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+--- Thread: How to connect secondary wireless router to main router? (/thread-161522.html)
How to connect secondary wireless router to main router? - MagicWand - 06-04-2014 01:01 AM
I need to connect my secondary TL-WR641G wireless router to my main router through a cable, so that the secondary router would give wireless internet connection for all my devices. Could you please help with detailed instructions? Thank you.
- Linds - 06-04-2014 01:08 AM
I've never heard of anyone doing that, I think would cause interference.. It probably would be easier selling the two routers and buying a dual router. We bought one of those this passed November and it's awesome.
- BigE - 06-04-2014 01:12 AM
There are 2 ways to do this. The first is simply to plug in the WAN side of the secondary router to one of the switch ports of the primary. This creates 2 networks, 2 fiewalls. If you aren't sharing things, this is fine.
The second way is to convert the secondary to an AP (access point) which is essentially a wireless/wired switch. In this case, you connect LAN to LAN and leave the WAN port empty. This is simpler, but only creates 1 network, 1 fiewall, 1 DHCP server, etc. Because there is only 1 network, shared devices will work fine.
Most times, one just googles the device + access point and you will get the instructions.
- slin100 - 06-04-2014 01:14 AM
BigE is spot on. Note that some routers do not have an explicit AP (Access Point) mode. If yours doesn't, then the equivalent option is to disable the DHCP server in the secondary router.
I have a tip regarding BigE's first suggestion of plugging the secondary router's WAN port into one of the primary router's LAN ports. You can configure the primary router to put the secondary router into a DMZ. This will avoid double NAT-ing traffic between hosts sitting behind the secondary router and the Internet. I used to do this with an AT&T U-verse gateway and my own router. The Ethernet-connected TVs were hanging off the gateway while the rest of my computers were safely tucked behind my router.