Is it doable to have two routers on the identical community? – MBReviews | Cult Tech

Sure, it’s doable to have two routers on the identical community, however remember that numerous configurations might be made relying on what the top purpose actually is. The commonest strategy is to arrange one router as the principle unit and the secondary router (which is normally older or simply much less highly effective than the primary) can be arrange as an entry level + swap combo, pushing the community additional into the home. .

It is also doable to configure the 2 routers in bridge mode, which I suppose could be nearer to having two full routers on the identical community (type of, as we’ll see) and one other very satisfying strategy is to make use of mesh know-how.

I say ‘mesh know-how’ when, in actuality, producers have applied this know-how in no matter approach they noticed match, with out actually following a inflexible set of tips. The one factor that issues is the top consequence and that’s having a couple of router on the identical community, which offers a seamless transition between mesh items when roaming with a shopper gadget.

This strategy requires routers which might be of the identical model and that help proprietary mesh know-how; in any other case we’d have a number of routers from a number of manufacturers working collectively in concord. And we won’t have that. There may be EasyMesh know-how that ought to be capable of obtain precisely that, however there isn’t any approach producers will undertake it, so yeah, simply do not give it some thought. With that mentioned, let’s discover among the methods you should utilize two routers on the identical community.

1. Two routers, one in AP mode, similar community

For example you improve to a more recent router, however whereas it covers the home decently properly, one flooring down, the sign is not as robust as you’d have preferred. So why not reuse the previous router alongside the newer one to increase the community additional, rising potential efficiency even additional in these hard-to-reach corners of your house? It is extremely doable and fairly widespread to make use of the secondary wi-fi router as an entry level.

However earlier than we go any additional, remember that a wi-fi entry level isn’t a WiFi repeater (or extender) as a result of whereas the latter will join through WiFi to the principle router unit, the previous requires a connection through an Ethernet cable. Yeah, I do know, I do not like cables both, however that is one of the simplest ways to increase WiFi inside your house with out unnecessarily sacrificing bandwidth. How precisely can a router be configured as an entry level? Effectively, it isn’t that tough.

1. Be sure join an Ethernet cable to any LAN port from the first router and to the WAN port of the secondary router (which is able to act as an entry level).

two. Set the secondary router to AP mode – some routers help this mode by default and it’s only a method to disable DHCP (and in some instances copying WiFi particulars). In case your router doesn’t help this mode, skip to the subsequent part.

3. Disable DHCP – you need the secondary router to obtain an IP deal with from the principle unit, so we have to disable DHCP on the second gadget. This feature is normally discovered underneath Web settings on most routers (the web-based GUI).

4. Configure Wi-Fi networks – this step is sort of straightforward as all it’s good to do is give your community/sa title and a password, however I counsel you utilize a unique channel and totally different credentials than the principle router. It’s because in case you are inside vary of the principle unit you’ll expertise some nasty interference (co-channel or adjoining channel). Additionally, for the reason that 2.4 GHz community goes a great distance, I’d set the transmit energy on each routers to a low stage in order to not danger overlapping indicators.

2. Two routers, one as extender, similar community

Not like organising a secondary router as an entry level, setting it up as an extender is simply an possibility for a choose few units. In actuality, there are only a few wi-fi routers that help it and you’ll most certainly must depend on third celebration software program to increase the capabilities of that particular router. This contains Merlin’s DD-WRT, OpenWRT, Undertaking LEDE, and AsusWRT. Asus has been very open with its help for AsusWRT, whereas TP-Hyperlink, Netgear, Linksys, and D-Hyperlink are, at greatest, detached whether or not the {hardware} helps third-party software program.

Assuming you do and in the event you’re courageous sufficient to put in one of many suitable third-party software program (it is doable to brick the router, you realize), you then also needs to pay attention to the downsides of utilizing a wi-fi repeater. If you have not heard but, bandwidth can be reduce in half at greatest, latency can skyrocket, and there is a good probability you may have an unstable community. There are some benefits too.

The primary is that you just needn’t use cables, all the things is finished through WiFi, whereas the second benefit joins the primary as a result of you possibly can place the repeater of the ex-router wherever you need in your home so long as it’s inside vary. of the principle unit. I am not going to enter element about the best way to arrange a repeater, however the common concept is to broaden (or repeat) one of many networks from the principle unit. Ideally, you’d maintain the identical encryption, SSID, and password so you possibly can have single community printing.

However you’ll discover if you find yourself transferring from one drive to a different; there’s a workaround for this, and it’s normally present in mesh (802.11k) programs. I explored among the methods to arrange a repeater utilizing a router or entry level: utilizing EnGenius AP and Mikrotik AP.

3. Create a wi-fi bridge between two routers

The thought behind wi-fi bridge mode is to attach two routers on the identical subnet, so that you get one huge community, even when it is two utterly totally different gadget manufacturers. In fact, you could have help for wi-fi bridge mode inside the router software program and sure, it was widespread ten years in the past, however not so widespread at present. As an alternative, you may as soon as once more must depend on third-party open supply software program to get two routers on the identical community.

DD-WRT and OpenWRT are nonetheless the most typical methods to arrange such a system, so in case your router helps it, listed below are the overall steps to comply with.

1. Allow bridge mode in your secondary router – is way simpler in DD-WRT, whereas OpenWRT helps a number of methods to bridge between two routers.

two. Establish the IP deal with of your important router (on Home windows OS a easy ipconfig utilizing cmd ought to reveal it) and make an observation of the IP vary (we’ll want it later). As a bonus, you possibly can manually set a most well-liked vary, to make it simpler in step 5.

3. Set a static IP deal with in your laptop and ensure it’s inside the secondary router’s subnet (192.168.1.1).right here.1), after which join the 2 units through an Ethernet cable.

5. Change the IP deal with of the secondary router in order that it’s on the identical subnet as the first router – whether it is 192.168.1.1, be certain that the static IP deal with is 192.168.1.x (x might be any quantity you need, so long as it’s out of vary of the principle router).

4. Create a mesh community

I am not speaking about WiFi mesh programs the place you get two or three items which might be normally equivalent, I am speaking about utilizing several types of routers and making them work collectively underneath the identical community. Sadly, it is nonetheless caught on one model, however, so long as the 5 yr previous router can efficiently hook up with the 2022 mannequin, then I am joyful.

Clearly, the software program that most closely fits this description is Asus AiMesh, which helps all kinds of routers. Even the practically decade previous Asus RT-AC68U is supported, which is completely unbelievable. Synology additionally has one thing comparable, even when the router vary is way smaller, and TP-Hyperlink has expanded OneMesh fairly a bit, however it’s nonetheless far behind AiMesh. So how precisely are you able to join two routers underneath the identical community utilizing mesh know-how? One unit will hook up with the modem and the opposite will act as a form of extender.

However, since most routers have two radio bands out there, the backhaul is both shared between bands or utilized by one radio, in order to not intervene with the shopper’s connection. As well as, along with having the choice of utilizing cables, it’s a very legitimate choice to have a wi-fi connection between nodes. And, though bandwidth will take a success after a mesh node (on the secondary router), efficiency remains to be good so long as the routers are decently highly effective.

For instance, I created a mesh community with Asus RT-AX58U and RT-AX56U and the efficiency was good. Additionally, I’ve skilled a really seamless transition between nodes, which means you possibly can have a single giant community and transferring between routers should not have as huge of an affect (if in any respect).