LAN + shared Internet connection

[Ragnar Midtskogen]

Hello,

A client of ours has a wired LAN in his store, which is used to support our
invoicing system, with 5 computers on it. It was set up by a networking
specialist and is working well.
Now he has gotten Internet access via DSL and he wants to be able to access
the Internet from all computers. The DSL line comes into his office.
At the moment his computers are all connected through a Gigabit Internet
Switch in the store, while the computer in his office is connected directly
to the DSL modem, using the USB port.

I am aware that it is possible to set up his office computer to use Internet
Connection Sharing, in effect turning that computer into a gateway.
I am also aware that the IP addresses on the LAN will change, although I am
not sure if this will cause any problem.

The client has Linksys Wireless G Broadband router which was used for a
wireless LAN, but which turned out to be too unreliable.
I was thinking that the best solution would be to hook the DSL modem into
the Internet jack on the router, then hook the client's office computer into
one of the network jacks on the router. Finally, the cable to the store,
which connected his computer to the switch would be plugged into another
network jack on the router. That should mean that all the computer in the
store would also be connected to the router, and be able to connect to the
Internet.

I am not an expert on networking, but it seems to me that the solution with
the router would be the best. It would give him a hardware firewall on the
outside of his LAN.
I have a similar setup at home and it is working well, except I have had
some problems getting the computers on the LAN connecting to each other.

I would appreciate any comments or advice on this.

Ragnar

 

[Doug Sherman [MVP]]

Well, this term kind of bothers me: "Gigabit Internet Switch" - perhaps
Gigabit Ethernet Switch?

In any event, your proposed solution should work. If possible, I think it
would be slightly better to keep the office computer connected to the switch
and simply run a cable from a LAN port on the router to a LAN port on the
switch. Some switches have an uplink port designed for this purpose.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

 

[Ragnar Midtskogen]

Thank you Doug,

You may be right about the name, it was hard to read, it is what I wrote in
my notes.

As for your suggestion, all the LAN ports on the switch are used and there
is no uplink port, so I will have to try may plan.
I take it you think my proposal is better than using the Internet Connection
Sharing?

Ragnar

 

[si via WinServerKB.com]

Hi

Dont mean to be glib but anything is better than using ICS, in my opinion
anyway.

You are correct IP's could have changed with ICS but AFAIK it leases 192.168.
0.x addresses

Providing the linksys box is only a router and not a dsl modem too then you
will need , like you say, a dsl modem into the wan interface on the router
and then connect any other clients to the switch ports on the router

Save yourself the aggro and forget ICS!

Regards

Si

Thank you Doug,

You may be right about the name, it was hard to read, it is what I wrote in
my notes.

As for your suggestion, all the LAN ports on the switch are used and there
is no uplink port, so I will have to try may plan.
I take it you think my proposal is better than using the Internet Connection
Sharing?

Ragnar

Well, this term kind of bothers me: "Gigabit Internet Switch" - perhaps
Gigabit Ethernet Switch?

[quoted text clipped - 52 lines]

 

[Doug Sherman [MVP]]

Yes, let the router do the work. If it breaks or doesn't have the features
you need, it's cheap and easy to replace. Apart from the wireless
capability, it would be kind of a toss up if you had an old but reliable
computer that you wanted to dedicate as a NAT router/firewall.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP