Title: Cascading or Connecting a Linksys router to another router Article ID: 3733

Cascading is a term used when connecting a router to another router. This connection is done if you want to:

Improve the performance of the network without removing your older router Connect more devices (wired and wireless) Expand the wireless network range Isolate the network traffic

In this scenario, the main router can either be Linksys or a third party and will be referred to as the main router. The second router should be Linksys and will be called secondary router. If you want to cascade a non-Linksys router to the main router, you need to call its manufacturer for support. IMPORTANT: The main router should have an active Internet connection before cascading the secondary router; otherwise you need to set it up first. Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) if you cant connect to the Internet directly from your modem. If your main router is non-Linksys, you need to contact the manufacturer for support; however, if it is Linksys, click here. NOTE: The wireless equivalent of cascading is called bridging. This method is officially supported only by selected router models. For more information and instructions in setting your router as a wireless bridge, click here. There are two (2) ways to cascade a Linksys router to another router: i. LAN to LAN Connecting one of the Ethernet ports (LAN ports) of the Linksys router (main router) to one of the Ethernet ports (LAN ports) of another router (secondary router). This type of cascading requires the main and the secondary routers to be on the same LAN IP segment to allow the computers and other devices to connect to both routers. This configuration is recommended if you want to share files and resources within the network. For a video tutorial on this setup, click here. ii. LAN to WAN Connecting one of the Ethernet ports (LAN ports) of the main router to the Internet port (WAN port) of the secondary router. This type of cascading requires the main router and the secondary router to have different IP segments. This connection makes it easier to identify which router the computers and other devices in the network are connected to since they will have different LAN IP segments. However, computers that are connected to the main router will not be able to communicate with the secondary router, and vice versa since there are two (2) different networks. NOTE: Before you connect a Linksys router to another router, make sure that both routers have different IP addresses. This is necessary to avoid conflict and connectivity issues in the local network if they have similar IP addresses. In this case, you need to change the IP address of the secondary router. For instructions on how to change the routers LAN IP address, click here. Cascading the Linksys router to another router (LAN-LAN) Step 1: Check and take note of the IP address of the main router. For detailed instructions on how to do this, click here.

Step 2: Connect a computer to the secondary router (desktop or laptop to one of the Ethernet ports of the second router).

Step 3: Access the setup page of the secondary router. For instructions, click here. If youre using a Mac computer, click here. Step 4: Under the Basic Setup sub-tab, look for IP Address or Local IP Address. NOTE: If the IP address is the same as the main router, change the fourth octet (the number in the fourth box) to a different value. Example: Main router: 192.168.1.1 -> Secondary router should be: 192.168.1.2

Step 5: For the DHCP Server Setting, set the DHCP Server to Disabled.

Step 6: Click Save Settings. Step 7: Unplug the cable from your computer and connect it to one of the Ethernet ports on the main router.

Step 8: Powercycle the secondary router and once the Power light is solid, you may now check your Internet connection. QUICK TIP: If your routers are both wireless, you may or may not synchronize the wireless settings. Should you prefer to set two (2) different network names in your LAN-to-LAN type of connection, you can still do file sharing since the IP segment of the second wireless network will still be within the range of the main wireless network. Cascading the Linksys router to another router (LAN-WAN) Step 1: Check and take note of the IP address of the main router. For detailed instructions on how to do this, click here. Step 2: Connect a computer to the secondary router (desktop or laptop to one of the Ethernet ports of the secondary router).

Step 3: Access the setup page of the secondary router. For instructions, click here. If youre using a Mac computer, click here. Step 4: Under the Basic Setup sub-tab, look for IP Address or Local IP Address. NOTE: If the IP address is the same as the main router, change the third octet (the number in the third box) to a different value. Make sure that the Subnet Mask is 255.255.255.0. This will set the secondary router to a different IP segment from the main router. Example: Main router: 192.168.1.1 -> Secondary router should be: 192.168.2.1

NOTE: In cascading routers, the secondary routers DHCP must be enabled. However, by default, the DHCP is already enabled. To enable the DHCP of your router, go to the Basic Setup page of your router then click Enabled on the DHCP Server Setting. Step 5: Click Save Settings. Step 6: Unplug the cable from your computer and connect it to one of the Ethernet ports on the main router. Step 7: Transfer the Ethernet cable connected to the secondary router to its Internet port.

Step 8: Powercycle the secondary router and once the Power light is solid, you may now check your Internet connection. QUICK TIP: If your routers are both wireless, you may or may not synchronize the wireless settings. NOTE: A single router that is set in Bridge mode will disable the Guest access of the router. In cascading routers, specifically LAN to LAN connections, setting the second router to Bridge mode would not allow access for guests. However, guest access is still permissible if the connections are LAN to WAN. Cascading your Linksys router to another router is one way of expanding your local network. If you want to further improve the performance of your local network without going through the cascading process, you may install the following devices:

Title: Accessing the routers web-based setup page Article ID: 3676

All Linksys routers have a built-in web-based setup page that allows the user to customize settings and set up advanced properties. This article will guide you on how to access the web-based setup page of your Linksys wireless router using a Windows-based computer. QUICK TIP: To know how to access the router's web-based setup page using a Mac computer, click here. NOTE: Before accessing the routers web-based setup page, make sure the router is powered ON and the computer is wired to one of the Ethernet ports on the router (1, 2, 3 or 4).

NOTE: The image may vary depending on the model of your router and the type of computer you are using. Accessing the routers web-based setup page After connecting your computer to the router, make sure that the LED corresponding to the port where the computer is connected to is ON. Step 1: Launch a web browser like Internet Explorer. Step 2: In the Address bar, enter your routers IP address then press [Enter]. NOTE: The routers default IP address is 192.168.1.1. If it doesnt work or if the IP address has been changed, check your Linksys router's IP address. For instructions, click here.

QUICK TIP: For E4200 v2 router, you can enter http://myrouter.local on the Address bar to access the web based setup page or enter the default IP address. Step 3: Enter your router's User name and Password then click OK.

NOTE: The default password is admin and you may leave the User name field blank. The routers password can be changed by: Running the routers setup CD. Changing it on the routers web-based setup page. To learn how, click here. The routers web-based setup page should now appear like the one below:

NOTE: The image varies depending on the router model youre using. It can be similar to the image below:

Unable to access the routers web-based setup page If you are unable to access your routers web-based setup page, reset your router. To learn how to reset your router, click here. After resetting, try re-accessing the setup page by using the 192.168.1.1 default IP address. If you are still encountering problems accessing the routers web-based setup page, click here for troubleshooting instructions.