Internet Sharing, Subnets question(s).

[bees]

Warning: VERY LONG POST!

Mods, please move if this in not in correct forum. Don't know where to post it.

I have a client that has 3 businesses in one building. They want to share one single internet connection, but don’t want access to each other’s networks. Security isn’t such a HUGE issue, as most don’t know computers, but I at least don’t want them browsing each other’s networks. There’s no servers in this network.

First let me explain the current situation:

Internet Gateway (NetGear WG834 wireless router, 192.168.0.1, DHCP enabled). All but one IP on the network is static. All gateways and DNS servers specified.

OK, so Workgroup1 has 2 PC’s. Both wireless connections directly to the NetGear Router. Their IP’s is 192.168.0.2 and .3. There's also a laptop, with Obtain automatically, because he roams alot. His notebook is in a different workgroup, but wants to share docs / printers on this network.

Workgroup2 has 3 PC’s and a notebook. Uplink cable from NetGear router plugs into a normal switch, which runs to one PC, and a Senao Wireless Access Point. Access Point has IP address of 192.168.0.100. The PC with network cable is .101, other 2 PC’s run wireless, with .102 and .103 respectively, and laptop runs on .104.

Workgroup3 has 1 Pc and 2 Notebooks. Uplink cable from NetGear router plugs into normal switch, which runs to one PC, and a Senao Wireless Access Point. Access Point has IP address of 192.168.0.200. The PC with network cable is .201, and 2 laptops run wireless with .202 and .203 respectively.

That’s the basic setup. Now I need to know what to do with the subnet masks. Currently I have Workgroup1 on 255.255.253.0, Workgroup2 on 255.255.254.0, and Workgroup3 on 255.255.252.0, and all routers and access points on 255.255.255.0.

What is wrong with this setup? Can it even work perfectly. I don’t know much about subnets, is the subnets even in the right ranges? What should I change?

I have more questions, but would like to know your feelings about this before I go further.

Thanks very much!

Cheers.

 

[JET@WORK]

Getting to the subnet part... I have never seen a 253, 254 and a 252. try using these instead. 255.255.255.0 and 255.255.0.0 or 255.0.0.0 and have all of them using static ip addresses. the go to the network settings of each computer and enter the following default gateway 192.168.0.1

alternatively :As for all the computers not having access to each others documents, you can simply use the same subnet musks for all the computers and let windows automatically allocate ip addresses and do not enable sharring on all the files on client computers.

one other method to enable internet connection sharring it to goto the connections configurations of your browser and make sure that you use a lan or broadband connection that is always on. and make sure that the computer does not automatically detect any proxy settings.

Hopefully that makes sense... if not, drop me a message here and I will try to help.

 

[ambo]

Something that i'm going to be trying next week - but i'm sure it will work:

Its gonna require you getting more hardware so you will have to weigh up the options yourself.

between each of the switches and the main router add a new NAT/firewall/router such as IPcop - which is basically a version of linux running on a "throw away" pc box (PI with 1 gig harddrive would almost be to high spec...)

This will mean that the final user us behind 2 NATs but there is no reason i can find that this won't work. But the network "zone" directly behind the adsl router will be regarded be the IPcop as public and no outsider will be allowed in from there (including other IPcop servers on the same zone/subnet)

Then re the subnets as JET@WORK says - stick to the standard 255 or 0 type subnets... unless you have a real good idea why you need them different.

Then if you set up the IPcop (or some other router) then each of the 3 usergroups will be on independant networks and you can allocate them each a subnet 192.168.1.*,192.168.2.* and 192.168.3.* maybe. And then the network between the adsl and the IPcop's will be a 4th subnet say 192.168.0.* and everybody is now nicely sepparated (PS all with 255.255.255.0 for those raqnges)

Questions?

 

[ambo]

Ok well - i got bored and banged out an IPcop router...
I stuck it behind our Netgear DG384G (i think that the number) router and its working like a charm - so if you want more user groups just add an extra IPcop or router for each one and then stick them on their own hub.

Hey presto....