Discussing router and modem communication
Discussing router and modem communication
I'm discussing a setup with a dual-band modem/router combo and a separate Wi-Fi router. Would you like to know if using just the Arris modem and connecting the Netgear as the router offers any advantages?
Purely spec-wise (on paper), no. Combo units however are often known to perform less favorably than separate modems and routers, with heat generation being the main issue. Unless you're having problems though, I see no reason to change your setup. Someone else correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure you can't have two routers on the same network. If you want to do something like that, you'd need a proper range extender or access point.
You might want two routers for better performance. Your ISP’s combo units are of poor quality just to market free routers. A dedicated unit is always better. Each one runs faster, offers more reliability, extends range, and gives you more control over settings. Short version: pick the Netgear router if possible.
Eh, you could, technically (fail over/disable DHCP in one of them) but there's little/no reason for it in a home setting and you usually want to avoid it (Double NAT unless you can enable Bridged Mode in the Modem/Router.). Chances are if OP is already getting the advertised speeds he's paying for introducing a new router isn't going to make his Internet any faster. The situation could be different if the AC1750 has better wireless connectivity and he wants to communicate with other local devices but I haven't checked the spec on the two of them yet.
The Netgear router needs to connect to the cable modem to access the internet. Apart from improved Wi-Fi, there’s essentially no advantage from adding another router. Connecting via a wired link to the second router would only increase latency and add extra firewalls.
You can turn off the firewall on the primary router and configure it to work in bridged mode. Would delays become an issue over Ethernet?
Well if it has a bridge mode, that usually disables the firewall automatically. If it doesn't have bridge mode, almost all routers can usually still be manually placed into "AP Mode" or "bridge mode" by disabling the Firewall/NAT, DHCP, and assigning it an IP on the existing subnet. It can be a bit jank on some routers though. No. I mean, eventually, sure, if you're daisy chaining like a dozen switches or something. But in real world performance, the latency between just the combo unit vs the combo unit + another router setup as an AP is going to be negligible. You might not even be able to measure the difference. This is a generalization, and while often true, it's not always. The Gateway the OP is talking about is one of the ARRIS Surfboard series - which are among the better Gateways.
I’m a bit delayed but I’m using one modem/router plus two more routers. Each has Wi-Fi too. The main challenge is adjusting the IP addresses and channel settings.
I want to understand what you're referring to by "offset address ranges." Are you describing each router having its own separate subnet (like Gateway: 192.168.0.1 - Router #1: 192.168.1.1 - Router #2: 192.168.2.1), or is the DHCP Address Pool arranged in segments with specific ranges assigned by the network devices?