2 Wireless Routers for One Big House
The Scenario is the following:
I have a small B&B hotel, and i want to have free WIFI for our guests.
I bought 2 D-link DIR-905L Cloud Router (which are very similar to the 605-L , i think...), and i want to have them at two locations of the house. One will be in the LOBBY and one in the BACKYARD Rooms. Both places are already wired with Ethernet cable from the DSL Modem which is located in the office near the frontdesk... (A time ago the hotel had this configuration but the routers went bad...)
In the office there is 1 PC, 1 DSL Modem, from there 1 ethernet cable goes to a SWITCH, and from there 2 ethernet cables go for the 2 locations of the wireless routers... Also from the switcht there is 1 ehternet cable that goes to the PC, or alternatively the cable can go from the 1st wireless router to the PC which will very close to each other (1meter).
So my question is: How should i set up the WIFI Access for the whole hotel using this 2 wifi routers? (I do not mean how to configure a router for wifi...i do know how to do this..., but instead what i mean is how is essentially the best way to SET THEM UP.... For the little that i have researched it appears to be that i have 2 options: Configure each router independtly, each one with a Login and a Password, or use 1 as a Main wireless router, and the 2nd as an ACCESS POINT only....which i think it means i will only use only 1 login and 1 password fort the whole area of the hotel...
I also read that having 2 wireless routers might increase or boost the signal to reach further places...
havng only one login and password,,,
I have a small B&B hotel, and i want to have free WIFI for our guests.
I bought 2 D-link DIR-905L Cloud Router (which are very similar to the 605-L , i think...), and i want to have them at two locations of the house. One will be in the LOBBY and one in the BACKYARD Rooms. Both places are already wired with Ethernet cable from the DSL Modem which is located in the office near the frontdesk... (A time ago the hotel had this configuration but the routers went bad...)
In the office there is 1 PC, 1 DSL Modem, from there 1 ethernet cable goes to a SWITCH, and from there 2 ethernet cables go for the 2 locations of the wireless routers... Also from the switcht there is 1 ehternet cable that goes to the PC, or alternatively the cable can go from the 1st wireless router to the PC which will very close to each other (1meter).
So my question is: How should i set up the WIFI Access for the whole hotel using this 2 wifi routers? (I do not mean how to configure a router for wifi...i do know how to do this..., but instead what i mean is how is essentially the best way to SET THEM UP.... For the little that i have researched it appears to be that i have 2 options: Configure each router independtly, each one with a Login and a Password, or use 1 as a Main wireless router, and the 2nd as an ACCESS POINT only....which i think it means i will only use only 1 login and 1 password fort the whole area of the hotel...
I also read that having 2 wireless routers might increase or boost the signal to reach further places...
havng only one login and password,,,
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Hello, thank you both for your quick answers.
So regarding your comments:
- In SMCKEON777's OPTION 2, What do you mean by "roaming will work" ...? (Sorry i am not sure what does ROAMING mean for a a router...)...Is ROAMING a good thing?, usefull?
Do i understand you correctly with this?: If the 2 routers are configured separately, but with the same ssid and password, does it mean that if a hotel guest comes and types for the 1ST TIME to login the password for the 1st router in the LOBBY, then when he goes to the BACKYARD his computer will pickup the 2nd router (with ROAMING) and connect to it WITHOUT having to type the password to this 2nd router? (even tough they both will have the same SSID and Password?)
I Wish i could have try out both options and found out by myself how btoh work and compare, but for some reason i can not configure the routers and they dont get connected to the internet... I will start a new QUESTION for this...
- Basically what will you say that are the PROS and CONS of both options? ( 1 main router/1Accespoint VS 2 routers configured separately but with same SSIDs and Passwords)... For what i understand of your explanation both options will work quite similar?
- RICK_O_SHAY: Regarding guests being able to acces our hotel internal computer, I might be wrong, and please correct me if so, but i think i dont need a GUEST account access, (so as you say
A) From the DSL Modem, 1 cable goes to the Hotel Office Computer (which is the only hotel computer for our administrative and operations use) , and a second cable goes to a TREND NET SWITCH... (I have to mention that the DSL Modem is in itself a router (i think)..., because it has 4 ETHERNET PORTS...it is a TENDA modem...)
B) FROM the switch there will be 2 cables going "OUT" : 1 cable goes to the 1st router, and another cable goes to 2nd router.
