How to extend wifi and set up guest network


Hazel123

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Wondering if anyone can advise please. As per another thread, I've just got Starlink internet - which comes with it's own router. All is working fine but the router doesn't have the option for guest networks. My Asus router, however, does have the option for guest networks (and was being used until the Starlink arrived). I have one guest network (own password) for the smart devices and one for visitors (own password also).

I read that you can connect another router to the Starlink one and use the guest network on the second router. Can someone explain to me how this works as can't get my head around it.

So the wifi is coming from the Starlink router. The Asus router would be connected to it by an ethernet attachment. The Asus router would then be set up how? With a different network name and password? Or the same as the starlink one.

Basically the Asus router would become an extender - so if it has guest networks - what happens to the bit of wifi between the Starlink router and the Asus router which doesn't have a guest network? I am confused!
 

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WiFi repeaters, extenders and access points all improve your WiFi signal and range, however, they do it in different ways. A WiFi extender connects directly to your router using ethernet and creates a new WiFi network. An access point also connects using ethernet. A WiFi repeater connects to your network wirelessly and rebroadcasts your existing network signal and ssid. ( The biggest downside of a repeater is it essentially halves your wireless bandwidth which slows your network. It wouldn't work for what you want either because you have need of a totally separate ssid for guests)

I used ethernet and configured my old router as an AP. Not all routers have this option available. I assigned it its own ssid and use it for both wired and wireless devices at the far end of my house and into the yard without any loss of bandwidth in my connections as I would have had if I had used repeaters.
 

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I have a setup similar to yours but with different router brands. The process, however, will be similar:

1.) In my case, to avoid WiFi interference I turned off the wifi radio in my main router from my service provider

2.) I left the main router's DHCP IP address assignment functioning so that only one router was issuing all the IP addresses for the network (regardless of whether the device connected via ethernet or wifi)

3.) I then connected from the main router to my wifi router via ethernet (I chose to assign my second router a static IP address as this makes management easier)

4.) Once the routers are connected to one another via ethernet, then you can use your ASUS router to provide both standard and guest WiFi networks within your environment
NOTE: To keep everything on the same IP network address space, connect the Ethernet from your Starlink router from one of its LAN ports to a LAN port on your ASUS router

Hope this helps
 

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