Configure the sub network independently from the primary router without LAN connectivity.
Configure the sub network independently from the primary router without LAN connectivity.
Your devices linked to your router will be able to see each other depending on their settings. The "Main router" typically controls access, so visibility depends on configuration.
They'll share the same network segment and broadcast area, making them reachable from both the main router and vice versa. You should be able to do this, though you might need to adjust discovery settings so access requires knowing device IPs or trying to connect. For configuration, don't worry too much about the details—just plug in the router, link a LAN port to your switch, enable bridge mode, and turn off DHCP on the router's GUI under LAN. Alternatively, keep a DHCP server running on your router and set it to the higher subnet range. It's not perfect, but with around 200 devices it should work fine. For instance, in Command Prompt on your PC, type "ipconfig" to see the Default Gateway, which shows the main router's IP and subnet. If the gateway is 192.168.1.1 with a mask of 255.255.255.0, on the router you'd adjust the DHCP settings accordingly.
Observe that this setup won’t function if the upstream device supports WPA. The guidelines indicate only Open and WEP are available. This seems to reflect a general constraint of WDS. A better option might be to use a router that supports flashing with Tomato or OpenWRT, operating in “Client Bridge” mode. Unlike WDS bridging that treats the router as a repeater for the entire network, “Client Bridge” lets the router use wireless as its WAN while maintaining its own LAN for wired and wireless clients. The disadvantage is that whenever the router reconnects the WAN wireless connection, the LAN wireless will temporarily disappear. This usually isn’t a problem for fixed configurations with one upstream wireless, but can become problematic in environments like hotels. Another solution involves placing two routers side by side. The first operates solely in Client mode—using wireless only for WAN, avoiding LAN wireless entirely, and supplying LAN via Ethernet ports—while the second can run in regular mode or AP mode (or simply connect an AP to the client router).
Typically a 30€ TP Link access point fits into the "Client" mode.