So my understanding is that since the OFFICE computer is connected directly to the MODEM, and the guests connect to the routers wich are connected to the same modem through a switch, there is no way they can access OUR computer...? Am i wrong?
I Wish i could have try out both options and found out by myself how both work and compare, but for some reason i can not configure the routers and neither of them gets connected to the internet... (For their configuration i have connected the modem to the router, and from the router to the Office PC).... The strange thing is that in my Home, i have the same DSL MODEM, the same ISP PRovider, and the same ROUTER which i set up a year ago...but now someting is wrong and i can not configure them...I will start a new QUESTION for this...
So regarding your comments:
- In SMCKEON777's OPTION 2, What do you mean by "roaming will work" ...? (Sorry i am not sure what does ROAMING mean for a a router...)...Is ROAMING a good thing?, usefull?
meaning when you move to the 2nd router with the same SSID it will move to it fine, but will pick up a new ip address since its a seperate router/dhcp system...so in effect it will drop the connection in order to establish a new connection to the new router..
Do i understand you correctly with this?: If the 2 routers are configured separately, but with the same ssid and password, does it mean that if a hotel guest comes and types for the 1ST TIME to login the password for the 1st router in the LOBBY, then when he goes to the BACKYARD his computer will pickup the 2nd router (with ROAMING) and connect to it WITHOUT having to type the password to this 2nd router? (even tough they both will have the same SSID and Password?)
I Wish i could have try out both options and found out by myself how btoh work and compare, but for some reason i can not configure the routers and they dont get connected to the internet... I will start a new QUESTION for this...
- Basically what will you say that are the PROS and CONS of both options? ( 1 main router/1Accespoint VS 2 routers configured separately but with same SSIDs and Passwords)... For what i understand of your explanation both options will work quite similar?
- RICK_O_SHAY: Regarding guests being able to acces our hotel internal computer, I might be wrong, and please correct me if so, but i think i dont need a GUEST account access, (so as you say
so your customers will not have access to your internal devices etc...., because as i mention, the Network is configured as this:
A) From the DSL Modem, 1 cable goes to the Hotel Office Computer (which is the only hotel computer for our administrative and operations use) , and a second cable goes to a TREND NET SWITCH... (I have to mention that the DSL Modem is in itself a router (i think)..., because it has 4 ETHERNET PORTS...it is a TENDA modem...)
B) FROM the switch there will be 2 cables going "OUT" : 1 cable goes to the 1st router, and another cable goes to 2nd router.
So my understanding is that since the OFFICE computer is connected directly to the MODEM, and the guests connect to the routers wich are connected to the same modem through a switch, there is no way they can access OUR computer...? Am i wrong?
I Wish i could have try out both options and found out by myself how both work and compare, but for some reason i can not configure the routers and neither of them gets connected to the internet... (For their configuration i have connected the modem to the router, and from the router to the Office PC).... The strange thing is that in my Home, i have the same DSL MODEM, the same ISP PRovider, and the same ROUTER which i set up a year ago...but now someting is wrong and i can not configure them...I will start a new QUESTION for this...
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ASKER
Thanks for your quick response!,
So, basically BOTH OPTIONS work almost the same?, the difference being that when a person moves from one area to the other in the Second option (2 routers) the TIME to reconnect to the 2nd router will be a little slower than using the 1st option (1 router/1 AP) ?
Also, are you sure having the 2nd OPTION (2 routers, same SSSID same password), the hotel guest (person), for the 1ST TIME that he wants to connect to our Wifi, he will only have to TYPE once the password for the 1st router, and he will not have to type it again when he moves to the 2nd router? (this will be made automatically?) Because if he has to type it 2 times, i guess is almost the same to have 2 different SSIDs and maybe one same password... Isnt it?
By the way, how do i know if the routers have the option to "convert" into an ACCESS POINT?
So, basically BOTH OPTIONS work almost the same?, the difference being that when a person moves from one area to the other in the Second option (2 routers) the TIME to reconnect to the 2nd router will be a little slower than using the 1st option (1 router/1 AP) ?
Also, are you sure having the 2nd OPTION (2 routers, same SSSID same password), the hotel guest (person), for the 1ST TIME that he wants to connect to our Wifi, he will only have to TYPE once the password for the 1st router, and he will not have to type it again when he moves to the 2nd router? (this will be made automatically?) Because if he has to type it 2 times, i guess is almost the same to have 2 different SSIDs and maybe one same password... Isnt it?
