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Modem > Switch > Wifi Router

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mittos

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Hey Guys,

New here, thanks for any advice / help in advance.

Here's the deal, I have Atlantic Broadband, the cable comes in on the west side of the house. A wireless router in that room doesn't have the range to feed the whole house, our bedrooms are one the east side of the house. The only PC in the modem room is my desktop, used primarily for work / gaming so it needs good connectivity. I thought if I bought an ethernet switch I could solve my problem but it seems to be a little more complex than that.

I was planning on hooking the modem (Arris Cable Modem) to a Desktop Switch (TP-Link 5 Port). Then connect my PC to the switch, this works fine. Now for the Wireless Router (Linksys N300). I have a very very long cat5 cable and ran that to the middle of the house, one end to the switch and the other to the Wifi Router (duh). Our laptops can connect to the WiFi but no internet.

I was reading I had to change the IP settings on the Wifi and something about the DCHP? I'm a little lost.

Hope you folks can help me out.
 
modem > router > switch

profit
 
Well, first, That modem doesn't do DHCP. You computer shouldn't have a local address with that modem but the IP that your ISP gives you.. Normally, if the modem doesn't do routing, you need to put a router after the modem, to have an IP, let's say 192.168.0.***

Since your computer is in the Modem room, I would put a router there, then the cable to the wireless router or access point. Modem to WAN port of a router, then LAN 1, 2, 3, or 4 to LAN port of wireless router. Why? cause you want the main router to generate the DHCP so that there will be no conflict.


You need to make sure that the wireless router has no DHCP enable for that. Do not plug into WAN port.

but I guess your wireless router is not enought strong from the modem room for the whole house?
 
you could always just use two longer cables.

from the modem to the wireless router on the other side of the house with a long cable
and then
a cable from that to the switch and PC in the modem room.
 
if you dont do any sort of serious gaming that requires squeaky pings. you can always use a wireless router that works with bridges. Then you can buy bridges that go into outlets direct and expand you range.
 
ChristTheGreat said:
Well, first, That modem doesn't do DHCP. You computer shouldn't have a local address with that modem but the IP that your ISP gives you.. Normally, if the modem doesn't do routing, you need to put a router after the modem, to have an IP, let's say 192.168.0.***
Click to expand...

Sorry christ but that modem will pull DHCP since he is getting a dynamic public IP from his ISP BUT the limiting factor will be on what their MAC limit is. My ISP is 1 per modem and the ISP I work for is 3 per. With that aside I would not use a switch right off the modem due to the fact that the PC and the router will not be on the same network is they were to somehow pull two separate public IPs and this could be a problem for LAN streaming.

I would pickup a cheap wired router and set the wireless router in AP mode so all DHCP and NAT will come from the initial wired router.
 
Wait a second, lets back up. So the TP-Link "Desktop Switch" I bought isn't a router? I know a little about networking but I'm definitely confused. I figured this would be very simple.
 
mittos said:
Wait a second, lets back up. So the TP-Link "Desktop Switch" I bought isn't a router? I know a little about networking but I'm definitely confused. I figured this would be very simple.
Click to expand...


no. a switch doesnt do DHCP, so its not a router. you'll need your setup to be modem -> router -> switch
 
brandonwh64 said:
Sorry christ but that modem will pull DHCP since he is getting a dynamic public IP from his ISP BUT the limiting factor will be on what their MAC limit is. My ISP is 1 per modem and the ISP I work for is 3 per. With that aside I would not use a switch right off the modem due to the fact that the PC and the router will not be on the same network is they were to somehow pull two separate public IPs and this could be a problem for LAN streaming.

I would pickup a cheap wired router and set the wireless router in AP mode so all DHCP and NAT will come from the initial wired router.
Click to expand...

The DHCP comes from the ISP not the modem. It will only route the IP address to the MAC address it will get at the end, b ut the modem doesn't do local DHCP... If the ISP tolerate 3 MAC, that is different, but that modem doesn't do local DHCP. Which was my main concern, as it is better to have a router after the modem, it's another security.

Personnally, I wouldn't put a cheap router, as a cheap router can be limitating, depending of the usage. Like if there is 1 computer and 3-4 laptop or device, a really cheap router might hang.. like a DIR-61* or these cheap router that has maximum 32 max simultaneous connection. He could use his wireless router, if he can runs 2 cable, instead buy a not bad router, but doesn'T need to be 100$. There is pretty good router at 50-60$

Mussels said:
no. a switch doesnt do DHCP, so its not a router. you'll need your setup to be modem -> router -> switch
Click to expand...

Just to add as info, unmanaged switch can't do DHCP. Managed switch can have this option, but not the same price :)
 
What I do to remember the difference is remember this little saying: "Routers route, and switches switch".
 
Last edited:
Jizzler said:
What I do to remember the difference is remember this little saying: "Routers route, and switches switch".
Click to expand...


i just remember it as a switch not having a DHCP server, lol.
 
ChristTheGreat said:
The DHCP comes from the ISP not the modem. It will only route the IP address to the MAC address it will get at the end, b ut the modem doesn't do local DHCP... If the ISP tolerate 3 MAC, that is different, but that modem doesn't do local DHCP. Which was my main concern, as it is better to have a router after the modem, it's another security.
Click to expand...

This is true it is just a gateway to their network but they do pull DHCP just not from the modem :)
Yea I would suggest buying a access point or if he has a old PC to throw IPcop or IPfire on it and use it as a temp router but this would require two ethernet ports.
 
For my network to work, I need to enable DHCP on both the modem and the router.

Strange.
 
silkstone said:
For my network to work, I need to enable DHCP on both the modem and the router.

Strange.
Click to expand...

Not so much. If your router isn't dynamically assigned an address, you must statically assign it yourself.
 
many modems are technically routers, and with DHCP disabled they dont pass anything through. you just DMZ them to the second router and call it a day.
 
brandonwh64 said:
Yea I have seen some providers use a modem/router combo and it has some crazy settings.
Click to expand...
yeah gateways with built in router and switch
 
Do not use range extenders they will halve your bandwidth.

Use acess points instead.
 
remixedcat said:
Do not use range extenders they will halve your bandwidth.

Use acess points instead.
Click to expand...

Yep! This! I have a AP in my bedroom that is running in extender mode and I get good signal but speeds are much slower than being right next to the gateway AP. I am going to get off my lazy ass one day and run a line from my gig switch to that AP LOL.
 
Jizzler said:
Not so much. If your router isn't dynamically assigned an address, you must statically assign it yourself.
Click to expand...

I do statically assign an IP, although it works on dynamic too, just when I turn off DHCP on the modem, everything stops working. It's really strange.

My set up is all home bought. I run it in this configuration Modem>Wifi/Router ---- Repeater Bridge (wireless) That config works well for me, although it might not be appropriate for the OP. I only connect a print server + mobile devices to the RB, so bandwidth isn't really a concern.

It's also a PITA setting up a RB compared with a wired AP, I still don't understand how my settings actually work, I just tinkered with it until they finally all connected together and worked.
 
brandonwh64 said:
Yep! This! I have a AP in my bedroom that is running in extender mode and I get good signal but speeds are much slower than being right next to the gateway AP. I am going to get off my lazy ass one day and run a line from my gig switch to that AP LOL.
Click to expand...

remixedcat said:
Do not use range extenders they will halve your bandwidth.

Use acess points instead.
Click to expand...

wifi client routers are also a great idea. TP link have a few cheap ones that connect to the wifi, and pass through ethernet devices as if they were wifi clients (they get an IP direct from the original routers DHCP).
 
silkstone said:
I do statically assign an IP, although it works on dynamic too, just when I turn off DHCP on the modem, everything stops working. It's really strange.

My set up is all home bought. I run it in this configuration Modem>Wifi/Router ---- Repeater Bridge (wireless) That config works well for me, although it might not be appropriate for the OP. I only connect a print server + mobile devices to the RB, so bandwidth isn't really a concern.

It's also a PITA setting up a RB compared with a wired AP, I still don't understand how my settings actually work, I just tinkered with it until they finally all connected together and worked.
Click to expand...

In that case, strange indeed. But I suppose I haven't messed with them in about 2 years though and things can change. The last one they upgraded me to didn't have a user accessible configuration screen. Had to call in and a tech handled my settings.
 
Mussels said:
wifi client routers are also a great idea. TP link have a few cheap ones that connect to the wifi, and pass through ethernet devices as if they were wifi clients (they get an IP direct from the original routers DHCP).
Click to expand...

Yea thats true if you were doing many AP's in one LAN. If I were building a 5+ AP setup I would go with unifi but that would be over kill in this situation.

This is what I use at home to extend my wireless to the other side of my house. They are very stable but range is not the greatest.

TEW-653AP_d01_2.jpg


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833156275
 
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