Setting UPC modem as a bridge for multiple routers

Sconsey

Hi,

I currently have my broadband from UPC, using the Cisco modem/router they provide. I have wired CAT5 to two points at opposite ends of the house, both cables are wired back to the attic where the UPC modem is.

What I want to do is setup two routers, one at each end of the house, wired back to the UPC modem.

So I am wondering if I can disable the routing function from the UPC device and have it as a modem only, and I let the two wired routers do their own routing and acting as independent access points?

Would this work? assuming the UPC modem can disable routing (would this be 'bridge mode'?) what would the gateway IP be for the two routers?

Alternatively I could leave the UPC router alone and setup the other two routers in bridge mode but I would prefer to do the other way round if possible.

Is my plan nonsense or do you think it is workable?

Thanks

Cuddlesworth

You can but it's probably not a good idea unless you have a very specific reason for doing so.

mass_debater

Sconsey wrote: »

Hi,

I currently have my broadband from UPC, using the Cisco modem/router they provide. I have wired CAT5 to two points at opposite ends of the house, both cables are wired back to the attic where the UPC modem is.

What I want to do is setup two routers, one at each end of the house, wired back to the UPC modem.

So I am wondering if I can disable the routing function from the UPC device and have it as a modem only, and I let the two wired routers do their own routing and acting as independent access points?

Would this work? assuming the UPC modem can disable routing (would this be 'bridge mode'?) what would the gateway IP be for the two routers?

Alternatively I could leave the UPC router alone and setup the other two routers in bridge mode but I would prefer to do the other way round if possible.

Is my plan nonsense or do you think it is workable?

Thanks

You can have more than one network on one router if you know what you're at. You'll need a decent router like a Mikrotik and need a good networking knowledge to configure it. Don't even think about it otherwise.

Get a Switch...

Tenshot

If you have a UPC residential account, you'll only have a single IP address.

With the UPC router in bridge mode, each of your two routers will be looking for its own public WAN IP address so that NAT'd traffic gets redirected to the correct router when responses arrive back in. So this won't work with a single IP address.

Can you give more info about what you're trying to achieve?

Extending Wi-Fi access across a large house: just put both your wifi routers on the same SSID, then on each one, disable DHCP and connect one of its LAN ports to one of the LAN ports on the UPC router. Now you can roam seamlessly around the house.

Providing a home-office/business Wi-Fi/LAN for one side of the house and residential Wi-Fi for the other: as above, but for the router on the residential side of the house, leave DHCP enabled and connect its WAN port to the UPC router's LAN port. This puts the home PCs on their own private LAN (double-NATted) and avoids casual interference with office PCs. Your home office network gets more direct access to the Internet (just NATted by the UPC box) which may avoid some potential problems. Make sure the two routers have different SSIDs in this case.

Maximum security: give both routers different SSIDs, DHCP on both of them, both WAN ports connected to UPC router's LAN ports; now each wifi network is isolated from the other and essentially completely independent.

None of the above require any of the three routers to be in bridge mode.

Alun

Tenshot wrote: »

If you have a UPC residential account, you'll only have a single IP address.

With the UPC router in bridge mode, each of your two routers will be looking for its own public WAN IP address so that NAT'd traffic gets redirected to the correct router when responses arrive back in. So this won't work with a single IP address.

Not true. You can lease up to 3 IP addresses when in bridged mode, just like you could with the old cable modem (i.e. NOT router) UPC used to supply back in the day.

You can easily verify this ... if you have a spare laptop or something just connect it straight to one of the remaining Ethernet ports on the bridged router and you'll get a (second) public IP address.

Not that what I'm suggesting what the OP is proposing is a good idea though, just for the record ...

moc moc a moc

What exactly are you trying to achieve? I'm betting there is a more sensible approach to either of the two methods you outline.

Tenshot

Alun wrote: »

You can lease up to 3 IP addresses when in bridged mode, just like you could with the old cable modem (i.e. NOT router) UPC used to supply back in the day.

I wasn't aware of that - very useful info though. Thanks!

Sconsey

Thanks all for the replies....I think maybe some of my confusion comes from the router software, what it calls 'bridging' may actually be 'access point'.
I installed DD WRT on my router and it has an AP mode which seems to do what I need.

Essentially what I want to do is create two access points, they will have different SSID's. I think I was getting ahead of myself messing with the UPC router. If I put both of the new routers into access point mode, and connect them to the UPC LAN ports, they can both have the same gateway IP (UPC router IP) and I will give them each fixed IP's (192.168.1.2, and .192.168.1.3).

ED E

Yeah, you can do that.

UPC: Router
New Unit: AP
New Unit: AP

But dont give them 1.2 and .1.3, thats the start of your DHCP pool. Give them like .1.201 and .1.202 or similar.