Can you set up two LANs with one ISP?

[Jayce]

I don't know why I thought about this today, but I did.

Say I open a bed and breakfast and want to offer free wifi on top of my existing wireless network. Is it possible that I could have two wireless LANs on one main network? For example, could I have one security enabled LAN with an SSID of say, Skynet, and another unsecured LAN with an SSID of say, Guest?

I was just trying to think in my head on how I could pull off a locked down, but unsecured LAN on top of a pre-existing (security enabled) LAN that I would use for my own personal use. Yet, it all tying together to the Comcast ISP I would have.

Know where I'm going with this?

 

[S0ULphIRE]

Depends what router you're using. Post up a model number. In theory (depending on the capabilities of your router) you should be able to specify two different subnets, with security settings dependant on the subnet.

 

[Jayce]

Oh yeah, this isn't something I'm actually doing. It's just I drove past a bed and breakfast the other day and the thought of free wifi came into my head and I was curious, with me being a PC guy, if I could somehow do things like that so I can have my guest access for the guests there and the secured access for me and the family.

 

[overlord20]

It is possible a couple different ways.

1. Setup 2 sub nets on a decent router.
2. get to wireless routers buy another ip from comcast. (so you don't lose bandwidth to the people staying) password protect desired router.

 

[Jayce]

It is possible a couple different ways.

1. Setup 2 sub nets on a decent router.
2. get to wireless routers buy another ip from comcast. (so you don't lose bandwidth to the people staying) password protect desired router.

Could I apply different security rights to each subnet? Like could I assign 255.255.255.0 with an SSID of Corvette w/ WPA security, and 255.255.254.0 with an SSID of Guest w/ WPA security too?

 

[Teh Solution]

You can set up VLANs, if your router has this, (Virtual LAN) this means two computers on different VLANs but on the same physical network are considered to be on seperate networks. you can set up different security settings on each VLAN such as Internet access, router access, network access.

 

[mikesgroovin]

You can set up VLANs, if your router has this, (Virtual LAN) this means two computers on different VLANs but on the same physical network are considered to be on seperate networks. you can set up different security settings on each VLAN such as Internet access, router access, network access.

This is probably going to be the cheapest and easiest answer for you Jayce. I've done this for dozens of very small hotels, motels and B&Bs in the past. I always setup the vlans on a smart switch though.... not a router (cheaper). Just bought something for the hotel to use and others for the guests. In some cases, in like a 3 story building with 100 or so rooms, I would setup wireless coverage for the hotel everywhere (2x wireless APs in each "hotspot") One SSID for guests which was open and the other had wep/wpa or whatever. Then those would all tie into the 2 sep vlan segments which would then tie to the one ISP.