Double router in one network

[bizzy]

Guys please help! Here is the situation: I have a small network in where there is only ATT as the provider and 1.5 is the most we can get. With our computers we need to bump up the speed because its so slow. We tried everything and There is no other ISP in this area and no way to get faster speeds.
I installed a second independent internet line in order to split up the computers (8) and get faster speeds. So now we have 2 routers independent of each other. The problem is that we need to share files via a server that shares files.
How can I arrange this? Thanks in advance

 

[coxhaus]

Maybe you want to go to a load balancing router with one network and 2 internet connections. The inherent design of one network will allow you to share files. You cannot just connect the networks together because you are only allowed one DHCP server per network so you would need to figure a way around this issue.
You could setup a server with 2 NICs. One for each network. This would be limiting for the other machines.

 

[coxhaus]

The cheap and painful way to make this work is to turn off DHCP on both routers. All IP addresses, DNS server addresses and default gateways would need to be manually configured on each machine. You could then connect the networks together with a physical connection. You would need to create a static route to each of the other router for your inside networks. That way each router points to the other router for your inside networks. At this point the networks are routing traffic to each other. You should be able to ping all machines if done correctly. Windows machines will need a WINS server or an inside DNS server or LMhosts file on each machine, so they can find each other to function together. Apple machines will still have problems. I am not an Apple guy so I have not figured out how to make this work for Apple machines.

 

[coxhaus]

I have slept since I designed this network and I have a few additions. The above will hold true assuming the routers are on different networks. We might be able to make the design even easier by grouping the routers into one network with 2 different default gateways. The idea is to use like 192.168.0.1 for one router and the other router to use 192.168.0.2. Part of the machines will use 192.168.0.1 for their default gateway and the other part of the machines will use 192.168.0.2 for their default gateway. What this will buy you using the same network is you will not need static routing to the other network and you will not need a name server to find the windows machines on the other network. So I think this would be a simpler approach. One other thing make sure before you connect the routers on the same network that they different IP addresses.
PS.
I would still look at a load balancing router and let the router do the work.

 

[bizzy]

Thanks alot.
Which router do you recomend for balancing? If I changed to this type of router will i still have to change the IP's on the routers and computers or will the router do if for me?

 

[bizzy]

What do you think of the Cisco RV082?
Will this work and still have access to my file sharing server?

 

[coxhaus]

You know I owned a RV082 years ago. It was a stable slow router. I never ran 2 internet connections at the same time but I don’t remember it as actually load balancing. There is difference between load balancing and failover. Check the fine print.
I am currently running a TP-Link ER6120 router which would do it but it is a little expensive for what you want to do. I would check router charts for a current fast router as I think the RV082 is showing its age.

If you get a router you will run just the modems not the other routers.

 

[coxhaus]

We only discussed routing absent of everything else. Your wireless needs will need to be figured out. Something to consider before you buy a router. Can your current routers or one you already own be used as wireless APs? Do you need to consider wireless with your router purchase?

 

[bizzy]

we use wireless but its not too important. We can do without.
I assumed that wireless would still worked since both routers that we have are wireless capable.
I compared the TP-Link ER6120 and Cisco and they are about the same price. I will look into the TP link. If I use this router do i need to mess around with the configuration of the IP's on the routers and computers or will the router do if for me?

 

[Fraoch]

If I use this router do i need to mess around with the configuration of the IP's on the routers and computers or will the router do if for me?

The router will do it for you - it runs a DHCP server and will consider all your connected devices as one network.

The WAN balancing between two WAN connections is all done in the router.

To get wireless, just run one or more of the wireless routers you have on hand as a wireless AP. See here.

 

[bizzy]

Another question that I have is if this set up will ultimately speed up my internet speed drastically. Is it worth it?
I just hope that after all this I get significant speed bump and not be back in the same spot.

 

[coxhaus]

This setup is NOT going to drastically speed up internet access. The whole idea was to share files with multiple internet connections. Your internet connection speeds are limited by your internet provider not your network.

 

[bizzy]

OH! I thought this set up would speed up my internet as it will divide the computers and balance the speed requested by all the computers. By adding another internet line I thought I would get a speed bump and make my connection between the computers faster.
What would be the porpouse when a network would require sharing files between two internet connections if it would not change the speed?
thanks

 

[coxhaus]

I thought you already had 2 internet connections already. If you only have one connection and you are adding the second connection it will give you more bandwidth which will translate into more speed for all the computers.

 

[bizzy]

We originally had one internet connection. I had a second internet line installed but I have not linked them together because I didnt know how to make them work. So my main goal was to get faster internet speed in the office by linking both internet connections together.
So once i get the router and link both internet connections my speed should increase correct?
thanks

 

[coxhaus]

Yes and no. Bandwidth is different than speed. Computers run the same speed but as you use up bandwidth then they seem to slow down. So the same is true for as you add bandwidth then the computers don’t slow down so effectively they seem faster. I hope this makes sense.

 

[Fraoch]

So my main goal was to get faster internet speed in the office by linking both internet connections together.

That's more what would be referred to as "bonding" or aggregation. It's additive. That's not what most dual WAN routers do, instead they perform load balancing.

So once i get the router and link both internet connections my speed should increase correct?

Sort of. Your total speed won't increase, but your network will be less congested when two or more clients are accessing the Internet. The router will split the load over two WAN connections to ease congestion, balancing data over both WAN connections and spreading it out to attempt not to saturate one connection. It can saturate both connections of course, but it won't just saturate one and do nothing over the other.