2x RB951-2n

RouterOS Beginner Basics
1

I’ve been using a single RB951-2n (call it #1 for this post) as my home router for some time and really like it though its placement in the house isn’t ideal for wireless connectivity. I happen to have a second RB951-2n (#2) I’d like to set up more centrally but will need to use it as a switch and a WAP, leaving the original router as just a wired router.

On router #1 I have my incoming connection from the cable modem connected to port 1, a NAS connected to port 2 and then the second router is connected to port 3. Wireless is disabled on router 1.

On the second router I have the incoming connection from router #1 connected to port 1 and the remain 4 ports are connected to various devices. I’m running the wireless off of this router.

I’m pretty much a newbie when it comes to this type of thing and sort of hacked together a working solution by playing with the bridge settings. Does this seem like the best solution? Would I see improved performance if I connected the 2nd router up to the 1st using one of the other switch ports?

2

The default configuration of the RB951 uses the ether1 for wan, ether2 for master port, ether3-5 for slave ports of the master and a bridge between master port and wlan1 (the AP)
Don’t use the bridge setting on the switch 2 to put ether1 together with the rest of the ports.
If you want to use ether1 for switching just tell ether1 to be slave of master port (this will use the switch chip for that), usually port2, disable IP address on ether1 before, point the default route to the other switch gateway, disable dhcp, and use the bridge only to give access to the AP.
Obviously the lan IP of the second one must be in the same subnet, but have to be different, than the lan IP of the router1. You will use it only for management purposes.