Router behind a router

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Dave VanHorn 21 years ago

Ok, Santa been very very good to me, and now I have to solve a small problem. I had this working once, wrote down (I thought) all the settings, but now following my notes, it's not working.. For logistical reasons, I don't want to change the order of the equipment here, though it would probably make this work easier.

Cable modem feeds into Linksys BEFSR81 router as 192.168.1.1 DHCP on, starting at 192.168.1.100 Several computers tie into this router, everything works at this level.

Cable from router port over to Linksys BEFW11S4 wireless router. Set to fixed IP of 192.168.1.2 I can see this router from any machine plugged into it, but I can't see or ping 192.168.1.1 or anything on the net.

Here's my cryptic notes from before, what am I missing?

Configuring a Linksys router to live behind another linksys router.

In this system, I used an 8 port router connected to my cable modem, and a four port wireless router connected to the main router on it's "link" port. The cable connects to any standard port on the wired router.

This gives me three wired ports available on the wireless box, plus the wireless.

On the wireless box:

Default it.

Turn off DHCP

Set LAN address to 192.168.1.2

Wireless enable, all wireless to default.

Static WAN IP: 192.168.1.2

Subnet 255.255.255.0

Default gateway: 192.168.1.1 (the wired router)

DNS: 192.168.1.1

Reboot all PCs behind the wireless router.

While they are rebooting, power cycle the wireless router.

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Jeff Liebermann 21 years ago

Please do NOT put two routers in series. It can be made to work, but is not trival. I suggest you try *ONE* of the following derrangements:

Convert BEFW11S4 into an access point.

- Leave your BEFSR81 with the current settings.

- Plug a CAT5 cable between the BEFSR81 and one of the *LAN* ports on the BEFW11S4.

- Turn off the DHCP server on the BEFW11S4 and use the one on the BEFSR81.

Use only one router and replace the BEFSR81 with a switch.

- Remove the BEFSR81 from the system.

- Connect the cable modem to the WAN port of the BEFW11S4.

- If you need more than 4 local LAN ports, get an 8 port switch.

Double NAT (not recommended but seems to be what you're doing).

- Leave the BEFSR81 with the current settings at 192.168.1.1.

- DHCP server should be on and delivering IP's at 192.168.1.100-150.

- BEFW11S4 set for a WAN IP of 192.168.1.2 and a netmask of 255.255.255.0.

- LAN side of BEFW11S4 is set to 192.168.2.1.

- BEFW11S4 DHCP server is on 192.168.2.100-150.

With a netmask of 255.255.255.0 on the WAN side of the BEFW11S4, clients on the wireless router will be able to see other clients plugged into the BEFSR81 router. However, clients on the BEFSR81 router will not be able to see any clients on the wireless side. If you set the netmask to 255.255.255.252, clients from both LAN's will not be able to see each other. I dunno if this is how you want things to work.

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Airhead 21 years ago

probably

"link" port.

Tis kindof cryptic so I will just say how I think it should be.

Cable modem plugs into wired WAN port of wired router. Wired = DHCP server. Lan port of wired router plugs into Lan port of wireless. WAN left unplugged No DHCP. In this scenario the wireless router is just a switch with an Access Point

Of course you can have both serv dhcp and have 2 separate Lans, in this case I believe you would use the WAN port of the wireless.

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Dave VanHorn 21 years ago

I did say they are cryptic notes. :)

Ok, makes sense, but now does the second router act as a router, or gateway? I've tried both settings, and I still can't ping the wired router on

192.168.1.1 Rebooted the wireless and the PC behind it between attempts of course. Shouldn't need to reboot the wired box, I can add and remove computers all day without rebooting the router.

That's how I had it set before, and that wouldn't suck entirely either, but it's not working.

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Dave VanHorn 21 years ago

Hi jeff, merry christmas!

Yeah, I know, but it's what I've got on hand..

AHA! One more detail, I have to plug the cable from the wired router into the crossover port on the WAP. Now, all the wired ports are active to the net. I have to go next door to verify wireless connectivity.

That got it, I'm up and running. As I said, Santa been very very good to me. I just closed on two houses. I'm living in one already, and the other is next door. The home office just became an office home! :) For the moment, the only connectivity I have over there is wireless, so I needed to get this running.

I'll fix my document, so that I know how to do it again, after someone defaults the WAP.

Thanks!

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bumtracks 21 years ago

I have 2nd router used for remote wired ap. pretty much same deal,,, cept i plugged in real dns ip (matched 1st router)

sounds like youve plugged your feed into the wan port on router2 ? plug the feed into one of the ports on router2

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stephen 21 years ago

1 thing - if you want more general access between the wired and wireless subnets, you can turn off any firewall functions on the wireless router.

that way the 2nd router acts as a conventional IP router, and wired PCs can connect to devices on the wireless side - but you still need to sort out NetBIOS naming if you run M$oft type file sharing.

i have something similar on a pair of netgear routers (wireless is MR814, wired is a FR314) - same topology.

Most of this kit doesnt seem to work as a general purpose router - the suppliers seem to pay lip service to the required functions, but various things are not happy unless you use it as the code writer thinks you should - usually as a standalone internet NAT router.

on the netgear MR814, it has to have a WAN link to get NTP and DNS, it doesnt understand a default route across the LAN etc etc.

So, i have its wan port plugged into the wired main router, and a 2nd connection LAN port to LAN port between the 2 boxes. DHCP is turned off on the MR814, and it has a LAN address out of the DHCP range.

Now the mr814 thinks it has an Internet connection, but the LAN ports are layer 2 connected to the main router - but no security separation between wireless and wired LAN.

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