Daisy chain or mesh routers

[JGBR]

Hello

OK basically I have a busy little three router setup.

However I'd like my internal traffic to stay in a local ring instead of going through the main router connected to the Internet.

Is it better to mesh the two routers together who both also have a direct cable to the router connected to the net or do I just daisy chain them together?

They are in bridge mode anyway so I'm not sure it makes any difference?

I did find giving both the routers a direct line to the Internet router increased performance but that means internal traffic is also routed across it and I don't want that. So will mesh work or daisychain them? I'm concerned meshing will just result in it sending it any old way anyway!

 

[Clav]

I'm concerned meshing will just result in it sending it any old way anyway!

Isn't this the very way a mesh network is supposed to work?

 

[JGBR]

Yes I guess im trying to control the flow of data to keep it in the internal network and not cross the internet router, which pushes me in the daisy chain direction.

 

[Clav]

The only alternative I can think of would be to have some sort of Firewall/NAT between your internal routers and the internet. Something like a m0n0wall box or something. Although down that route lies expense

 

[JGBR]

Yeah my routers are in bridge mode anyway so i suspect that it will make little difference whatever I do.

I just want to try and stop network traffic from crossing the main router connected to the internet but if I mesh it it will use any old route whereas if i daisy chain it forces the internal traffic between the two routers. The downside of this being a perfromance drop, however they are all 1GB wired connections so I doubt it will be that much of drop if any...

 

[Deleted member 138126]

Routing is not the correct word. Routing is only when packets cross the boundary of a subnet, so as long as everything is on the same subnet (you said the two "internal" routers are configured in bridge mode, so yes), then the traffic flowing from "internal" router 1 to "internal" router 2 via the "external" router, is just using the "external" router as a switch. If you *really* wanted to avoid this, then you would have all three routers plugged into a central switch.