29/6/2016

LinksysOfficialSupportCascadingorConnectingaLinksysroutertoanotherrouter

Cascadingisatermusedwhenconnectingaroutertoanotherrouter.Thisconnectionisdoneifyouwantto:
Improvetheperformanceofthenetworkwithoutremovingyourolderrouter
Connectmoredevices(wiredandwireless)
Expandthewirelessnetworkrange
Isolatethenetworktraffic
Inthisscenario,themainroutercaneitherbeLinksysorathirdpartyandwillbereferredtoasthemainrouter.Thesecondrouter
shouldbeLinksysandwillbecalledsecondaryrouter.IfyouwanttocascadeanonLinksysroutertothemainrouter,youneedto
callitsmanufacturerforsupport.
IMPORTANT:ThemainroutershouldhaveanactiveInternetconnectionbeforecascadingthesecondaryrouterotherwiseyou
needtosetitupfirst.ContactyourInternetServiceProvider(ISP)ifyoucantconnecttotheInternetdirectlyfromyourmodem.If
yourmainrouterisnonLinksys,youneedtocontactthemanufacturerforsupporthowever,ifitisLinksys,clickhere
(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=140364)tolearnhowtosetitup.
NOTE:Thewirelessequivalentofcascadingiscalledbridging.Thismethodisofficiallysupportedonlybyselectedroutermodels.
Formoreinformationandinstructionsinsettingyourrouterasawirelessbridge,clickhere(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?
articleNum=143751).
Therearetwo(2)waystocascadeaLinksysroutertoanotherrouter:
i.LANtoLANConnectingoneoftheEthernetports(LANports)oftheLinksysrouter(mainrouter)tooneoftheEthernet
ports(LANports)ofanotherrouter(secondaryrouter).
ThistypeofcascadingrequiresthemainandthesecondaryrouterstobeonthesameLANIPsegmenttoallowthe
computersandotherdevicestoconnecttobothrouters.Todothis,youneedtodisablethesecondaryrouter'sDHCPserver.
Thisconfigurationisrecommendedifyouwanttosharefilesandresourceswithinthenetwork.Foravideotutorialonthis
setup,clickhere(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=155108).
NOTE:Whencascadingroutersusingthismethod,youwillnotbeabletoaccessthewebbasedsetuppageofthe
secondaryrouterasitwillhavethesameIPrangeastheprimaryrouter.
ii.LANtoWANConnectingoneoftheEthernetports(LANports)ofthemainroutertotheInternetport(WANport)ofthe
secondaryrouter.
ThistypeofcascadingrequiresthemainrouterandthesecondaryroutertohavedifferentIPsegments.Thisconnection
makesiteasiertoidentifywhichrouterthecomputersandotherdevicesinthenetworkareconnectedtosincetheywillhave
differentLANIPsegments.However,computersthatareconnectedtothemainrouterwillnotbeabletocommunicatewith
thesecondaryrouter,andviceversasincetherearetwo(2)differentnetworks.
NOTE:BeforeyouconnectaLinksysroutertoanotherrouter,makesurethatbothroutershavedifferentIPaddresses.Thisis
necessarytoavoidconflictandconnectivityissuesinthelocalnetworkiftheyhavesimilarIPaddresses.Inthiscase,you
needtochangetheIPaddressofthesecondaryrouter.ForinstructionsonhowtochangetheroutersLANIPaddress,
clickhere(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=142941).
CascadingtheLinksysroutertoanotherrouter(LANLAN)
Step1:
CheckandtakenoteoftheIPaddressofthemainrouter.Fordetailedinstructionsonhowtodothis,clickhere
(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=132891).
Step2:
ConnectyourcomputertooneoftheEthernetportsofthesecondaryrouter.

