[Samwardill]

I am trying to make my home network robust. I am using the router provided by my Internet provider as dhcp and I have a couple of old routers from previous Internet providers that I am using as switches (with dhcp turned off) and also to provide wireless signal in other rooms. The routers I'm using as switches are connected to the hub via power line network.

The first thing that I intend to do is to hard wire one of the old routers (acting as switch) to the main hub (instead of power line). I'm looking for other advice.

Is there an optimal way to set up multiple switches from one router?

Would there be any advantage to buying a dedicated switch rather than using an old router with dhcp turned off?

I currently have the old routers set up on a different wireless from the hub. Is it possible to use the same ssid on all hubs?

The old routers are O2 wireless box iii. The new hub is bt home hub 3.

[LincolnSpector]

Hi, Sam, and welcome to the forums.

Probably the easiest way to do this would be to buy some Powerline WiFi adapters. You set them up to use the same network name and password as the router, then plug them.

Of course, you'd have to buy them, while you already own the routers. I've never set up a router for that particular purpose, so I really can't give you any meaningful advise on the settings.

Lincoln

[smax013]

Samwardill, on 28 September 2012 - 09:34 PM, said:

I am trying to make my home network robust. I am using the router provided by my Internet provider as dhcp and I have a couple of old routers from previous Internet providers that I am using as switches (with dhcp turned off) and also to provide wireless signal in other rooms. The routers I'm using as switches are connected to the hub via power line network.

The first thing that I intend to do is to hard wire one of the old routers (acting as switch) to the main hub (instead of power line). I'm looking for other advice.

Is there an optimal way to set up multiple switches from one router?

Not that I am aware of...but then I know enough about networking "to be dangerous", so to speak. In my case, I just make sure my switches connection directly to my router rathe than another switch.

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Would there be any advantage to buying a dedicated switch rather than using an old router with dhcp turned off?

If turning off DHCP on your old router(s) does completely, effectively turn those routers into just network switches with built-in WiFi access points, then no there should be no advantage.

The way to test things is to run a Speedtest.net from a computer connected into one of the secondary routers and then run the test with that computer directly connected into the primary router. If you are getting basically the same results, then there should be no advantage.

Quote

I currently have the old routers set up on a different wireless from the hub. Is it possible to use the same ssid on all hubs?

The old routers are O2 wireless box iii. The new hub is bt home hub 3.

I believe you should be able to use the same SSID. If you are not using some "extend your network" function built into the router, there might be some "renegotiation" process as you go from one router's connection to another. I have never played with such a setup WITHOUT using some "extend your network" (I have a secondary WiFi router that "extends" my WiFi network with a function built into the routers), so I don't know if there would be problems. It does not hurt to try it and see how well it works.