Any suggestions on this network setup?

[1Avatar]

Hiya -

I have 2 static IP addresses courtesy of my DSL company. My issue is that I use one static IP on my server box for school/work/FTP and whatever while I use the other assigned IP for my HTPC. I've got laptops that I periodically hook up and sometimes when friends hop over for a LAN, they all plug into the LinkSys 5-port switch that I've got managing everything.

I was wondering if I can go DSL modem --> Linksys switch which then splits with one port going to my server box, and then another port or the uplink connection going to something like a 4-port wireless router (wherein it's plugged into the WAN cable of the router) so that I can do something like this (I dunno if this'll even work;

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/franz/network.JPG

The goals are basically;
a) increase my available ports (likely a wireless model with 4 ports)
b) retain the static IP that my server box is assigned without too much fuss
c) the router then clones the mac address of a registered computer I have, thereby taking my second static IP and then giving me the freedom to use my other computers and any visitors on the internet.

Any suggestions or is there simpler way to do things without too much fussing about in the menus of routers?

Or do I screw myself by putting the server box outside of the router domain and thereby not allowing it to be visible on the router'd comps?

[sodface]

I've got a single static IP from my DSL provider. The modem is set to bridged ethernet which disables all the NAT/DHCP features of the modem - I let the router handle all that. So the router does the NAT for the LAN, DHCP and handles the PPPoE login to the ISP. In order for the Server to answer the outside world I have the router set to forward the common ports over to that IP , Port 80, 21 for http, ftp.

[1Avatar]

ooooooh ya I forgot about freeing up the ports for answering external pings..... does it make a difference if my DSL isn't the PPoE type, if I remember correctly, PPoE is the one where you log in to verify your userID on the provider? My DSL is the type that registers a MAC address with the provider and thereby allows access when it can see a NIC that has a registered address.

I don't think I can set my modem to bridge the ethernet connection - it's a d-link DSL300I ADSL modem and there's no switches or connections and I don't have access to the internal software.

[tbyte]

1Avatar, in Sodfaces Example as is my own net work, His server is behind the router which is giving it protection from the WAN or (Outside world). He is able to have one static IP and still have all his PC's active on his network as well as have access to the internet, or intranet if he has one. Your example would be good if you wanted your server to become a DNS server to replicate IP's all over the net. I would not use the the method you have drawn up unless you intend to replicate an internal and external DNS. If I did do this I would make that server a Linux box.

[1Avatar]

Thanks Tbyte!

So if I use the "clone mac address" feature on the router, using the Server box's MAC, it should be that static IP that is broadcast to the outside world yes? And then I can just keep plugging machines into the ports and wireless if need be and they'll be assigned internal IPs based on the specified range I put in for the router or am I missing a bit of it?

My main concern is FTPing from school - if I open up the 21 port for that, and then try to ring in with my IP as I do now from an outside source, it can figure out which comp is being pinged or am I looking at some extra software to go through and set it up to point at the right box?

Sorry for the newbie-ness, but it's only been recently that I've actually decided to muck around with this setup.

[tbyte]

You would be better to follow Sodfaces diag, DSL mod---> Router---->Switch
Your Server Hangs off the router. Remember in a pinch you can still connect a PC to the router as well as the switch. Look at his Diag he has one workstaion and off the router and only two off the switch. First question do you have the Wireless Router yet?

[sodface]

So if I use the "clone mac address" feature on the router, using the Server box's MAC, it should be that static IP that is broadcast to the outside world yes? And then I can just keep plugging machines into the ports and wireless if need be and they'll be assigned internal IPs based on the specified range I put in for the router or am I missing a bit of it?

That's what I was going to suggest. I don't see the need to have a second static IP. I can't speak for your router, but the setup to forward specific ports over to my server IP was very easy on my netgear. If you forward all port 21 traffic over to your server IP you shouldn't have any problems connecting to the FTP. This is where that stupid external FTP connection web page would come in handy that I couldn't find the link for again. It let's you connect to your ftp server from a web page outside your network to see if you've got everything setup right. It was handy.

