How to Cascade Routers Without a Headache
What happens when you have two routers and want both to run simultaneously? The second router has to be connected somehow to your existing network without disrupting your first router. Are you getting a headache yet? Don't reach for the aspirin just yet.
There is a simple way to do this; it's called cascading. How to cascade routers is really very simple. You just need a little patience, as it might seem time consuming. You will have to do some minor configuration changes so that both routers can work and form one network instead of two different networks.
First Things First
The first step in how to cascade routers is to decide what router is going to be your primary router. Your primary router will be performing basic functions to protect your computer such as filtering and firewalling. This router is in charge of your entire home networks, keeping that in mind you need to choose the one that will give you the most security.
A wired router is the best as it is less likely to get hijacked by malicious software and any opportunistic hackers on the same network. The type of routers you choose is important when learning how to cascade routers, high speed and network features are tow considerations to keep in mind. There is no ‘right' choice it is a personal preference.
Cleansing and Configuring
Your secondary router should not handle anything to do with the entire network. This means that firewalls and filtering duties need to be shifted over to the primary router. You also need to configure your routers so that they both have the same IP block range. This step is not totally necessary but it will make things easier when you want to share files and resources, the main reason you want to learn how to cascade routers.
Your secondary router should not be connected to the Internet. To make sure that it does not or stays more or less dormant make sure that your WAN settings have been set so it cannot acknowledge an Internet connection or ignores it. This is achieved by setting the WAN settings to static IP address. To finish it off you need to physically connect the two routers. Use a cable to connect the primary router's LAN port to the secondary router's uplink port. You have now learned how to cascade routers. You have successfully changed your secondary router into a switch.
