Home Sys: Second Router vs "Splitter"?

Just put my printer on Ethernet. Now all the ports on my
wireless router are filled up.

I'd like to run some cable to the kitchen and put a WAP there -
for which I'd need another port into the existing router.

Got an extra router lying around. I guess I could disconnect the
printer from the existing router, run a cable from that port to
"Internet" on the spare router, and then use the spare router's 4
ports to hang the printer, the WAP, and whatever else comes along
on to.

Have I got it right? Is it that straightforward?

If so, is there any advantage to using a "splitter" (which I
haven't a clue as to what is... just that it's a lot smaller than
a router and they're used in my workplace a lot) instead of the
second router to get the extra port I need to feed the WAP?

I'm thinking maybe there's a number-of-skips issue or some added
complexity issue with the router.
--
PeteCresswell

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Just put my printer on Ethernet. Now all the ports on my
> wireless router are filled up.
>
> I'd like to run some cable to the kitchen and put a WAP there -
> for which I'd need another port into the existing router.
>
> Got an extra router lying around. I guess I could disconnect the
> printer from the existing router, run a cable from that port to
> "Internet" on the spare router, and then use the spare router's 4
> ports to hang the printer, the WAP, and whatever else comes along
> on to.
>
> Have I got it right? Is it that straightforward?
>
> If so, is there any advantage to using a "splitter" (which I
> haven't a clue as to what is... just that it's a lot smaller than
> a router and they're used in my workplace a lot) instead of the
> second router to get the extra port I need to feed the WAP?
>
> I'm thinking maybe there's a number-of-skips issue or some added
> complexity issue with the router.

Splitters are used for telephone (and cable TV) connections, not
Ethernet. You need a switch. Fortunately, you already have one as part
of your spare router. Connect a computer to one of the spare router's
LAN ports to access its configuration utility and make the following
changes:

- Turn off DHCP in the spare router.
- Set the spare router's *LAN* (local) IP address to something in your
current subnet but not in the range assigned by your primary router's
DHCP server.

For example, Linksys routers typically default to a LAN IP address of
192.168.1.1 (subnet mask 255.255.255.0) and assign IP addresses in the
range 192.168.1.100 - 192.168.1.254. If that were the case for you, you
would set the LAN IP address of the spare router to something between
192.168.1.2 through 192.168.1.99.

Once you have made those changes to the spare router, connect an
Ethernet cable from one of the LAN ports on the primary router to one of
the LAN ports on the spare router. You'll now have 3 open ports. The
DHCP server in the primary router will assign IP addresses to devices
connected to those ports as well as to devices connected to its own LAN
ports. Leave the Internet port on the spare router open, i.e., not
connected to anything.

Note that as soon as you commit to the change to the spare router's LAN
IP address you'll lose the connection to its configuration utility. Be
sure to write down the IP address you set for the spare router (as well
as the password you configured to protect access to its configuration
utility) and stick them to the spare router with some Scotch tape.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

Per Lem:
>Once you have made those changes to the spare router, connect an
>Ethernet cable from one of the LAN ports on the primary router to one of
>the LAN ports on the spare router. You'll now have 3 open ports. The ...

75% success.

- The PC plugged into the spare router (call it "A") can get to
the internet

- The PC on the other router (call it "B") cannot ping "A".

- Neither A nor B can ping the router. FWIW, I left the address
at 192.168.1.1 bc there are no other LinkSys routers on the
LAN. Only a D-Link whose addr is 192.168.0.1

- And, of course, the browser on PC A cannot bring up the
router's setup page either - although it could before I
turned DHCP off.

I tried 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.99 at various iterations
while trying to get a pingable router, but no luck with them
either.

My guess is that I did not follow your instructions (simple as
they were...) correctly. Maybe I'm misunderstanding something
like which field on the setup screen is the route'rs *LAN* addr.