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Step3:
Accessthewebbasedsetuppageofthesecondaryrouter.Forinstructions,clickhere(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?
articleNum=135561).IfyoureusingaMaccomputer,clickhere(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=143269).
Step4:
UndertheBasicSetupsubtab,lookforIPAddressorLocalIPAddress.
NOTE:IftheIPaddressisthesameasthemainrouter,changethefourthoctet(thenumberinthefourthbox)toadifferent
value.
Example:
Mainrouter:192.168.1.1>Secondaryroutershouldbe:192.168.1.2

Step5:
FortheDHCPServerSetting,settheDHCPServertoDisabled.

Cascading or Connecting a Linksys router to

another
router
Step6:
ClickSaveSettings.
Step7:
UnplugthecablefromyourcomputerandconnectittooneoftheEthernetportsonthemainrouter.Makesurethemain
routerisstillconnectedtothemodemviaitsInternetport.

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Step8:
PowercyclethesecondaryrouterandoncethePowerlightissolid,checkwhetheryou'reabletoaccesstheInternetonyour
devices.
QUICKTIP:Ifyouhaveawirelessrouter,youcanproceedinconfiguringitswirelesssettings.Formoreinformationonhowtodo
this,clickhere(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=143717).

NOTE:AsinglerouterthatissetinBridgemodewilldisabletheGuestaccessoftherouter.Incascadingrouters,specificallyLANto
LANconnections,settingthesecondroutertoBridgemodewouldnotallowaccessforguests.However,Guestaccessisstill
permissibleiftheconnectionsareLANtoWAN.
CascadingtheLinksysroutertoanotherrouter(LANWAN)
Step1:
CheckandtakenoteoftheIPaddressofthemainrouter.Fordetailedinstructionsonhowtodothis,clickhere
(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=132891).
Step2:
ConnectyourcomputertooneoftheEthernetportsofthesecondaryrouter.

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Step3:
Accessthesetuppageofthesecondaryrouter.Forinstructions,clickhere(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?
articleNum=135561).IfyoureusingaMaccomputer,clickhere(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=143269).
Step4:
UndertheBasicSetupsubtab,lookforIPAddressorLocalIPAddress.
NOTE:IftheIPaddressisthesameasthemainrouter,changethethirdoctet(thenumberinthethirdbox)toadifferent
value.MakesurethattheSubnetMaskis255.255.255.0.ThiswillsetthesecondaryroutertoadifferentIPsegmentfromthe
mainrouter.
Example:
Mainrouter:192.168.1.1>Secondaryroutershouldbe:192.168.2.1

NOTE:Bydefault,theDHCPfeatureofLinksysroutersisalreadyenabled.However,ifthesecondaryrouter'sDHCPisn't
enabled,makesuretoenableitbygoingtoitswebbasedsetuppage.ClickBasicSetup,thenclickEnabledontheDHCP
ServerSettingsection.
Step5:
ClickSaveSettings.
Step6:
UnplugthecablefromyourcomputerandconnectittooneoftheEthernetportsonthemainrouter.
Step7:
TransfertheEthernetcableconnectedtothesecondaryroutertoitsInternetport.

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Step8:
PowercyclethesecondaryrouterandoncethePowerlightissolid,checkwhetheryou'reabletoaccesstheInternetonyour
devices.
QUICKTIP:Ifyouhaveawirelessrouter,youcanproceedinconfiguringitswirelesssettings.Formoreinformationonhowtodo
this,clickhere(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=143717).
CascadingyourLinksysroutertoanotherrouterisonewayofexpandingyourlocalnetwork.Ifyouwanttofurtherimprovethe
performanceofyourlocalnetworkwithoutgoingthroughthecascadingprocess,youmayinstallthefollowingdevices:
Switch(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=139602)
Accesspoints(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=136548)
Rangeexpanders(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=143697)
Powerlineadapters(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=135035)

RelatedArticle:
Settingupstaticroutingbetweenarouterandanothernetwork(http://kb.linksys.com/supportarticle?articleNum=135048)

Cascading or Connecting a Linksys router to

another router

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