Two Routers One SSID/PWRD

matthew.kaulfers · Oct 14, 2017

I currently have the following setup.

Router #1: Upstairs w/ devices connected via LAN to the devices. This router also has wifi capability 2.4/5GHz. (Standard Comcast High Speed Modem/Router)

Router #2: Connected to Router #1 via LAN. This wireless router is a Linksys Nighthawk router.

The Problem:
Router #1 via LAN functions properly with no known issues. Router #1 via wireless doesn't work at all. Router #2 via LAN functions properly. Router #2 via wireless functions properly.

What I'm trying to accomplish:
I'd like Router #1 and Router #2 to share the same SSID and Network such that when I'm using a wireless device downstairs and I move to upstairs the device will automatically connect to the other router. If I have the network setup w/ two separate SSID's and PWRD's it all works ok but it's annoying because then I have to manually switch network on my devices whenever I move between upstairs and downstairs.

What I've Tried:
Bridge Mode from Router #1 to Router #2 - Bridge mode works but on my Nighthawk (Router #2) the speed is drastically reduced from 150MBps to 20MBps which isn't the speed that I get from Router #1.

Separate Network SSID/PWRD - This works but doesn't solve the problem I'm trying to fix.

Static IP - Went into setup of Router #1 and assigned a static IP and disabled DHCP on Router #2. This is my current setup and as stated Router #1 isn't letting wifi connected devices get access to the internet. Router #2 functioning as it should. All wireless devices are switching between the two networks as I intended.

IP SETTINGS:

Router #1: 10.0.0.1 (Static, DHCP Enabled, Not Bridged, Connected to ISP, LAN > Router #2)
Router #2: 10.0.0.138 (Static, DHCP Disabled, Not Bridged, Connected to Router #1 via WAN)

Help would be greatly appreciated, I have been googling and googling without any solution. Networking aficionados let's fix this thing and in turn help a ton of other people.

Someone Somewhere · Oct 14, 2017

Do you have an ethernet cable between LAN ports on each router (not WAN)? That's the magic ingredient.

matthew.kaulfers · Oct 14, 2017

Someone Somewhere :

I have it connected as such. Router #1 (LAN) > Router #2 (WAN). If I understand this correctly the "Internet" port is the WAN port.

I'm not sure how much of an effect this would actually have as the Router #2 works fine, it's the one that is upstairs where the internet comes into the home, Router #1, where the Wifi isn't working.

Someone Somewhere · Oct 14, 2017

Nope, needs to be LAN port or you won't get communication from the stuff connected to router #1 to #2 - there's NAT on the Internet port.

Does the WiFi on router #1 work if you completely remove router #2? If not, then you've got problems elsewhere unrelated to the second router.

matthew.kaulfers · Oct 14, 2017

Someone Somewhere :

Ok, so I moved the incoming connection on Router #2 from the WAN port to the LAN port. While doing it I tested the Wifi to see if it would work w/o second router and it did. I connected the Router #2 back to the network via LAN but now it's wifi isn't working and I can't even get into the router network configuration page. Is there any pre-setup that I need to do ahead of time so that it will simply act as an access point to my primary network?

This may help you understand my network a little bit more.
https://www.linksys.com/us/p/P-EA9500/

Someone Somewhere · Oct 14, 2017

So, to check, your incoming internet connection goes to the internet port on router #1 (presumably Coax), which has DHCP enabled and an internal IP of 10.0.0.1?

And you then have a cable from a LAN port on #1 to a LAN port on #2, which has DHCP disabled, and an internal IP of 10.0.0.138?

If you're hardwired to router #1, can you access the management pages of each? You need to do it via IP address, not any fancy domain names that the manufacturers set up, because those rely on you using their DNS servers.

The Nighthawk may have a special Access Point-only mode; I'm not sure.

matthew.kaulfers · Oct 14, 2017

Someone Somewhere :

Connected Devices: HENTAIVORTEX is Router #2
https://puu.sh/xXMgy/dd92eb604a.png

Router #2: Static IP
https://puu.sh/xXMit/0513b11446.png

On my computer connected directly via LAN to Router #1 I CAN access the router configuration page via IP of 10.0.0.1, however I CANNOT access the router configuration page of Router #2 from the computer using the IP. This particular router has the ability to connect directly to the internet for access via linksyssmartwifi.com but using that it says the device is offline. I tried moving downstairs and connecting via default IP of 192.168.1.1 but it just 401's.

Someone Somewhere · Oct 14, 2017

Your second router almost certainly needs its LAN IP configured manually within its own settings; it probably will not request it from DHCP.

Factory reset it, connect to it via LAN cable, and manually set the IP then disable the DHCP server

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