Join 2 network segments?

[Frank Booth]

Ok, I have 2 network segments in my office that I want to join up so
they can can do file-sharing and printing between them.

Segment A is connected to the internet through 256kbps ADSL.

Segment B is connected to the internet through 512kbps ADSL.

So I would like to join up Segments A and B. However, I want to
ensure that the computers in Segment A only use the 256kbps ADSL for
their internet connection and vice-versa for Segment B.

Is the above possible? How should my network topology be laid out?
What software and hardware do I need?

I have the authority to change any network settings necessary. So if
anyone can give me
a dummy proof template to follow, that would be great--because I'm a
total newbie when it comes to networking.

Here's a diagram of the networks.

Segment A
---------

256kbps ADSL -> router (IP 10.0.0.2, Subnetmask 255.255.255.0) -> 5
computers (IP's are 10.0.0.X)

Segment B
---------

512kbps ADSL -> router (IP 10.0.0.2, Subnetmask 255.255.255.0) -> 5
computers (IP's are 10.0.0.X)


All systems are running on W2K SP4.

 

[Steven L Umbach]

If the segments are close you can simply use a cat5 cable to join them and
since they are on the same network the computers will be able to access each
other. The problem then would be IP address assignment. If you can configure
all the computers with static IP addresses then that would work as you can
then give the internet NAT routers different default gateways and then
configure the computers that you want to access the 256kbps ADSL with it's
default gateway and the computers that you want to access the 512kbps ADSL
with it's default gateway and you are done. Or you could configure one group
of computers to use dhcp with a scope that gives the default gateway to one
router and the other group to have static IP addresses with the default
gateway being the other router.

Otherwise you would have to change the network IP of one network to say
10.0.0.3 and use a REAL router to connect the two networks. A Windows
2000/XP computer can be configured as a router with a registry entry and
then you put two nics in it - one on each network and configure the internet
NAT routers via a static route entry to send traffic for the other network
to the network side network interface of your router so that each network
can communicate with each other.

If these networks can not be joined physically you can use a router to
router VPN connection over the internet but that would be MUCH slower than a
lan connection between the two networks. For that kind of connection you can
use a device such as the Netgear FVS318 at each end at around $110 each,
though the network addresses would have to be different between the two
networks. --- Steve

 

[Frank Booth]

If the segments are close you can simply use a cat5 cable to join them and
since they are on the same network the computers will be able to access each
other.

This sounds like the simplest solution and our computers aren't too
far apart.

So, where would each end of the extra cable go to? Right now, all the
computers are already plugged into the network. Do I need to install a
second nic? Or did you mean plug an extra cable between the two routers?

The problem then would be IP address assignment. If you can configure
all the computers with static IP addresses then that would work as you can
then give the internet NAT routers different default gateways and then
configure the computers that you want to access the 256kbps ADSL with it's
default gateway and the computers that you want to access the 512kbps ADSL
with it's default gateway and you are done.

Ok, that sounds like it should work.

configure the internet
NAT routers via a static route entry to send traffic for the other network
to the network side network interface of your router so that each network
can communicate with each other.

I'm sorry, I don't understand this at all. Perhaps you can give me an
ACSII digram of how the set up should look like?

Thanks so much for your help.

 

[Steven L Umbach]

If you want to connect the two networks leaving the same network address
then yes all you have to do is connect a cat 5 cable from a port in one of
the NAT routers to a port on the other NAT router and configure your tcp/ip
addresses as I suggested - either all static or one group static and the
other via dhcp. By doing that you actually are connecting the two switches
built into the NAT routers. If you go that way you do not have to worry
about configuring a static route on each NAT router - that would only be a
concern if you used a REAL router to connect your networks together and each
network had a different network address. Just make sure that you change lan
side IP address on one of the NAT routers and then assign the addresses of
the NAT router as the default gateway to the computers you want to access
them. --- Steve

 

[Frank Booth]

If you want to connect the two networks leaving the same network address
then yes all you have to do is connect a cat 5 cable from a port in one of
the NAT routers to a port on the other NAT router and configure your tcp/ip
addresses as I suggested - either all static or one group static and the
other via dhcp. By doing that you actually are connecting the two switches
built into the NAT routers. If you go that way you do not have to worry
about configuring a static route on each NAT router - that would only be a
concern if you used a REAL router to connect your networks together and each
network had a different network address. Just make sure that you change lan
side IP address on one of the NAT routers and then assign the addresses of
the NAT router as the default gateway to the computers you want to access
them. --- Steve

Ok thanks again for your help. I'll set things up once everyone is
out of the office this evening -- here's hoping it pans out

 

[Phillip Windell]

This sounds like the simplest solution and our computers aren't too
far apart.

Keep it under 100 meters.

I think Steve has you pretty much taken care of, but there are a lot of
assumption being made. If there are things you aren't telling us, then you
may get bit by them when you try to make it work.

 

[Frank Booth]

Keep it under 100 meters.

Ok, I'll bear that in mind for the future.

you may get bit by them when you try to make it work.

Got everything working well so far. Colleagues can quit bugging me
about printing and file access now. My next project would be setting up
a Linux file server so we can have a central repository for all our work
files. Thank you both so much.