Any thoughts?
--
PeteCresswell

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Per Lem:
>> Once you have made those changes to the spare router, connect an
>> Ethernet cable from one of the LAN ports on the primary router to one of
>> the LAN ports on the spare router. You'll now have 3 open ports. The ...
>
> 75% success.
>
> - The PC plugged into the spare router (call it "A") can get to
> the internet
>
> - The PC on the other router (call it "B") cannot ping "A".
>
> - Neither A nor B can ping the router. FWIW, I left the address
> at 192.168.1.1 bc there are no other LinkSys routers on the
> LAN. Only a D-Link whose addr is 192.168.0.1
>
> - And, of course, the browser on PC A cannot bring up the
> router's setup page either - although it could before I
> turned DHCP off.
>
> I tried 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.99 at various iterations
> while trying to get a pingable router, but no luck with them
> either.
>
> My guess is that I did not follow your instructions (simple as
> they were...) correctly. Maybe I'm misunderstanding something
> like which field on the setup screen is the route'rs *LAN* addr.
>
> Any thoughts?

In order for devices on a network to be able to communicate, they must
be on the same subnet. The subnet is determined by the subnet mask. In
your case, the subnet mask almost certainly is 255.255.255.0, which
means that the first 3 octets of all IP addresses must be identical.
This should be determined by whatever router you are using for DHCP. If
it's the Linksys, all devices should be 192.168.1.x, where x is 1
through 254 (of course the Linksys router itself is 192.168.1.1, so
that's already taken). If you're using the D-Link's DHCP server and it
is allocating addresses in the 192.168.0.x subnet, then all IP addresses
should be in that form.

Your problem, however, is more likely an overlooked or misconfigured
firewall. You should have only one firewall on each computer, whether
it is the Windows XP firewall or some third party's product. It must be
configured to permit traffic on your subnet. Don't forget that some
antivirus apps (like Norton) have an "Internet Worm Detection" feature
that is actually a firewall.

You didn't say which model router you're using, but just to illustrate,
if you had a WRT54G wireless router, you'd go to the Setup > Basic Setup
page, and the place you'd look for would be half way down the page,
opposite the heading "Network Setup" and "Router IP" and is further
identified as "Local IP Address" and "Subnet Mask." Immediately below
these settings are the places you configure the "Network Address Server
Settings (DHCP)." What you do not want is anything under "Internet Setup."

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

Per Lem:
>n order for devices on a network to be able to communicate, they must
>be on the same subnet. The subnet is determined by the subnet mask. In
>your case, the subnet mask almost certainly is 255.255.255.0, which
>means that the first 3 octets of all IP addresses must be identical.
>This should be determined by whatever router you are using for DHCP. If
>it's the Linksys, all devices should be 192.168.1.x, where x is 1
>through 254 (of course the Linksys router itself is 192.168.1.1, so
>that's already taken). If you're using the D-Link's DHCP server and it
>is allocating addresses in the 192.168.0.x subnet, then all IP addresses
>should be in that form.

YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!

Thanks ever so much.

No firewall issue.

Just user RCI on the subnet address thing.

Not only is it all working, but I finally know what the heck
"SubNet Address" means..... -)
--
PeteCresswell

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
> Per Lem:
>> n order for devices on a network to be able to communicate, they must
>> be on the same subnet. The subnet is determined by the subnet mask. In
>> your case, the subnet mask almost certainly is 255.255.255.0, which
>> means that the first 3 octets of all IP addresses must be identical.
>> This should be determined by whatever router you are using for DHCP. If
>> it's the Linksys, all devices should be 192.168.1.x, where x is 1
>> through 254 (of course the Linksys router itself is 192.168.1.1, so
>> that's already taken). If you're using the D-Link's DHCP server and it
>> is allocating addresses in the 192.168.0.x subnet, then all IP addresses
>> should be in that form.
>
> YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!
>
> Thanks ever so much.
>
> No firewall issue.
>
> Just user RCI on the subnet address thing.
>
> Not only is it all working, but I finally know what the heck
> "SubNet Address" means..... -)

YW

--
Lem -- MS-MVP

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm