How to setup 2 wireless routers in one house

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Connect the two routers using an Ethernet cable. If both routers are wireless and will support a subnetwork, set the first router to channel 1 or 6 and the second to channel Alternatively, set up the new router as a switch or access point by connecting the routers and updating the IP configuration.

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The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 3,, times. Plagued by poor Wi-Fi performance in certain parts of your home or office? Or just want to allow more devices to connect to the internet at once? If you have a second router that supports WDS, you can "bridge" it with your current router to expand your network reach. Bridging two routers on one network isn't as common as it used to be thanks to much simpler mesh Wi-Fi systems , but it can still be an effective way to improve network access in larger spaces.

This wikiHow article will teach you how to bridge two routers together on a network to improve Wi-Fi access in your home or office. Connect the primary router to your computer.

Configure the primary router. Change the DHCP settings. Disconnect the router from the computer. Connect the secondary router to the computer. Configure the secondary router. Change the wireless channels to eliminate interference. Connect the primary router to the modem. Connect the two routers with an Ethernet cable. Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue.

No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Make sure your second router supports WDS bridging or has "bridge mode. If the router you want to add to your network the one that's not connected directly to the internet doesn't support bridging, you won't be able to use it to extend your Wi-Fi network.

Determine which router will be the main router. The main router is the one that you'll be connecting directly to the internet. If you have a combination modem and router from your internet provider, that has to be your main router. Get a long enough ethernet cable to connect your two routers. You'll usually need to run an ethernet cable between your two routers, even if you're bridging to create a new wireless access point. The ethernet cable you use to connect your two routers should not exceed ft.

A longer cable could seriously impact network quality. Part 2. Connect your main router to the internet. The main router is the one that comes from your internet provider if applicable , or the one that plugs directly into your modem. To connect your router to the internet: If the router and modem are combined in one device: Connect the device to the internet port on the wall using the network or coaxial cable that came with it, and turn it on. If the modem and the router are separate devices: Connect the modem to the internet port on the wall using the network or coaxial jack that came with it.

Connect your computer to the main router with an ethernet cable. It's best to use an ethernet cable during setup, even if your primary router has Wi-Fi. The second router simply broadcasts any communication between it and your laptop back to the main router for processing.

There is a downside—the max speed of connections to the second router are half of the max speed of connections to the primary router. If only one of your routers supports client mode, than that will be your client and the other router will be your primary router. If both routers support client mode, then choose whichever router you want to be the client. Connect the primary router to your Internet modem and configure its security settings.

After the first router is configured, find a location for your client router. Although you might be tempted to put it as far away as possible, this is a bad idea—remember that the max speed of the client router will be half the max speed it has connecting the primary router.

After you find a location, power on your client router and disconnect your laptop from the main wireless network. Then use an ethernet cord to connect to the client router. Read your manual to find out how to load its administration interface and then find the setting that lets you turn on client mode. The client mode setup will prompt your for any necessary security information and then connect to your primary router.

After the client router successfully connects, you need to change one more setting. Some Windows PCs and Macs will no longer come with a built-in Ethernet port, so you may need to purchase either an Ethernet to USB adapter to make that wired connection. This primary router will be taking control of the connection to the Internet through the modem and should be set up as if it were the only router in the home.

Unless you have previously changed the username and password to access the router, which is recommended for security purposes , the router will often ship with a card containing these credentials. Remember that the settings of each router can vary drastically depending on the manufacturer and model. Once these changes have been saved, log out of the router and disconnect your computer from it.

That is all of the work completed on the primary router. Connect and login to the second router as you did with the first and navigate to the screen that allows you to set the IP address of the router itself. Once the IP address is set, just make sure that the subnet mask matches that of the primary router and that you disable UPnP if the option is there.

This is easily done by setting the primary router to use any channel between 1 and 6 and then setting the second router to use channel Make sure to save changes, log out and disconnect the router from your computer as it is now time to place both routers where you need them.

Just remember, you will need to use an Ethernet cable to connect the two together. Regardless of which network setup you are using, the routers need to connect to each other, but the port you must use will differ.

Once connected, you have successfully connected to a second router to your home network using a wired connection. Before going down the route of setting up the second router wirelessly, you will first make sure that it is even possible using the equipment you have. Make sure the router is first connected to your modem via an Ethernet cable if you have one, then connect the computer you are using to the router using a separate Ethernet cable. Unless you have previously changed the username and password to access the router, which is recommended for security purposes, the router will often ship with a card containing these credentials.