How to Connect Two Routers

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In this Article:Article SummaryUsing EthernetUsing WirelessCommunity Q&AReferences

This wikiHow teaches you how to connect two routers together. By connecting your
routers, you can extend both the range and the maximum number of connections that
your Internet can handle. The easiest way to connect two routers is by using Ethernet,
though you may be able to use a wireless router to connect to the primary router.
Method 1
Using Ethernet
1.

1
Determine which router will be the main router. This will be the router that is
connected either to a dedicated modem or to the wall outlet. Generally, you'll want your
newest and most fully-featured router as your base router.
o If you have two of the same router, it doesn't matter which one you pick.


2
Determine which router will be the secondary router. This will be the router that is
extending your original network. You'll usually want to use your older router.
o This router will control the secondary network if you are creating a LAN-to-
WAN network (see below).


3
Place both routers near your computer. During the initial setup process, you should
keep the routers near your computer so that you can easily access them. You can set
them up in their permanent locations later.

 4
Decide between a LAN-to-LAN or LAN-to-WAN connection. While you can use an
Ethernet cable for both of these connections, they have slightly different uses:
o LAN-to-LAN - Extends your Wi-Fi range to include the second router. You
can also use a LAN-to-LAN connection to share files between network-connected
computers, smartphones, and so on.
o LAN-to-WAN - Creates a second network inside of the main network,
allowing you to place restrictions on any computers, smartphones, or other items that
are connected to it. LAN-to-WAN networks cannot be used to share files.


5
Perform the initial router setup. Connect your main router to your modem via an
Ethernet cable, then connect your computer to the router via a different Ethernet cable.
o If you're using a Mac, you most likely don't have an Ethernet port on your
computer. You can buy an Ethernet to USB-C (also known as "Thunderbolt 3") adapter
to fix this problem.
o On Windows computers which don't have Ethernet ports, you can buy an
Ethernet to USB adapter.


6
Configure your router. Since this router will be handling the connection to the internet,
set it up as if you were only using a single router.
o You can access most routers by entering the router's IP address in a web
browser.
o Each router's settings will vary substantially from other models. If you can't
find a certain setting or section on your router's page for the rest of this method, consult
the router's manual or online documentation.


7
Change the DHCP settings. If you are creating a LAN-to-WAN network, go to the
router's page and set the primary router's DHCP service to give out addresses
between 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.50.
o If you are creating a LAN-to-LAN network, you can leave the DHCP
settings at their default.
o Disconnect the computer from the router when you are finished
configuring it.


8
Configure the second router. Disconnect the first router from your computer if
necessary, connect the second router to your computer, and do the following:
o Open the router's page.
o Change the IP address so that it matches the first router, then increase
the second-to-last digit by one (e.g. 192.168.1.1 becomes 192.168.2.1).
 If you are making a LAN-to-WAN network, change the secondary
router's WAN IP address to 192.168.1.51.
 Ensure that the "Subnet mask" number matches the one for your
primary router.
 Disable UPnP on the second router if it's an option.


9
Configure the DHCP server on the secondary router. If you are creating a LAN-to-
LAN network, the DHCP service should be turned off on the secondary router. If you are
creating a LAN-to-WAN network, the DHCP server on the secondary router should hand
out addresses between 192.168.2.2 and 192.168.2.50.[1]

 10
Change the wireless channel. If both routers are wireless, you will want to manually
set the channels so that signals do not interfere with each other. You can do this by
setting your primary router to any channels from 1 to 6 and setting your secondary
router to channel 11.


11
Place your routers. Now that everything is configured, you can place your routers
wherever you need. Keep in mind that you will need to run Ethernet cable between the
two routers.
 You can run Ethernet cable through the wall if you need to reach
another room.
 For convenience, you'll probably want to place your primary router
near your modem.


12
Connect the two routers. Plug one end of the Ethernet cable into any LAN port of the
primary router, then plug the other end of the cable into the LAN port on the back of the
second router.
 If you are creating a LAN-to-WAN network, plug the other end into
the WAN (or "Internet") port on the secondary router.
Method 2
Using Wireless
1.

1
 Determine if your equipment is compatible. While most wireless routers can be used
as wireless access points (also known as range extenders), most retail routers cannot
be used to create their own network inside of the primary router's network. [2]
o In order to create a separate wireless network within the primary router's
network, your secondary router must have "bridge" or "repeater" mode capabilities. [3]
o Your router's documentation will let you know if it has bridge mode. You
can also look your router's model up online.


2
Place both routers near your computer. During the setup process, it will be easier if
you have quick access to both routers, as well as the modem. You can place the routers
in their permanent locations when you are done configuring them.


3
Perform the initial router setup. Connect your main router to your modem via an
Ethernet cable, then connect your computer to the router via a different Ethernet cable.
o If you're using a Mac, you most likely don't have an Ethernet port on your
computer. You can buy an Ethernet to USB-C (also known as "Thunderbolt 3") adapter
to fix this problem.
o On Windows computers which don't have Ethernet ports, you can buy an
Ethernet to USB adapter.


4
Configure your router. Since this router will be handling the connection to the internet,
set it up as if you were only using a single router.
o You can access most routers by entering the router's IP address in a web
browser.
 o Each router's settings will vary substantially from other models. If you can't
find a certain setting or section on your router's page for the rest of this method, consult
the router's manual or online documentation.


5
Open the configuration page for the secondary router. Connect the secondary
router to your computer with an Ethernet cable and open the configuration page. You do
not need to connect it to the modem. Find the "Internet" or "Wireless" setup page once
you have logged in.


6
Enable Bridge Mode. Select "Bridge Mode" or "Repeater Mode" from the "Network
Mode", "Wireless Mode" or "Connection Type" menu on the Wireless page. If there is no
menu to select these options, then your router likely does not support bridging;
however, you can still set it up with Ethernet.


7
Specify the secondary router's IP address. Enter in an IP address within the primary
router's range. For example, if the primary router's IP address is 192.168.1.1, enter
192.168.1.50 or something else inside the DHCP range of the primary router.
o Ensure that the "Subnet mask" number for the second router is identical to
the subnet mask for the primary router.


8
Enter a unique name for your second router. This will help you know which router on
the network you are connecting to.
 o For example, you might have the primary labeled "Den" and the
secondary labeled "LivingRoom".
o Ensure that the security for both routers is WPA2, and make sure that they
both use the same password.


9
Place the secondary router. Once you have the secondary router configured, you can
place it where you want it to repeat the signal. In order to maintain a good connection, it
should be placed in a location where it gets at least 50% signal strength from the
primary router.
o Your second router will have the strongest signal when there is a direct
line-of-sight between it and the main router.