Using Huawei and Linksys router together in LAN?

[mikehal]

I bought a Huawei B525 router (4G) to overcome some landline problems.
I already have a Linksys WRT1900acs router from my previous setup.
I'm in the early stages of reorganising my LAN.

In my reading up on user experiences with the Huawei, I saw that some users, finding the Huawei router limited in terms of its setup and features, have used a more configurable router linked to the Huawei in a cascade (Linksys term?).

Setting up my Linksys router in a LAN port to LAN port cascade with my Huawei as the primary router doesn't seem too difficult
except that in the Linksys tutorials it's advised that the more capable router should be the primary router.
This is not possible here, as it's the Huawei router which connects to the internet via wireless.

If I connect my routers into the LAN as described above, will I be able to use all the features of the Linksys router, or will it be hobbled in some way by the limitations of the Huawei, when the Huawei is set up as the primary router?

Regards,

Mike

 

[BuddhaSkoota]

If I connect my routers into the LAN as described above, will I be able to use all the features of the Linksys router, or will it be hobbled in some way by the limitations of the Huawei, when the Huawei is set up as the primary router?

Since the Linksys wouldn't be acting as the gateway for your network, any Internet access features (e.g. QoS, port forwarding, website filtering, some parental controls) will be ineffective. You are essentially relying only on the wifi features of the LInksys.

Setting the Huawei to brdge mode would allow the LInksys to act as the primary router via the WAN port. This screenshot appears to show that the B525 does support bridge mode, but you you'll need to confirm this with your particular device.

 

[mikehal]

Thanks for the reply BuddhaSkoota.
I'm only just learning the terminology for these activities. So please can you tell me, would setting the Huawei router to bridging mode allow for the 4G SIM card in the Huawei to still provide the internet access but to act only as a modem, allowing the Linksys to do all the other stuff?

 

[BuddhaSkoota]

Thanks for the reply BuddhaSkoota.
I'm only just learning the terminology for these activities. So please can you tell me, would setting the Huawei router to bridging mode allow for the 4G SIM card in the Huawei to still provide the internet access but to act only as a modem, allowing the Linksys to do all the other stuff?

Yes, bridge mode will allow 4G Internet access via the Huawei. All routing functions will be disabled, and the IP address normally assigned to the Huawei would instead be assigned to the Linksys. The Linksys would be attached via its WAN port to the Huawei.

 

[mikehal]

That's great. Thanks for the help.
Such a useful option. But though there are numerous screenshots showing the Bridge mode setting in the Huawei B525s-23a router, that setting option has now disappeared from the list in the router's config settings.
So near, yet so far.

Regards,

Mike