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Can I have a network within a network?

M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
5
At the moment we have a wireless network in our house that everyone connects to. I have a time capsule that i use to back up my mbp, the time capsule connects to the wireless router.


What I would like to do is to have my own wireless network either using the time capsule as my router or a spare wireless router that I have. I will refer to this as router 2 for simplicity.

I would like to connect router 2 to router 1 only so that i can receive the internet that comes into the house. I would then like to connect my macbook pro and my time capsule as well as a network drive to router 2. This way I will have my own private little network.

Is this possible and would the internet speed be much slower as it would have to go through 2 routers.

Many thanks:)
 
M

mstrze

macrumors 68000
Nov 6, 2009
1,915
0
I do something similar. I have an AEBS as my 5GHz 802.11 n-only network (MB, Mini and ATV), then I have another Netgear router attached via ethernet cable, serving as the slower, 'g' network (iPhones, PC laptop and Wii)

You can absolutely attach one router to another and serve up two different networks. :D
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
5
thanks so much for your reply mstrze I think it would be really cool to have my own little private network :) (is that sad lol)

How do I go about setting it up do i need to use ethernet to connect the two routers or can i use wifi.

Thinking about it I would like to use my tc as the second router as it will save me from hunting around the garage to find the other!:)
 
M

mstrze

macrumors 68000
Nov 6, 2009
1,915
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macgrl said:
thanks so much for your reply mstrze I think it would be really cool to have my own little private network :) (is that sad lol)

How do I go about setting it up do i need to use ethernet to connect the two routers or can i use wifi.

Thinking about it I would like to use my tc as the second router as it will save me from hunting around the garage to find the other!:)
Click to expand...

Not sure if you can have a discrete network via wifi...someone with more expertise than I can answer that.

I know that your can extend an existing network via wifi...in situations where part of your home/apt may not get a great signal, you use another router in a location that has a signal, to serve as a stronger connecting point for the more distant computers.
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
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Is that like a network bridge? I may just have a play around and see what i can come up with :)
 
M

mstrze

macrumors 68000
Nov 6, 2009
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macgrl said:
Is that like a network bridge? I may just have a play around and see what i can come up with :)
Click to expand...

Not sure. I was using the terminology that Apple applies to it. Under the Airport Utility , it asks you if you want to set up a new network or if you want to "extend an existing network".
 
belvdr

belvdr

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2005
5,945
1,372
You can't link them over WiFi, because the WiFi interface sits on the internal network of both devices. You need to connect the WAN interface of router 2 to a LAN interface of router 1.
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
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I will have a look at that extend and existing network section. Does that mean that the new extended part won't be private?:)
 
belvdr

belvdr

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2005
5,945
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macgrl said:
I will have a look at that extend and existing network section. Does that mean that the new extended part won't be private?:)
Click to expand...

If you extend via WiFi, you are extending the existing wireless, thus it is shared, not private.
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
5
Thats what i thought. Is there a way to add a second router / wireless network to an existing network to create a private network.

All I need the second router to do is to pick up the wireless internet from the first router. then i can just connect my devices to that second router
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
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within the time capsule set up is says that you can create a second network but that you need to connect via ethernet. I want to connect wirelessly.:)
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
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From having a hunt around the internet, I think that I may need a wireless bridge? Am I correct in thinking this. Would one allow me to do what i want to do
 
belvdr

belvdr

macrumors 603
Aug 15, 2005
5,945
1,372
macgrl said:
From having a hunt around the internet, I think that I may need a wireless bridge? Am I correct in thinking this. Would one allow me to do what i want to do
Click to expand...

If you are using either two AEBS or TCs, you cannot connect them wirelessly and run two different subnets. Those devices are configured to have the wireless on the internal LAN side, not the WAN.
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
5
Thanks for the reply. I currently have a belkin g wireless router as the main router in the house with the broadband connection plugged into it. The second router that I was hoping to use would either be TC or a Buffalo wbmr g125 wireless router. But as you said it wouldn't be possible to do what I want with those. What would I need to get to make this possible? I have included a diagram of what I would like as my setup :) I suppose the alternative would be to set up my own private network without connecting to the first router and so not having any internet on my private network.
 

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M

mstrze

macrumors 68000
Nov 6, 2009
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Why can't you just plug your TC or Buffalo wbmr g125 into the Belkin router with an ethernet cable?

Your computer will still be able to connect to your TC or Buffalo router wirelessly...and this will be all you need to do to create a personal wireless network.

Unless you somehow don't have physical access to the 'original' Belkin router??
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
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I could plug it in with an ethernet cable but that would mean having cables running through the house or drilling holes. If I have to then that may be something that I will have to do. If it can be done wirelessly I would prefer that as it would be neater:)
 
M

mstrze

macrumors 68000
Nov 6, 2009
1,915
0
macgrl said:
I could plug it in with an ethernet cable but that would mean having cables running through the house or drilling holes. If I have to then that may be something that I will have to do. If it can be done wirelessly I would prefer that as it would be neater:)
Click to expand...

Why run cables through walls?

Place the TC or Buffalo right next to the other router and use a 2 ft cable to connect them.

You can get the Belkin's signal now, right? You are obviously close enough for wireless access to work for you.
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
5
mstrze said:
Why run cables through walls?

Place the TC or Buffalo right next to the other router and use a 2 ft cable to connect them.

You can get the Belkin's signal now, right? You are obviously close enough for wireless access to work for you.
Click to expand...


How dumb am I of course I can place the 2 routers together. Sorry lol:eek:

I have plugged an ethernet cable into a lan port on each router

What do I do then?:)
 
J

JGruber

macrumors 6502
Feb 13, 2006
348
2
I'm more interested in why you would want a separate network like this?

The way I do it at my house is like this.

High Speed Internet Modem > AEBS in "dual" mode w/ Guest Networking enabled.

My MBP, wife's MBP are on the "N" freq, or on the "Main" network (10.0.0.x) and my iPhone, 2 Dell PC's, 2 Dell servers are all on the "Guest Network (172.x.x.x)" Dell Laptops are wireless, and the servers are wired, into a Cisco2950, which is programmed to use the 172.x.x.x network. Seem's complex, but I have a lot of devices on in my house.
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
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I wanted to set up my own private little network for all my devices. Keep them separate from everyone else in the house.:) Also I like to learn how to do new things
 
J

JGruber

macrumors 6502
Feb 13, 2006
348
2
Makes sense, do you have the TC with built in dual band or guest networking?

That would make things 10x easier, and you would be on your 'private network'.

You can use the main network and use the other PC's on the Guest network. The 2 networks can't see eachother, thus allowing you to do your own thing.
 
M

macgrl

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 17, 2008
1,192
5
How would I find out if my TC has that. I bought it in november 2008.:)

There is a setting within my tc that says connect to a network using ethernet to extend the network or create a second network

I don't know whether to use my buffalo as the second router or the tc. I have plugged in the buffalo to the belkin (main router ) for the moment.
 
J

JGruber

macrumors 6502
Feb 13, 2006
348
2
macgrl said:
How would I find out if my TC has that. I bought it in november 2008.:)
Click to expand...

It might not have it, but if it did, it would show up in section show below in the SS.
 

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D

dmmcintyre3

macrumors 68020
Mar 4, 2007
2,131
3
Just connect a ethernet cable to the wan port on the TC and you will have another private network.
 
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