[1Avatar]

Thanks guys!

The router that I'm picking up is the D-Link DI-524 Wireless router w/4 port switch - I borrowed a friend's and it seems to be userfriendly enough to configure.

One last question (please :) ) when I then plug everything back into the router and it starts assigning IPs to the individual units, I can just leave the settings to be "renew in 1 year" type thing to make my life easy for the FTP forwarding or is it a better security feature to cycle these on a regular basis?

[sodface]

My router is the DHCP server but it also has a spot where you can reserve an address for a specific MAC address. So I have my server MAC address always assigned the same internal IP so that my port forwarding settings are always correct. The other IP's can rotate within the range. I keep my available addresses to the bare minimum out of some notion of security. So if you have 4 computers set the DHCP address range to something like 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.5 (the router will end up needing one also, in this case 192.168.0.1).

[tbyte]

1Avatar -- I would suggest the WRT54GS and then flashing it with the Alchemy bios, this will allow you to use Vlans and you can still use both Static IPs behind the same router.

[sodface]

1Avatar -- I would suggest the WRT54GS and then flashing it with the Alchemy bios, this will allow you to use Vlans and you can still use both Static IPs behind the same router.

Whoah. I've been looking to upgrade my old Netgear MR814 V1. I like the idea of this third party firmware. Is this the router/firmware combination you use?

[tbyte]

Yeah its Sweet!!!! RyderOCZ and I both are using this setup.. It really converts your Linksys into a $1600.00 router..... :)

[sodface]

Yeah its Sweet!!!! RyderOCZ and I both are using this setup.. It really converts your Linksys into a $1600.00 router..... :)

:rock: Now that's BleedinEdge!!!

I've been reading up on this for the last hour or so, quite the stink surrounding his charging $20 for access to what some feel should be opensource under the GPL.

Anyway, I'm going to get one, I was leaning toward a linkysys anyway and now I'm sold. :thumbs:

[sodface]

Pointreyes has another more complex network diagram you may want to look at 1Avatar: Here. (http://members.dsl-only.net/~pointreyes/ga/hsystem.jpg)

The network portion is essentially the same being modem --> router --> switch

His diagram is fun to look at though even if you can't afford to copy it :lol:

[1Avatar]

1Avatar -- I would suggest the WRT54GS and then flashing it with the Alchemy bios, this will allow you to use Vlans and you can still use both Static IPs behind the same router.

So that's this one right? http://www.compusmart.com/Product/Default.aspx?SupplierPartNo=498309 and that's canadian pricing just incase some eyes go :look:

Okie one last question - in all of the diagrams, they show DSL--> Router --> Switch, what port would I use on the linksys router to connect to the switch? WAN goes to the modem, do I then just use a numbered port and a x-over cable to connect into the switch (which is a linksys EZXS55W 5-port unit)? It has 5 available ports, but the 5th port shares with another one called "uplink".

And thanks for Pointreyes diagram - I can always dream about it :D I really should have done my diagram at work on Visio instead of MS Paint :)

[sodface]

The uplink port on the switch should be connected to any spare port on the router, if using a straight-thru cable and not a crossover cable. If you use a crossover in the uplink port you'll end up with TX->TX and RX->RX and it won't work. This is assuming the other end is going into a normal port on the router.

If you have a crossover and don't want to buy or make another straight-thru you could also connect the router and switch with a crossover provided you don't use the uplink port on the switch - just use one of the regular ports.

[1Avatar]

Cool thanks!!! :thumb:

[Hawk]

Yeah its Sweet!!!! RyderOCZ and I both are using this setup.. It really converts your Linksys into a $1600.00 router..... :)



3rd party is good if it is done right. I have the WRV54G with a modified BIOS, and it rocks. I would put it up there with Sonicwall. . . .