How to use two router on one modem?

[Guest]

Hello,
i have a belkin play max router, and a older 11g router.. and there are multiple computers in my house... and all of them are using wifi as connection method... is there anyway i can use two routers on one cable modem?

 

[eibgrad]

You can‘t really connect two routers to one cable modem, at least not directly, since each router has a WAN port that must be connected to the modem’s single ethernet port. But you can daisy chain them, LAN to WAN, to create multiple, local networks, while maintaining internet access to each local network.

[modem](wan)<-- wire -->(wan)[router #1](lan)<-- wire -->(wan)[router #2]

Each router would need to use a different subnet (e.g., 192.168.1.x for router #1, 192.168.2.x for router #2). Sometimes ppl do this to create an "open" or "public" network on router #1, while maintaining a separate and secured network on router #2. Because router #2 has its own firewall, users of router #1 can't access its resources, but still have internet access. In contrast, users of router #2 can access resources on anything upstream, including router #1 and the internet.

Alternatively, you could treat the second router as just a switch + wireless AP (i.e., ignore the routing feature) by daisy chaining router #2 to router #1, LAN to LAN.

[modem](wan)<-- wire -->(wan)[router #1](lan)<-- wire -->(lan)[router #2]

Now both routers share the same local network (e.g., 192.168.1.x). In this case, you’d have to disable the DHCP server on one of the routers to prevent conflicts (usually router #2). This is good way of adding LAN ports and another wireless AP to router #1.

So it just depends on what you're trying to achieve that determines how you configure them.