Add one extra ethernet port between modem and router

sleight

New Member
Hi guys,
I live in a student house. We have a router, which is on the second floor. Wifi is quite bad on the first floor (where I live). The internet comes in through our modem which is right next to my room, but the router is located quite far away.
Now my question: what is the best way to get an internet cable into my room? What type of devices can I place between the modem and the router that will give me cabled connection, and won't screw up the router on the second floor?
I've done a lot of research but couldn't find any case as specific as this.
Thanks for all help!
 

Cromewell

Administrator
Staff member
Now my question: what is the best way to get an internet cable into my room? What type of devices can I place between the modem and the router that will give me cabled connection, and won't screw up the router on the second floor?
You put the switch after the router.
 

beers

Moderator
Staff member
You'd have to have the switch after the router and not the modem. Putting a switch between the modem and router leaves one of those segments outside of your router's NAT. Your PC will compete with the router for the singular WAN address presented by the ISP, so you will either not get a lease at all, or you will obtain a new lease randomly and deprive the router of the WAN address, effectively killing the connectivity for that network.

Realistically it's wifi or a long ethernet cable for you, sir. You might be able to relocate the router for better coverage on the first floor, or add a wired access point to the first floor. Wifi using omnidirectional antennas have a limited vertical reach (elevation plane).

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/produ...ssories/prod_white_paper0900aecd806a1a3e.html
 

sleight

New Member
Thanks for the answers!
I forgot to add one thing: our modem->router connection is by a cable which goes through difficult walls. This has been for years at least, and I can't lay another cable this way.
Is it possible to put an unmanaged switch between the modem and the router? Or is it possible to put a new router between the modem and our existing router?
Thanks in advance!
 

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
You can use 2 routers, but the new router would have to be the main one and the second router would have to be hooked up to first one. Then you would have to reconfigure second router to work off the first one.

For example.

You should connect routers together by using one of the lan ports on the second router and not the internet port. If you use the internet port(wan) then you won't be able to share files/printers to pc's between pc's attached to different routers.
First router - If IP address is 192.168.1.1
Second router - Then change this IP address to 192.168.1.2
Disable dhcp on second router.
 

sleight

New Member
Thanks for your advice!
I will buy a new router and see if I can get it working. If more questions pop up, I'll post them here, but for now I know what to do :) Thanks!
 

Cromewell

Administrator
Staff member
Is it possible to put an unmanaged switch between the modem and the router?
See beers post above.

As John mentioned, you can daisy chain routers that way, but why not put the router beside the modem and use the existing ethernet line that runs though the wall to put a small switch at the other end?
 

sleight

New Member
Oh I didn't even consider that. It seems like a smart idea! But I think it may give a problem, the person living in the attic is using wireless internet, and people also want to connect their phone to wifi everywhere. So I think that may be a problem.
 
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