2 Routers , 1 modem?


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Wife works from home on a company VPN, and other household devices ,when active,cause connection problems for her. Is it possible to 2 routers connected to 1 modem?

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Sure!  The simplest way would be to get 2 IP addresses from your ISP and then plug both routers into a switch and the switch into the modem.

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Also, there are other ways to solve your problem.

 

It really depends where you're overusing resources. If it's a WiFi problem, getting a router and turning it into an access point is easy. Staples or BestBuy can supply you with one at a decent price. If your router is over 5 years old, I would get a nice new 802.11 AC router and replace your current one. (Turn your current one into an AP to share the load)

 

If the problem is the Internet connection, then you're going to need more bandwidth from the ISP, and multiple routers isn't going to help. In this case enabling QoS and giving your wife a higher priority would be the best solution.

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That is not the way that I would be doing it....

 

 

Your wife has an issue when other computers are on the network...perhaps she would be better if she were hard wired or possibly get another wireless access point in the house because maybe you have too much going through that 1 access point.  Everytime you attach a computer to wireless it divides the bandwidth by that many computers.  Say you have a 802.11g router.  The available bandwidth on that router is 23-25Mb/s.  You attach one device that device has 23-25Mb/s, you attach 2 devices that 23-25 goes down to 11-13Mb/s (1/2 the available bandwidth), you attach 3 devices the available bandwidth goes down to 7-8Mb/s (1/3 the available bandwitch)...etc.  If you have multiple access points you can spread the load a bit more and have more bandwidth available to each computer....If you wanted you could even make one AP solely for her computer so that she gets the max amount of bw for her needs.

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As sc302 was saying.. But you don't state is she wireless or wired?  How many other devices do you have - and what are they doing?  Yeah if you have some p2p going, streaming netflixs, etc.. The shared bandwidth of wifi is going to suck for her.

 

Why don't you just get her a work connection from the isp or different one?  Then as sc302 was saying you could put her on her own wireless or better yet wired to that connection.  I would think if she is working from home that cost of that connection could be either paid by the company or at min a write off for taxes?

 

Putting 2 "routers" on 1 modem is pointless - breaking out wifi to different access point should remove your problem if its because of shared wifi bandwidth issue.  How much bandwidth do you have from your isp btw?

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That is not the way that I would be doing it....

 

 

Your wife has an issue when other computers are on the network...perhaps she would be better if she were hard wired or possibly get another wireless access point in the house because maybe you have too much going through that 1 access point.  Everytime you attach a computer to wireless it divides the bandwidth by that many computers.  Say you have a 802.11g router.  The available bandwidth on that router is 23-25Mb/s.  You attach one device that device has 23-25Mb/s, you attach 2 devices that 23-25 goes down to 11-13Mb/s (1/2 the available bandwidth), you attach 3 devices the available bandwidth goes down to 7-8Mb/s (1/3 the available bandwitch)...etc.  If you have multiple access points you can spread the load a bit more and have more bandwidth available to each computer....If you wanted you could even make one AP solely for her computer so that she gets the max amount of bw for her needs.

 

How do you create an AP? Can I just hard wire my xbox one to my Apple router?

 

I usually have my iMac hard wired and then everything else is WiFi (phones/tablets/xbox one). I just moved over to Europe and their "insulation" is concrete blocks with plaster on them, so I was going to get a WiFi extender and hard wire the xbox one to that.

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Along with breaking up the wifi into 2 ap's, if that is the issue, what about setting up QoS as well so that the your wife's PC has a higher priority over the other devices?

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My desktop and her desktop work computer are hardwired, 2 wireless laptops , and 2 smart phones. 20Mbps dl/ 2 Mbps ul. I will check out the separate IP situation with our provider( TWC).

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having multiple statics will not solve the bw issue, I am afraid. 

 

2 modems would.  upgrading your service possibly would.  not doing anything on those devices while your wife is working would. If anyone is streaming hd while your wife is working your bw is gone esp if 2 are streaming anything.

