Add second Wireless router

Can I add a second wireless router to my system in order to gain additional ports.

 

Where do you need the ports located?

If near the router itself you can just add a 10/100 wired switch (think of it as an outlet strip for Ethernet that turns one port on the router into several).

If the issue is a bad signal and/or the wi-fi signal not giving enough coverage here are a few (less expensive) things to try:

• If the router is at one end of the house, move it to the center of the house if possible.
• Be sure the router is as high as possible - top of a tall bookcase or, in a 2-story house, on the 2nd floor.
• If the router has a removable antenna, consider upgrading to a larger (7db) antenna. I have seen this make a huge difference in coverage area when setting up wi-fi in large warehouses.

If none of these things work (or you need actual Ethernet ports in a different area), look at adding an access point. D-link makes one that has 4 built-in Ethernet ports.

Hope this helps.

 

Yes you can.

For the majority of routers you will need to wire the second one to the first, though there are a handful that will wirelessly connecting to a router, and wirelessly connect to computers. These are called wreless Access Points or Bridges:
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=335&name=Wireless-AP-Bridges

If you already have a second wireless router you want to use, then you have to give the second router a fixed local IP address and then change the settings on the first router to make this IP address a "Demilitarized Zone". This means that the first router will not firewall or do anything with the packets coming from/to this address. That then allows the second router to control the packets from/to the computers connected to it.

Here's the kicker though - the computers connected to the first router will not be able to find the computers connected to the second, and vica versa. If you don't care about file sharing between computers (or don't know what I'm talking about) then this won't effect you.

 

gman863:

Thanks for info.

First let me give you a little more info: The four ports on my current wireless router are used by my computer, cable box, Blu ray DVD, and apple TV. I need a fifth port for my WD NetCenter external hard drive for backing up my computer, maybe a sixth port for an X-Box or other game device sometime in the future. All equipment is located in the same area. I use wireless connection for my laptop and Ipad. If I understand you, I don't need the second wireless router, which I already purchased, but all I really need is a 10/100 wired switch. Amazon is showing Cisco-Linksys EZXS55W EtherFast 10/100 5-Port Workgroup Switch for about $25.00. Can you give an opinion about this switch and do you agree that this will solve my prolem?

Again.
thanks, stanthemanc

 

do a google search looking for any problems people have had with the switch. Cisco is generally reliable in my opinion. And it sounds like what you want. I hope you have a few outlets that all those devices are plugged into and not just one with a ton of extension cords... terrible fire hazard...
*EQL*

 

For your situation, a switch is exactly what you need, but as you already have a second router you can use that instead.

Your options are:
1. Return the second router you just bought
2. Use the second router instead of a switch
3. Buy a switch and just put the second router in storage.

The main advantage of a switch is that it's easier to setup for your purposes. Routers are more complex than switches and as such it's more likely that the router will need to be restarted if something doesn't connect to the Internet one day, but I've never had the same problem with a switch. A router is basically just a switch with additional features.