[Leaplist] Network topology to split WAN to two LANs

[John Simpson]

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On 2008-04-24, at 2340, patrick wrote:
>
> Actually, it is already split, because, the Broadband modem has only  
> one
> output ethernet jack, but, I have a seperate two port firewall/router,
> and a 4 port (eth) plus wifi router with internal firewall.

so... just because you have a "two port router" means you HAVE to  
split your home network into two parts like this?

why not just go from the cable modem to an ipcop, and from there to  
one or more switches (or hubs) connected together as one logical  
segment? why make it any more complicated than it needs to be?

what i don't get, and what hank was asking, is why you WANT to  
logically split the network in the first place. if you need more than  
one physical connection in any given room, put a switch in there, with  
that switch's "uplink" port connected to the wall, and plug your other  
PCs into that. (if the switch doesn't have an "uplink" port, and the  
ports are not auto-sensing, you may need a crossover ethernet cable.)

if you have a wireless AP, just plug it into whatever connection is  
closest to where the unit will live. if it's a wireless "router", try  
leaving its WAN port empty, and just connect one of the LAN ports to  
the rest of the network. i'm doing that with a netgear WGR614v9 to  
provide wifi in my room- it works fine, but some wireless routers  
won't work that way (such as the "Trendnet TEW-432BRP" that i picked  
up from compusa for $30 before they closed... it works fine as a  
wireless router but cannot be made to work as "just an AP". i'm not  
using it, if somebody needs it, i'll sell it for the $30 i paid for  
it. contact me off-list.)


> There are six (6) cat5 cables homerun to different places in the  
> building.

okay... so plug them all into a single switch, and plug another port  
on that same switch into the green side of your ipcop.


> I suspect it is wisest to come out of the modem, go into the second
> phone system MTA, then, proceed to the dual port router, then through
> the switch, with one output being the wifi router, strictly for wifi
> computers...

"second phone system MTA"... like a vonage box? just plug it into one  
of the internal switches. as long as it can use DHCP to get an IP  
address and find its way out to the rest of the internet, it should  
work just fine.

- --------------------------------------------------------
| John M. Simpson  --  KG4ZOW  --  Programmer At Large |
| http://www.jms1.net/                 <jms1 at jms1.net> |
- --------------------------------------------------------
|   Hope for America  --  http://www.ronpaul2008.com/  |
- --------------------------------------------------------





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