Two Linksys Routers Using Static IP on a Domain

[campweb]

Good morning,

Thanks ahead of time to anyone who takes the time to read this and help out. I am a novice network assistant. I encountered a problem that is new to me and I thought maybe someone with more experience has worked through this before.

Has anyone here ever set up a second router (Linksys WRT5FG) with the first router using a static IP configuration on a domain with DHCP disabled and all devices on the network using static IP addresses?

I'm trying to hook up a second router that will provide users with wifi using DHCP without changing anything else on the network.

I know the first device is the gateway and the second the router which you change in the advanced settings.
. The first should have DCHP enabled but I'm worried this will make unwanted changed on the network.

My assumption is, the static IP info (subnet mask, gateway, static DNS 1 and 2) on the second router should be the same as the first with the exception of the Internet IP address and the IP range. DHCP should be disabled on the second router.

Am I on the right track? Or am I way off here?

Cheers!
Al

 

[SYQUEST]

You have some choices depending on network topology, other things, and how the first router is configured.

Are the wireless users any different than the static users?
Will all users be accessing the same things, wired and wireless?
The WRT5FG? can be configured as a WAP, Wireless Access Point, instead of a router. You can find the info for configuring the router as a WAP in the user's guide that came with the router. Or search on this forum for an explanation. I have addressed this subject in the past. As far as the DHCP is concerned, you need to reserve a range of IP addresses that will be used for DHCP, and that would be configured on the first router, and be in the same range you have now.
Enabling DHCP on the first router does nothing more than provide the DHCP function. It won't affect the LAN in any other way other than providing the DHCP functions.

....JIM....

 

[campweb]

Jim,

Thanks for your reply.

In answer to your questions, the users of the second wireless router are different than the static users. All the computers on this network use are assigned static IP addresses. But in one part of the network, some of the users want wifi access for personal use. So I was hoping to be able to set them up with wifi using DHCP so I wouldn't have to change anything on their computers.

The users of the WIFI router (the second router) will only use that router for personal WIFI. The rest of the computers do not use the second router at all.

However, the first router is used both wirelessly and for wired access. Right now if a user wants to access the first router, they have to change their TCP/IP settings whether connecting wirelessly or through ethernet.

I'm glad to know enabling DHCP won't alter anything. But won't it change how wireless users access this first router since right now they have to change their TCP/IP settings to access it wireless?

I suppose as long as they have the password, they just need to clear their TCPIP settings and then allow the DHCP server to provide them with an IP address. But this would require informing a few people of this change I think since they won't know why they can't connect anymore.

The network admin tells me that users used to be able to access the first router's wifi without changing their settings, but it got reset since then.

Perhaps the change is due to the fact that the DCHP is not enabled?

I will take a look at WAP guides. Many of them either assume one router, or that you are using DHCP rather than static IP, but I will look around. Thanks!

Al

 

[SYQUEST]

Your explanation gives me a better picture of your network. So the second router would actually be a second LAN separate from the first. In that case you would NOT use it as a WAP. If your Internet access box (cable, DSL, DS1) has an extra WAN port, the second router's WAN port would connect there. If not, you will need a small four or five port data switch in order to provide more spigots to the Internet access box for both routers to be connected. This is a better arrangement, rather than having the second router connected after the first. This way, you are not putting that traffic through the first router in competition with your business traffic. It keeps them segregated. I would think this would make your network admin happier too.

Now as far as the wireless connection side goes, both wireless connections are separate entities. They can have unique names and passwords, so this should not be a problem for the users, but they will have a separate wireless configuration for each one. Initially, they will have to configure this on each wireless computer, but once that is done, all they should have to do is select the wireless connection that they want to use. Nothing should change unless you change something in the router's configuration that would affect the parameters, like the encryption key or network name, etc.

So, you might want to reviews these options with your network admin and see what would best work for your set up.

....JIM....