I am trying to get the following config to work at home:
Cable modem -> 8-port unmanaged switch -> 6 ethernet connections to ports within the house.
One of these ports goes into a wireless router (Main floor) while the modem and switch are on a lower floor.
I cannot get any port other than Port 2 to work at the same time (port 1 is the input feed from the cable modem).
My challenge is that I cannot keep the wireless router downstairs as I will not get any signal strength on the floor above.
What si the best possible way for me to get coverage other than using multiple WiFi Access points?
I also think this config above is not secure since all the ports are not protected from the outside world.
Is this a setting from my ISP or the cable modem or would this be a problem with any ISP?
Appreciate any thoughts
Best Answer
You will probably need to get a second router. It does not need to be a WiFi router, but you need to have a router between your cable modem and your switch.
Reasoning:
Most residential ISPs only offer a single IP address to their customers. When you connect a switch to your cable modem each device connected to the switch attempts to get an IP address directly from your ISP. One device will get an IP and the rest will be left withouth.
When you connect a router between the modem and the switch the router gets the 1 IP address from your ISP and creates a new network with its own private pool of IP addresses that all of your devices can connect to.
If you do add a second router you will want to disable the DHCP server on your WiFi router and plug the Ethernet cable into one of the LAN ports instead of the WAN port.