By the way, how do i know if the routers have the option to "convert" into an ACCESS POINT?
SOLUTION
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Right now i am set to install this to routers.
I have been reading around and i have a concern: Using the 2nd option (2 routers with same SSID and password) will it produce IP CONFLICTS, or something like that with the hotel guest laptops, tablets or smartphones that get connected to them via wireless?
I dont know much about routers, so please let me know if i should have a DIFFERENT IP Address for each router? The default ip's that come in this DLINK routers is: 192.168.0.1 (which is the one i use to login to that routers control Panel, or setup wizard...) I was thinking of leaving them both with the same, or change them as this:
router A: 192.168.7.1
router A: 192.168.8.1
Note: The ISP dsl modem has the ip: 192.168.1.1
I have been reading around and i have a concern: Using the 2nd option (2 routers with same SSID and password) will it produce IP CONFLICTS, or something like that with the hotel guest laptops, tablets or smartphones that get connected to them via wireless?
I dont know much about routers, so please let me know if i should have a DIFFERENT IP Address for each router? The default ip's that come in this DLINK routers is: 192.168.0.1 (which is the one i use to login to that routers control Panel, or setup wizard...) I was thinking of leaving them both with the same, or change them as this:
router A: 192.168.7.1
router A: 192.168.8.1
Note: The ISP dsl modem has the ip: 192.168.1.1
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Hi Smckeon777, well what i did is that in the meantime i was doing some google searches on the subject, nothing specific, just general things and i tiught ip conflicts could be an issue... I guess not as you mention.
Thanks a lot for your help, was very thorough and i manage to configure and install the 2 routers using OPTION 2, and giving them different IPs, but same SSIDs and password.
I was able to do some few tests, with 2 laptops and 1 tablet, and things went well... sometimes the MACbook didnt reconnect by itself when it los cotnnectivity to one of the routers. I had to manually select again the Network name or turn off and turn on Wireless on the macbookpro... anyways, i will do some more tests in the near future and ask guests for some feedback.
Thanks very much.
Thanks a lot for your help, was very thorough and i manage to configure and install the 2 routers using OPTION 2, and giving them different IPs, but same SSIDs and password.
I was able to do some few tests, with 2 laptops and 1 tablet, and things went well... sometimes the MACbook didnt reconnect by itself when it los cotnnectivity to one of the routers. I had to manually select again the Network name or turn off and turn on Wireless on the macbookpro... anyways, i will do some more tests in the near future and ask guests for some feedback.
Thanks very much.
ASKER
Smckeon777: If you can, i have a further question regarding what you said in one of your posts
Is the part where your say " connect the cable modem to the LAN socket on the router " correct? If that is so, how is the router get an ip and internet connection from the modem?, maybe, but correct me if i am wrong, you meant connect the 1st router to the modem normally, and then connect the second router to the 1st modem but to the LAN socket this way the 2nd router is a client of the 1st router... Please clarify me with this...
thaniks again
Some routers have an ACCESS POINT mode - but to make any router function as an AP you basically connect the cable modem to the LAN socket on the router - not the WAN as per normal...that way it operates as another 'client' device on the network linked to the main router...(note you also turn off DHCP on the router, so in essence it turns it into an AP)
Is the part where your say " connect the cable modem to the LAN socket on the router " correct? If that is so, how is the router get an ip and internet connection from the modem?, maybe, but correct me if i am wrong, you meant connect the 1st router to the modem normally, and then connect the second router to the 1st modem but to the LAN socket this way the 2nd router is a client of the 1st router... Please clarify me with this...
thaniks again
Yes that is correct - connect the 2nd router to the 1st router using their LAN ports - therefore the 2nd router is a client of the first
What you are doing by this is turning the 2nd router into a basic switch(with an aerial) - which is in reality what an access point is
In order to complete this setup you then turn off DHCP on the 2nd router - since in essence it will not be needed - the 2nd router will communicate with the first router and you will now be on the same network(wifi network)
Sounds complicated, which is why its probably simpler to get an AP...but either way will work
What you are doing by this is turning the 2nd router into a basic switch(with an aerial) - which is in reality what an access point is
In order to complete this setup you then turn off DHCP on the 2nd router - since in essence it will not be needed - the 2nd router will communicate with the first router and you will now be on the same network(wifi network)
Sounds complicated, which is why its probably simpler to get an AP...but either way will work
Also you would want to use a "guest" wifi network, if those routers support it, so your customers will not have access to your internal devices etc.