You're not sure how to set up your home network yet!
You're not sure how to set up your home network yet!
So i'm moving soon into a duplex I bought with my brother. Now we are only going to pay for 1 internet service but im having trouble with how to set it up. here is what I think might work , let me know if i'm wrong. the Line comes in to the house and into modem , I connect the Modem to a Switch ( Unmanaged ? Managed ? ) then one cable from the switch goes to the bottom floor connected to a router and one goes upstairs and does the same ? later on I might want to add a switch upstairs to route ethernet into the walls during construction. in terms of speeds , will I see any meaningfull impact ? the speed is 300mb up/down. Share your suggestions if you have any and thanks in advance for the responses !
You should reverse everything. Your ISP will probably assign just one external IP address and place a switch there, assuming it's a standalone modem (not a combo unit). Putting a switch between the modem and the router means both routers will need an IP, with one receiving it and the other missing it. If your setup is Modem → Router → Switch per floor, you can use one AP or two as needed for wireless coverage. You won't have to worry about IP conflicts or one router getting an IP while the other doesn't.
It would connect to either the switch or the router, depending on your setup. Currently you have a modem connected to a router, which then links to another router. The issue seems to be that speeds change unpredictably between the second router, suggesting a possible configuration problem or interference.
The AP would link to the switch. If you have more than 254 devices across wired and wireless connections, you won’t face IP address shortages or need to expand the subnet. When you navigate Modem > Router > Router, potential problems like double NAT, conflicting IPs, and performance drops may occur. Connecting routers can work with double NAT, but issues tend to appear quickly and complicate things significantly.
What's a VLAN? It sounds confusing, but it's a networking concept. You'll want to learn more about it.