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Nighthawk Connection Options
I am considering purchasing a Nighthawk R7900P. My Spectrum 1G cable modem is upstairs in a small loft and I have a 16 port Netgear Gigabit switch beside the cable modem with ethernet feeds to most of the rooms in the house.
Almost all of our internet connections are initiated from the first floor of the house. What I would like to do is connect the cable modem to the Gigabit switch and then locate the R7900P on the first floor and connnect to one of the ethernet feeds on the first floor.
Will that work or do I have to connect the R7900P directly to the Spectrum cable modem?
Thanks in adavnce for your help.
Nick
NSSB wrote:
Almost all of our internet connections are initiated from the first floor of the house. What I would like to do is connect the cable modem to the Gigabit switch and then locate the R7900P on the first floor and connnect to one of the ethernet feeds on the first floor.
A more normal, arrangement, and one that I use, is to go:
> modem > router > switch
In that way the router gets to manage the traffic through the ports on the switch.
11 Replies
> [...] My Spectrum 1G cable modem [...]
Not a very detailed (or accurate) description of what must actually
be a modem+router. (Generally, an actual maker and model number would
be more helpful.)> Will that work [...]
I don't see why not, if it's done properly.
Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and
look for Documentation. Get the User Manual. Read. Look for "Set up
the router as a WiFi access point".> [...] or do I have to connect the R7900P directly to the Spectrum
> cable modem[+router]?Nah. So long as you don't connect a network switch to an _actual_
modem, or have two routers (both acting as full-function routers), then
inserting a network switch between the main (modem+)router and the
R7900P-as-WAP should be harmless.Thanks for the reply. The Spectrum device is a cable modem only. It is not a router. It is made by Hirtron. I think the model number is E3IN2V1.
I am currently using using a Velop mesh network that is currently connected directly to the Spectrum cable modem. The primary Velop node is then connnected to my Netgear switch. I want to replace the Velop.
My original question still stands.
> I am currently using using a Velop mesh network that is currently
> connected directly to the Spectrum cable modem. [...]Thanks for not wasting everyone's time with a sloppy/incomplete
problem description?You need to connect the (really-a-)modem to the router WAN/Internet
port, and the network switch to a router LAN port. Whether that's
possible/practical/convenient with your current cable arrangement is
another question.
NSSB wrote:
Almost all of our internet connections are initiated from the first floor of the house. What I would like to do is connect the cable modem to the Gigabit switch and then locate the R7900P on the first floor and connnect to one of the ethernet feeds on the first floor.
A more normal, arrangement, and one that I use, is to go:
> modem > router > switch
In that way the router gets to manage the traffic through the ports on the switch.
Thank you for the reply. I figured that was the best option. I wanted to place the Nighthawk router downstairs. Right now the cable for my Spectrum modem is running to the loft on my second floor.
The only way I am going to be able to do this is if I re-route the cable for the cable modem downstairs as well and move both the cable modem and the router downstairs.
Sounds like you have Ethernet cables running around the place. So you shouldn't have too much trouble plugging things in to get the best result, even though it may mean crawling around in the loft.
One important factor might be that it helps to get the wifi source in the middle of the property.
You seem to have that in mind with getting the R7900P on the first floor.
The R7900P should fill a reasonable space.
Hope it works out.
> A more normal, arrangement, [...]
> [...] the router gets to manage the traffic [...]
It's not a question of "more normal" or "manage the traffic"; it's a
question of works or not.> You need to connect the (really-a-)modem to the router WAN/Internet
> port, and the network switch to a router LAN port. [...]Still true.