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Ah, well that's something new. I haven't got into networking since 2005. Are switches still used?

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Switches are needed to plug the AP's into.  you can plug the ap into one the ports on your router or add on a a switch to plug them into.

 

 

APs have existed since making 802.11 available to the public.  Before (going back to 802.11b and 802.11a) being integrated into routers, access points were stand alone and routers were called firewalls.  Shortly after, the term router was used as well as firewall (the firewalls had a dedicated dmz port and the router did not, that was the only difference between the two), then eventually they dropped the firewall line and all soho firewalls/routers were known as routers and they integrated wireless access points into the routers.

 

here is a old firewall/router:

http://www.cnet.com/products/linksys-etherfast-cable-dsl-firewall-router-with-4-port-switch-vpn-endpoint/

 

here is an old access point:

http://www.cnet.com/products/linksys-wireless-b-access-point-wap11-wireless-access-point/

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My desktop and her desktop work computer are hardwired, 2 wireless laptops , and 2 smart phones. 20Mbps dl/ 2 Mbps ul. I will check out the separate IP situation with our provider( TWC).

 

You may need to upgrade to better service, at works we require 2 min up, and that's on a connection with a single work computer attached to it, obviously more devices connected will lower that 2 to possible way lower to maintain a good VPN sync 

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Yeah, I would probably recommend using a switch and then the routers as an AP. My set up personally has my modem hooked up to a switch, then to a pfsense VM, then from pfsense to the routers as an AP ( A Netgear 7000 and a Asus AC66U) . Works wonderfully. Also, as some words of advice, I would take Budman's words as gospel. He is a guru when it comes to networking. :) 

 

Neztea

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"so I was going to get a WiFi extender and hard wire the xbox one to that."

 

That is a HORRIFIC idea.. a wifi extender is instant /2 of your wifi bandwidth..  If you want to wire your xb1 and can not run a real wire then use powerline adapters.  This doesn't suck up your wifi bandwidth or /2 it, etc.

 

"2 Mbps ul" 

 

That is a problem there.. What is a second IP going to do?? Other than Nothing?  You could have 100 ips doesn't matter your still all sharing the 20/2 pipe.  Qos could solve the problem of other users using up the pipe.. Does she work at home at night and that is the problem.  I would think if she is working home at day who else is using the pipe?  Shouldn't you be at work and the kids at school?

 

If your going to call the ISP about anything - get more bandwidth, for sure on the ul side.  Do they have a 40/4 plan?

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What type of connection problems are you having? In your initial post you didn't specify that working on the VPN was slow.

 

Does she have trouble connecting to the VPN? How is she connecting to the VPN, software client? Does she find that when she connects to the VPN applications don't work as expected?

 

What are you trying to accomplish with 2 routers? Just taking step back to work out what sort of "connection problems" you're having.

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Very good ? jared-,  the OP stated "when active,cause connection problems"  what exactly are the problems?  Is it just slowness?  Or does the connection actually drop?

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To answert jared and Budman .... usually disconnects and she has an actual phone connected to the setup that constantly loses connection.........burt that happens with or wothout anyone else doing anything on the network.............theres no packet loss(according to the IT guy for her company) on their end , he says its our provider.And of course our provider says its the companys' VPN.


BTW thanks for all the responses ..this is neowin how I remember it!

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So validate your actually getting 5 up, and yeah depending on what other devices are doing.. But in a normal network, unless someone is running p2p you would not be using up 5mb ul, if you are and can not upload more I would look to what is using it and maybe go with QoS..

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yeah for telephone sure, but if he is running p2p that uses up everything there is or 4.9Mbps.. Then not enough now is it ;)

 

And just because he pays for 30/5 doesn't alway mean it sees 30/5 maybe its 4 or 3.9, etc.  Understanding actual usage and what is using it key to making things all play nice together.

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