Question Add a router just for DHCP?

[weeber]

I'm in the process of moving in with someone, and looking to merge technologies between households. I'm more tech savy, and all she cares about is reliable operation.

My old setup - I used No-IP to for my Plex server and a TP-Link Archer C7 router. With the C7 router, I was able to not only forward ports, and reserve IP addresses, but also setup ARP binding to set the IP address of the Plex server to the MAC address of the card. This allowed me to remotely wake the Plex server from outside my network and allow me to stream my media. I liked the option on-demand Plex access, and having the server powered down when not in use. I also used Plex with the HDHomerun Prime and watching all my TV channels remotely was kind of neat.

New setup requirements - Everything Comcast-based, and has to use the Netgear C7100V - I believe this is the only Comcast-approved modem/router/telephone device that an end-user can buy to avoid the $13/mo rental fee. I have this setup with everything I need: No-IP; port forwarding; IP address reservation for the Plex server. I can wake the Plex server when on the local network, but not remotely. I believe this is because you can't setup a static ARP table entry, defining an IP address to MAC address. I've done some research, and it looks like guys with other Netgear routers could define ARP entries using telnet features but I don't think the C7100V model supports that - and it's probably locked down to obtain Comcast approval.

Question - Would it be possible to incorporate the Archer C7 so that it handled the DHCP and ARP-binding duties, but the Netgear C7100V still performed all the modem/wireless/telephone features. I know it's a strange request, but the wireless on the Netgear is really good, better than the Archer. What would happen if turned off the DHCP feature of the Netgear, and turned off all the wireless radios of the C7 and connected the two devices together by the LAN ports? Any other possible solutions that would be easier? I'm completely open to suggestions.

Thanks everyone.

 

[mxnerd]

Why not just set a static IP address on your Plex server? There is no need to set dynamic assigned static IP address using a router.

Yes, you can use Archer C7 to handle DHCP though, but you can and should use only one DHCP server on the same network, either one on TP-Link or Netgear. Uplink one router to another using LAN port is the correct way to connect 2 routers. That turns the one not using WAN port an access point if Wi-Fi is turned on / a switch if Wi-Fi turned off.

 

[mv2devnull]

What would happen if turned off the DHCP feature of the Netgear, and turned off all the wireless radios of the C7 and connected the two devices together by the LAN ports?

These routers are "easy" as in "you have no say on the matter". That is, their DHCP is hardcoded to tell everyone that they are the router. Your C7 would tell devices that "route out" is via C7 but C7 has no "outside"; nothing on its WAN-port. The Netgear would still have two networks to route between, but no-one would know that. Even the wireless clients on the Netgear would receive their network config from the C7.

tldr; utter failure.