Review of 3 router network settings
Review of 3 router network settings
I updated the network setup with more than one router and wanted to verify if these changes were appropriate. Previously, all routers were connected directly to each other via LAN, and DHCP was limited to the internet router. I used UPnP on the internet router only, since it didn’t support QoS on the WAN side. To fix this, I set up a DMZ where the internet router connects to the PC router’s LAN and WAN, which required disabling UPnP on the internet router and enabling it on the PC router. After adjusting these settings, everything functioned as expected—configurations were accessible from all devices, and UPnP worked correctly. My main concern was whether this arrangement was optimal or if a different approach would have been better. The left side of the diagrams doesn’t affect my current needs, as it’s just a Wi-Fi setup for phones.
This scenario is ideal when you need more than just extra access points—like when multiple networks must coexist, share resources, or require specific security settings that a single AP can't handle. It also helps test potential conflicts or misconfigurations that could affect performance.
you're correct in seeking more information about the setup. The left router runs a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi device at low power, the middle one acts like a standard modem without Wi-Fi, and the right one is a new Wi-Fi 6 router. I can only connect LTE antennas, not Wi-Fi, because it drains battery quickly—usually less than a day. Adding the LTE router helped. I own two separate LTE devices with different networks, both affecting my phone's battery life. The last router on the right is Wi-Fi 6, which I want to connect directly for streaming and gaming on a VR headset. My idea is to route all internet traffic through the router where it's connected, so the system can detect the network automatically without needing UPnP. I'm not using DMZ, so I'm behind double NAT. I had to forward ports between devices but avoided UPnP by manually setting a constant port for the device. My main concern is whether configuring DMZ as I did exposes the Wi-Fi 6 router just like the LTE one before, and if disabling DMZ would simply switch which router is visible online. I'm also curious if the initial "all LAN" configuration remains appropriate later on.
I'm handling this charge, overlooked the third potential option and thought only about my home routers.
I found this configuration overly complicated. I wouldn’t have arranged it this way. The routers labeled ‘left’ and ‘right’ shouldn’t operate in router mode, particularly since they’re on the same subnet; they should function in AP mode instead. That way, you won’t need to worry about DMZ, firewall, or QoS settings, as these would be handled by the central router.
left router isn't suitable for AP mode, right one is fine but I'm uncertain about QOS functionality. It might help reviewing the previous setup—QOS didn't work when using LAN port instead of WAN port. Only the right router supports QOS, while the middle one handles LTE. The left unit is unnecessary but currently operational. From what I found online, QOS typically works only over WAN.
This might be possible, but you're looking for three layers of NAT?