Virginmedia Superhub capable of producing two wireless networks?

thor

I am due to be upgraded from 20M to 30M by Virginmedia soon and will be getting a Superhub from them(as I was informed that my current setup of vm modem and belkin router won't be able to handle 30M).
As I understand it, the superhub has a wireless router function which can be disabled but has anyone used it with a normal router connected as well? I'm thinking that would produce two wireless networks off the same broadband connection but I also can't help feeling there are going to be networking conflict issues somewhere along the line.
Has anyone done this?

jayzy1

When you disable the router function it becomes a simple modem - thus disabling the wireless functionality as well)
This 'modem' then plugs into another router with wireless facility.

Hope that helps

Nilrem

You can connect it to an external router two ways.

1: as Jazy1 says you can turn of the modems built in router function, and connect a normal router, so the superhub is just a modem, and the connected router is what you hook everything else up to.

or

2: Turn the second router's "routing" function off (IIRC most modern routers have a simple setting in their config pages to be used as an access point), and hook it up to the Superhub via one of the Belkin's LAN ports (that's important, as when you set it to access point mode the WAN port is disabled).
You can then place the Belkin wherever you need a stronger wireless signal and run a cable to the superhub (the belkin will also act as a swtich giving you 3x wired connections).

The first option works well if you just want better wireless in one place (the superhub has issues with wireless), and gives you 4 wired connections (at the same place). The second option gives you two wireless access points, and a total of 6 available wired connections (2 lots of 3).

I have a VM standalone model and have it hooked to my main router (now an Asus one), then have a second router (a belkin) set up as an access point in another room.

My brother in law has a superhub with connected to a pair of older routers that have been switched to "access point" mode to give him two good wireless signals (and he needed more wired ports in one room anway).

thor

Hi guys,
I know that you can switch the Superhub to modem only mode and then hook up an external router for wireless but I was wondering if there was anyway to be able to have the belkin produce it's own wifi network(routing included not just as an access point) AND the Superhub wifi enabled as well. In other words wifi enabled devices scanning my network would see two distinct ones and both would have their own security and network ssids.

securityguy

Yes, you can do that, although unless you're careful you'll end up "Double NAT", ie, addresses are translated from internal to external both at the boundary between the second router and the Virgin router, and then again at the boundary between the Virgin router and Virgin's network. This may or may not be a problem.

The best solution to this problem would be to set the Virgin equipment to be a modem rather than a router, and then buy a router which can do multiple SSIDs. However, I'd ask what it is you trying to achieve. If you need to have a "weak" security and "strong" security SSID to cope with old equipment or something, it really only makes sense if you're going to firewall the weak network to just use the protocols that are required, and that's not a five-second job. Usually multiple SSIDs are used to project multiple distinct networks out over the wireless, and in general once you have multiple firewalled networks at home you're trying too hard :-)

StuC75

Yes you can use both, make sure that DHCP is turned off on the old router so that it acts as a 'Slave' / Forwarder for the wifi signal. Also watch for channel conflicts... use apps such as Inssider to see which channels are clean so that you do not have your own equipment interferring.. Some Routers can have the Tomato Firmware installed which makes some of this tweaks easier to setup..

This approach may be good coupled with mains ethernet extenders to improve your signal in rooms furthest away from the main router (depending on fuse box \ consumer unit setup).. As Mine is hooked up in the garage so that it gaves good coverage in the garden when streaming music to idevices in the summer..

thor

The reason I am asking the question is that I am just preparing for the eventuality that the Superhub does not has wep security and other functions I have got used to with my Belkin router.
I know wep is easily crackable but it is the only security compatible with my Nintendo Wii and I am prepared to take the risk as my house is away from the road and none of my neighbors have any technical knowledge(and even if they did I would let them use my network anyway).
Should that be the case then I would just set the superhub to modem only mode and use my belkin for wireless. However, I am hoping wep's uselessness is not so great that that VM's superhub has dumped it and then I will just use the superhub for wireless as well.