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Internet access for more than 253 users - would cascade routers help?

Although it seems a huge number, by the time you add computers, laser printers, POS, network cameras and everything else, the 253 ip address limit might be a problem for a project we may be partly involved with. If the users were split into three roughly similar sized groups - and each group had no need to chat to other groups - (ONLY need to access the net), would the following work:- The internet connection is connected to the WAN of a small 5 port router (R1) R1 has three LAN outputs in use, each of these outputs (for groups 1-3) go into a decent quality wired router WAN port - which handles DHCP for that group of upto 253 clients. So you end up with 3 routers - all happily serving upto 253 users on their own separate networks - and then combining into one router (R1) to give a final connection to the net. Would that work - or would R1 need to be just a hub and NOT a router - I wasn't sure if just a hub would work - or if the other routers themselves needed to have something issue DHCP to them in the first place. I've read this through and I apologise for it not being too clear, not sure how I can clarify further though. Many thanks Mark

Public Comments

  1. You could use different local IPs for each group, for example one group could have 192.168.1.x and another could have one in a 192.168.2.x range. A 3 pronged router would work, as long as you can handle the collisions of local IP addresses.
  2. You don't need all that, just use a class B network mask instead of a class C one. This will allow over 65,000 IP addresses. All you have to do is use 255.255.0.0 for your subnet mask instead of 255.255.255.0, anywhere you see "subnet mask". You set this in your router and in each computer's network configuration. Of course your router has to support that but most do.
  3. Cirbirus is correct. The only thing you would need to be concerned about is that doing it his way would create a rather large broadcast domain. As long as nothing on the network is generating a lot of broadcast traffic you should be OK. If you went with the multi-router method you would have to set up static routes between them which would eliminate the DHCP problem you mentioned.
  4. use a larger subnet if you need more. Summat like 255.255.254.0 would give you a lot more..
  5. The only problem I see is 253 people (or close to that number) is that unless you have a pretty fast connection, no one is going to be happy with the slow internet connection they get. Even if you have a 25mbps pipe, if all of them are on the internet at the same time they each get about 100kbps.
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