How To Extend Your Wi-Fi Network With A Second Router

Step 4

Connect this second router with a network cable to a PC, which is not on your network.  You could turn off your main router for a short time whilst you setup this slave router.  If you only have access to one PC, then disconnect it from your working network temporarily.  Once attached, revisit the information found in Step 1 again with this router, to access the configuration page and make a note of the information.

Step 5

You need to navigate to the Wi-Fi settings page. Enable wireless and change the wireless network name to the same as the primary router and choose a channel that is far from what the primary router is using. It is important to match the security type exactly and enter the exact same password you use for Wi-Fi on your primary router.

Step 6

You now need to make the slave router run alongside the primary one by giving it a fixed IP address.  You do this by navigating to the LAN setup page.  You now need to give the router an IP address in the same range as the IP addresses given out the main router, but outside of the range that is automatically assigned by DHCP. You need to stop the slave router giving out IP addresses to connected devices-the primary router should still undertake this.  You need to disable DHCP by un-ticking it on the configuration page. Now you need to assign a fixed IP address.  For example, the main router has an address of 192.168.1.1 and that it’s setup to issue addresses – by DHCP – between 192.168.1.2 and 192.168.1.49. You should go above that range, so give the slave router an IP address of 192.168.1.50. You need to make a note of this information, as you may need it to access this router later.

You need to remember on each configuration page to ‘save settings’ at the bottom of each page as you go along. It is also important to remember that once you have change the router’s IP address you will then have to wait for it to reboot and then access it by typing the new IP address into your browser’s address bar.