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My current network configuration comprises two routers, one of which [main] takes care of the wired part of my home network, the other of which [wifi] provides WiFi connectivity. The wired router is also connected to the internet.

I have a NAS wired to the WiFi router. Since the WiFi router distributes IP on a different subnet than the wired router, only WiFi-enabled computers can access the NAS.

If I change the WiFi router to bridge mode, will the transfer speed between WiFi-connected computers and the NAS decrease? Or will the WiFi bridge route packets going to the NAS directly, without going through the main router? My fear is that changing to bridge mode might force all traffic to pass through the main router (computer -> WiFi AP -> main -> WiFi AP -> NAS instead of computer -> WiFi AP -> NAS).

The question could be restated as If my WiFi access point is in bridge mode, and I attach a NAS to it, will packets going from a WiFi-connected computer to the NAS transit through the main router?

Thanks!

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  • Why don't you try it and report back?
    – daxlerod
    Commented Nov 11, 2013 at 12:48

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No they won't.

Packets destined for an IP address all contain a MAC Address.
This is also called a Physical Address.
All network connected devices will have a unique MAC address
The wifi router will keep a map of MAC addresses within it's memory so it knows which port to send packets to.
For example - 

PC1 is connected to port 1 on the Wifi router  
PC2 is connected to port 1 on the Main router  
The NAS is connected to Port 2 on the Wifi Router.
The 2 routers are connected together on port 4 of each router

When PC1 sends a packet to the NAS, the WiFi router will check what MAC address the packet is bound for. Seeing as it's for the NAS, the Wifi router will route the packet to Port 2 on itself.

But when PC1 send a packet to PC2, the WiFi router will see that there is no client connected with that MAC address, so it will broadcast the packet to all of it's ports.

The Main router will then receive the packet with the destination MAC address of PC2, and see that it's bound for PC2, and send it to port 1 on itself.

That's a very general overview of how the packets would travel.

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  • Thanks a lot! Would you have a reference to suggest so I can read further about this? I can only seem to find either arcane or over-simplified material.
    – Clément
    Commented Nov 11, 2013 at 14:15
  • Unfortunately no. A good start would be to look up the following things - MAC Address, IP Address, OSI layers. Have you looked at this ? computer.howstuffworks.com/home-network.htm <-- I haven't actually looked at it. maybe it would help ?
    – Lawrence
    Commented Nov 11, 2013 at 14:25

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