Using two netgear routers to make two wifi networks

[Mike521]

Hi all, I have a Netgear Nighthawk X10 router (R9000) that has been in use for years. I'd like to add a separate wifi network, powered by a separate router, in another part of my house. I have an ethernet line running from the R9000 to the location where the second router will be, and I ordered an R6700AX to serve as the second router.

Is it as simple as just giving the R6700 a static IP address, and using a different name for the wifi network it will create? Or are there some other settings I should adjust?

thanks!

[michaelkenward]

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@Mike521 wrote:

Is it as simple as just giving the R6700 a static IP address, and using a different name for the wifi network it will create?

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No. Two routers on your network can cause headaches. For example, you can end up with local address problems. Among other things, the other router can misdirect addresses that the Netgear router usually handles, such as routerlogin.net or the usual IP address for a router, 192.168.1.1.

This explains some of the other drawbacks.

What is Double NAT? | Answer | NETGEAR Support

Unless you have specific reasons for using two routers – to create two separate networks for example – it is often easier to use just one router and then to set up the second router as a wifi access point. Netgear advises this, as does just about every site you will visit.

But that has its own drawbacks:

Disabled Features on the Router when set to AP Mode | Answer | NETGEAR Support

You can set up the second AP mode router with whatever SSID you like. Whether or not that provides the sort of network you want, only you can tell.

[Mike521]

Thanks for the info - if I set the second router as an Access Point and give it it's own network name, will devices connected to it be able to "see" devices on the main router's network, and vice versa?

This is for two apartments that are sharing ISP, so they don't want to accidentally connect to each other's Amazon Echos, Google Homes, smart TVs, etc

[michaelkenward]

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@Mike521 wrote:

Thanks for the info - if I set the second router as an Access Point and give it it's own network name, will devices connected to it be able to "see" devices on the main router's network, and vice versa?

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You'll need an expert for that. There are plenty around here.

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This is for two apartments that are sharing ISP, so they don't want to accidentally connect to each other's Amazon Echos, Google Homes, smart TVs, etc

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Everything has to pass through a router at some stage. So Internet of Things (IoT) stuff and TVs will show up on the router's list of attached devices. I suspect that you will not be able to hide everything from the router, but the important things to consider are files on local devices and websites you access.

You are talking about an atypical network here, not the sort of arrangement that comes with the default settings in Netgear's consumer stuff.