Old Huawei HG520b DSL modem can still be used as a Wi-fi access point - here's how you set it up
114Old Huawei HG520b DSL modem can still be used as a Wi-fi access point - here's how you set it up.
I got this modem/router for free about 10 years ago, when DSL was my best option here. Since then a lot has changed. After I decided I was done with 6Mbps/2Mbps DSL, I got 75/75 from a local network, then I used a POS cable modem with 20/4, slowly upgraded to 500/25 speed over the years. Then about 2 years ago I finally got fiber. I tested gigabit fiber, which had an average speed of 870/450, but then I settled for 500/250 (usually works at 450/240), as I simply couldn't use all that bandwidth, my computers can't handle it.
To make a long story short (too late!) you have to disable the DHCP server on any router you want to use as secondary access point and/or switch. That way it doesn't give computers and phones an IP number, they'll take it from the main router instead.
Some people argue that you have connect the internet (aka. the main router's LAN port) to the WAN port of the secondary router, and normally that works fine too (without disabling the DHCP server), but then you may have network issues between thee devices connected to different routers, as they won't have the same IP class/subnet. Going through a router's WAN port also adds some delay, sometimes very noticeable, sometimes not so much.