I am buying a new router (Netgear Nighhawk X6) that should be able to handle the dozen or so wireless devices we have as I believe Im overloading the 2 olders routers capabilities and/or to eliminate conflicts between the 2 routers

Currently, I have two wireless Netgear RangeMax routers, one on the south side of the house where the cable enters the house in my office and one in the center of the house that I had to put in to reach the garage/shop side of the house.

Q1) Can I or should I use one of the old routers as a simple switch (and hardwire the desktop, printer and Xbox in my office and use the 4th port to send the signal to the new improved wireless router in the center of the house.

Q2) Or should I forward the main line directly to the center of the house because using the router as a switch as above will dilute the internet speed currently at 50mps from my provider?

Also, how do you turn off the wireless portion of the router to use it as a simple switch?

This post was edited on 4/18/15 at 7:51 pm

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Posted by Meauxjeaux

98836 posts including my alters

Member since Jun 2005

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Posted on 4/18/15 at 8:41 pm to Crow Pie

Go option 1. And there should be an option in setup to turn wireless off.

This post was edited on 4/18/15 at 8:43 pm

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Posted by Meauxjeaux

98836 posts including my alters

Member since Jun 2005

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Posted on 4/19/15 at 8:39 am to Meauxjeaux

BTW, I forgot to add, the correct way to hook it up is to use the WAN(Internet) port on the router in the office to connect to the internet and the switch ports to connect to your PC, Printer, XBox and the last one run to the middle of the house router.

Then at that router, ignore the WAN(Internet) port and connect into one of the switch ports. Then that router will just act like an access point.

You could actually leave wireless on on both devices and just connect to the one you had a stronger signal.

This post was edited on 4/19/15 at 8:41 am

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Posted by davesdawgs

Georgia - Class of '75

Member since Oct 2008

20307 posts

Posted on 4/19/15 at 10:48 am to Crow Pie

I'm using your Q1) setup using an old Linksys router as a switch; seems to work well. And I'm getting a good wireless signal throughout the house with a pretty new Netgear wireless router. The Negear router was much easier to setup btw. Good luck.

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Posted by Crow Pie

Neuro ICU - Tulane Med Center

Member since Feb 2010

25294 posts

Posted on 4/19/15 at 9:49 pm to davesdawgs

Thanks for the setup info, hopefully when the X6 gets here tomorrow the setup will be as easy as they describe.

Does anyone know how to disable the WiFi portion of the old router (turn it into a switch) so that there are not conflicts. One of the problems i was having was the mobile devices trying to switch to the other router as I walk from one side to the other. That's one of the 2 main reason I am going with one updated wifi station.

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