Wired-only router in front of a wireless router

[rscott57]

I have an AC3200, R8000 Wifi router.  I want to have a wired-only router with at least 4 (preferably more) ethernet outlets in front of this at the modem and feed the wireless router from the wired router.  Can i do this simply?  What should I buy as the wired-only router?  I want to move the wifi origination to a different location but don't want to move some ethernet-wired equipment where the wifi now sits.

[antinode · Accepted solution]

> I guess the configuration that I want would be:
>
> ISP --- modem --- wired-only-router --- wireless-access-point (with the
> wired router feeding some PCs, as well as the R8000 as a wireless access
> point 30 feet away.)

   Do you already have the cable installed for that 30-foot run?  If
your intention is to run a new cable for (a mere) 30 feet to get to the
R8000-as-WAP, then why not run two cables to that location, and use the
R8000 as your only router (Plan A)?  (The second cable would run from a
LAN Ethernet port on the R8000, back to a (cheap, gigabit) Ethernet
switch near the modem, to feed the wired clients there.)

> What would be a good wired-only router, [...]

   I haven't looked lately, and I don't know what your requirements are.
You might find it easier/cheaper to find a wireless router, and disable
its radio(s), if you really don't want to leave it/them operational.
Another 50 feet of cable and a (cheap, gigabit) Ethernet switch could be
cheaper than a second router (which might be less fancy than the R8000),
and the one-router Plan A would also be easier to administer.

> [...] would anything special have to be done to just use the R8000 as
> a WAP after the wired-only router?

   Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look
for Documentation.  Get the User Manual.  Look for "Use the Router as a
Wireless Access Point".  But I still think that Plan A (with more cable
and the (cheap, gigabit) Ethernet switch) would be a better choice.

[antinode]

> [...] Can i do this simply? [...]

   Define "simply".

> Model: C7000|Nighthawk - AC1900 WiFi Cable Modem Router

   Is this "the modem", or, if not, what is?  What feeds your R8000
router now?  How much cable are you willing/able to run between these
locations?

   A logically simple arrangement with some separation between the
wireless access point and some wired devices might look like:

      ISP --- modem --- wireless-router --- network-switch

where "---" could be a cable (of an appropriate type) of almost any
length.  This way, there's no need for a second router, only a network
switch to provide more Ethernet ports at the end of the cable.

   If cabling and/or geography forces the modem to be near the wired
devices, and far from the wireless devices, then it might make some
sense to place a router near the modem, but cascading multiple routers
can cause multiple problems, so you would probably want an arrangement
like:

      ISP --- modem --- router --- wireless-access-point

Here, the R8000 would be configured as a wireless access point (WAP),
rather than as a full-function router.  The serious router work would be
done by the new router.  As a WAP, the R8000 would be stupified, acting
as a simple network switch (with wireless capability).

> [...] What should I buy as the wired-only router?

   Something which has all the basic router functions which you want
(NAT, access control, port-forwarding, ...), with or without any
significant wireless capability?

> [...] I want to have a wired-only router with at least 4 (preferably
> more) ethernet outlets in front of this at the modem [...]

   A (cheap, gigabit) Ethernet switch can be used anywhere to fan-out
from an existing Ethernet port/cable.

[rscott57]

The modem is a separate modem provided by the cable company. 

The current configuation is ISP --- modem --- R8000 --- PCs,  where the cable modem is supplied by the cable company.

I guess the configuration that I want would be:

ISP --- modem --- wired-only-router --- wireless-access-point (with the wired router feeding some PCs, as well as the R8000 as a wireless access point 30 feet away.)

 What would be a good wired-only router, and would anything special have to be done to just use the R8000 as a WAP after the wired-only router?  Thanks.

[antinode · Accepted solution]

> I guess the configuration that I want would be:
>
> ISP --- modem --- wired-only-router --- wireless-access-point (with the
> wired router feeding some PCs, as well as the R8000 as a wireless access
> point 30 feet away.)

   Do you already have the cable installed for that 30-foot run?  If
your intention is to run a new cable for (a mere) 30 feet to get to the
R8000-as-WAP, then why not run two cables to that location, and use the
R8000 as your only router (Plan A)?  (The second cable would run from a
LAN Ethernet port on the R8000, back to a (cheap, gigabit) Ethernet
switch near the modem, to feed the wired clients there.)

> What would be a good wired-only router, [...]

   I haven't looked lately, and I don't know what your requirements are.
You might find it easier/cheaper to find a wireless router, and disable
its radio(s), if you really don't want to leave it/them operational.
Another 50 feet of cable and a (cheap, gigabit) Ethernet switch could be
cheaper than a second router (which might be less fancy than the R8000),
and the one-router Plan A would also be easier to administer.

> [...] would anything special have to be done to just use the R8000 as
> a WAP after the wired-only router?

   Visit http://netgear.com/support , put in your model number, and look
for Documentation.  Get the User Manual.  Look for "Use the Router as a
Wireless Access Point".  But I still think that Plan A (with more cable
and the (cheap, gigabit) Ethernet switch) would be a better choice.

[rscott57]

That may be my best option.  Thanks.