Plugging a Router into a Router <Help Required>

Matt Van Dam · 23 Mar 2009 at 13:32

Hi folks,

Quick question that I hope someone can answer as I'm a bit of a n00b when it comes to networking.

OK, I have Sky Broadband DSL using their crappy Sagem Wireless Router/Modem, this is set up in the living room of my house. Now I like to use wireless in other rooms but the signal is so weak/or my walls so thick in my new house that I cannot get a signal outside of the room.

Now to combat this I purchased a powerline adapter which works immensely well in other rooms around the house. Now my question is this;

Am I able to use my old (but very good) NetGear Router when plugged into my powerline in the other room to router mutliple traffic, i.e Laptop/PC/Xbox as my powerline adapter only has one ethernet port.

I hope that makes sense?!? Any help appreciated.

Matt

Daegan · 23 Mar 2009 at 15:02

Matt Van Dam said:
Am I able to use my old (but very good) NetGear Router when plugged into my powerline in the other room to router mutliple traffic, i.e Laptop/PC/Xbox as my powerline adapter only has one ethernet port.

Yes, but you don't want to route traffic between the powerline adaptor to the other devices, you want to switch it - you already have the Sagem routing traffic between your LAN and the internet.

Disable NAT and DHCP on the Netgear, connect the powerline adaptor and the other devices to its LAN ports and it'll just do switching duties.

El_Watcher · 23 Mar 2009 at 17:04

As Daegan says, you need to turn the Netgear into a switch/access point, rather than using as a router.

Mel_P · 23 Mar 2009 at 17:30

Just plug it in - it will work - that's what I have done!

Mel

Daegan · 23 Mar 2009 at 17:39

Mel_P said:
Just plug it in - it will work - that's what I have done!

It won't work if you plug everything into the LAN side without disabling DHCP and NAT, and if you make use of the WAN port then you're dual-NAT'ing, which in turn causes problems for some software.

tolien · 23 Mar 2009 at 18:16

It's not necessary to turn NAT off (and indeed most routers won't let you) so long as you aren't using the WAN interface. Having two DHCP servers running at once is asking for Bad Things though.

Matt Van Dam · 23 Mar 2009 at 18:52

thanks guys, i disabled the DCHP and that seems to have done the job. Thank you