (what all the websites see you as), it's generally referred to as the WAN address or WAN IP.

Many routers have NAT (don't worry about it for now), and indeed unless you have multiple IPs assigned by your ISP, you will need NAT to have private network addresses assigned to the computers in you network (don't try to take all this on as a heavy learning issue).

When you configure IPs on the computers on your network, you get asked to assign the 'default gateway' for each one. This is the IP that connects your computer to your network. In most cases it is your router. This is generally referred to as the router's LAN address or LAN IP.

So the router can have a LAN IP (internal) and a WAN IP (external). One is used to connect to the other devices on your network, while the other is generally used to communicate with the world.

You could have the following setup though:

Computer (IP address) - Router 1 LAN to LAN - Router 2 LAN to WAN - Outside World. It would be perfectly feasible to have multiple computers directly connected to either router in this setup. Sometimes it's handy for isolating or separating groups of users / devices. One idea might be to have a server connected to router 2 for the world to access, while router 1 secures the PCs on the network from external access.

LAN to LAN generally refers to internal connections, while LAN to WAN refers to the gateway to the outside world. Neither are better or worse than the other. It's more a case of applying devices to suit your needs. You really want the most secure, but least complicated setup.
 
Jun 23, 2018
3
0
10


 
Jun 23, 2018
3
0
10
So is it helpful to use both routers or just use 1? That's part of my issue really, it's the Orbi RBK50 better or the Askey Wave 2? Or would it be beneficial to use both? My modem is technicolor if that matters at all. I appreciate you taking the time to reply and apologize for my slight ignorance with networking. I have so many items connected that it seems to bog down my speed and i'd really like to try to make it better! Thank you
 
The Orbi is a wifi extender kit for maximising wireless across larger properties, or properties with wireless blank spots. Toms US site did a review on it:

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/netgear-orbi,review-4263.html

The Askey is basically 'just a wifi router'. That's not to say it's good or bad (no personal knowledge of it), but that it probably won't be as good at extending wifi as the Orbi, in situations where the Orbi excels.

Unless you have specific need to segregate your network, choose. You probably don't need both. If it were me, I would test them both and see if one was better than the other in my house. All things being equal, the Orbi is probably better at overall coverage, but is a multi-device, so requires more siting considerations.

I would start with the Orbi and see how things go, and if fine, keep the Askey as a backup option if the Orbi ever develops problems. If you tested them both now, in the future, the reserve router is already configured for a quick swap. Minimal downtime.
 
Solution