menu
close

Router Cascading - A Complete Guide

Are you trying to add a new router to your existing home network?

Or are you simply trying to extend your existing LAN?

Then you must learn the concept of router cascading. It is the art of adding new routers to the existing primary router.


Without knowing how to perform router cascading, you will fail to add an extra router successfully to the network.



In this tutorial, you will learn how to connect additional routers to the current network by cascading routers without having any network issues.

This tutorial covers the theoretical concept of router cascading. To read the practical guide, I recommend you read the following article.



There are two ways to cascade a router to another router. Before configuring the second router for router cascade, ensure that it has no connection to the main router (where the broadband modem is connected).


Different Methods to Cascade Two Routers

  1. LAN to LAN Router Cascade

    In this method, we connect an Ethernet cable to one of the LAN ports of the primary router to one of the LAN ports of the secondary router.


    In this method, we extend the same network.



    In this method, the devices connected to the second router and the first router are in the same network and can communicate with each other directly.

  2. LAN to WAN Router Cascade

    Let me explain the LAN to WAN Router Cascading.


    Here we create a new network using the second router.



    Each new routers added to the network using this method create new networks.

Let us check each method in detail. Each method has different effects in extending a network.


Before configuring the settings on the second router, you must have the IP address of the first router.




LAN to LAN Router Cascading Method



We use LAN to LAN Cascading when you want the same network address for devices connected to the second router.


In this method, the second router acts as a switch to extend the current network.



Let us check how to do LAN to LAN Router Cascading.

  1. Connect your computer to the LAN Port of the Second Router using an Ethernet cable.

  2. Log in to Second Router

    Access the router’s web-based setup page{Second Router}. To learn how to access the web-based setup page of a router, visit the link below.

    How to Find the Login Address Of My Router?

  3. Change the IP Address of Router 2

    When the router’s web-based setup page appears, look for the Local IP Address and change it to “192.168.X.Y { Most commonly router IP address is 192.168.X.1 where X and Y start from 0 to 255 }. We must ensure that Y is a number between 0 to 255 and is out of the DHCP range of router 1.


    Example

    IP Address of the Primary Router - 192.168.1.1

    Subnet Mask - 255.255.255.0

    Then Assign the IP Address 192.168.1.200 to the second router.



    Explanation: Assign IP address 192.168.X.200 (Where X is the same value as in router 1. Eg the X value of router 1 with address 192.168.1.5 is 1) to the second router where the IP address of the first router(main router connected to the modem) is 192.168.X.1.

  4. Disable DHCP On Router 2

    When the web-based setup page opens, look for DHCP Server and click Disable. Do not forget to save the changes.

    Click Advanced Routing and change Operating Mode to Router. (It may be different depending on the router models and vendor.}.

  5. Connect Router 2 to Router 1

    Connect a LAN Port of Router 1 to a LAN Port of Router 2 using an Ethernet cable.

    1. Connect a standard Ethernet network cable to one of the numbered Ethernet ports on the first router, where the broadband modem is connected.

    2. Then, connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to one of the LAN ports of the router that you have just configured.


If the primary router has an IP address of 192.168.0.1 with a DHCP range of 100, then the second router should have an IP address of 192.168.0.101. Then only this kind of router cascade works.

Many users use this method to cascade a new wireless router with an existing wired router to extend the primary router to connect other wireless devices and still have the same network addresses assigned by the first router.

This method is helpful when a user needs to cascade a wireless router with another existing router in the network. Do not confuse this method with the step to cascade two wireless routers.


LAN to WAN Router Cascade (Method 2)



Before connecting a router to another router in the LAN to WAN cascade Method, ensure that both routers have different IP addresses.


LAN to WAN Router Cascading creates one more network.



If both routers have the same IP address, you need to change the IP address of the second router to prevent any conflict.

Steps to configure the second router in the LAN to WAN cascading method are:


  1. Make sure Both Routers have Different Network Addresses

    If both routers have the same network addresses, change them.


    Check the third octet and ensure both have different third octet numbers.

    Example: 192.168.1.5 for the primary router and 192.168.2.1 for the second router.



    If both routers have the same third octet number, proceed to step 2.

  2. Change Third Octet of Router 2 IP Address

    Access the second router’s web-based setup page and look for the Local IP Address. Change the local IP to 192.168.X.1.

    X is any number between 0 to 255 except the number in the first router.


    If the IP address of the first router is 192.168.5.1, then X of the second router is any number between 0 to 255 other than 5.



    Do not forget to save the settings.

  3. Make sure the DHCP server on the second router is on.

  4. Connect the Second router to the WAN port of the First router

    Connect a standard Ethernet network cable to one of the numbered Ethernet ports on the first router, where the broadband modem is connected.

    Then connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to the Internet port of the second router (that you have just configured).


Cascading Routers From Different Vendors


One of the most asked questions from my readers is about possible issues with cascading routers from different vendors. There are no issues with cascading them.



You can cascade a Linksys router with a Belkin router or D-Link router without any problems. It is because router cascading is vendor-free.

Can I Cascade Three Routers?


Yes, you can cascade three or more routers.






Router cascading and Internet Speed


Some users complain about reduced Internet speed after performing router cascade. I suggest you read the tutorial below to fix that issue.

How to speed up your Internet connection