LAN Connection problem

[andy.barron]

Hi all.

Just a quick question, I have a G4 & G5 upstairs plugged into an adsl router that is ethernet connected to my Sky broadband modem downstairs (to enable extra ip's). i.p range is 192.168.2.x

I have now plugged a powerbook into the sky modem downstairs that gives a different ip range of 192.168.0.x. I wondered if I can network to the macs upstairs (I have tried putting the ip range of the router the upstairs macs into the DNS of the system prefs to no avail. However I have put the router of 192.168.0.x in the dns settings upstairs & am able to connect to the powerbook downstairs.

Any clues?

 

[osprey76]

Sounds like your router has a firewall or port blocking going on. See able either opening the proper ports (for AppleTalk, etc.) up or disabling a firewall altogether. It sounds like some caution might be prudent, too. If you're using two separate ADSL modems for your setup, your sharing is going out over the internet rather than just on the local LAN hidden behind a firewall. It may be prudent to use SSH or something similar for your sharing if that is the case. Otherwise, your file transfers may be exposed.

 

[edesignuk]

It sounds like you're running two routers each with their own DHCP scopes.

Is the Sky modem more than a modem? You say you have a DSL router upstairs which must link back to the modem via ethernet right? but then you also have another machine plugged directly in to the modem downstairs too? this would mean the modem must have a router & switch built in?

If I'm wrong please clarify how exactly your hardware set up is.

 

[andy.barron]

Thanks for the replys & your time guys. I tried turning the firewall off on the Belkin router to no avail.
To clarify: I have a sky modem (think it may be a router, but not sure) that has 4 ethernet ports on. I am running one port to the upstairs (enters a switch for x-boxes) Belkin cable/dsl gateway router. From here there is a G4 & G5 connected. The router that these machines state they see is 192.168.2.1. I acessed the Belkin router & that states that this is its IP address. The G4 & G5 have addresses from DHCP of 192.168.2.99 & 192.168.2.24.
However, when I plumb my powerbook directly into the Sky modem/router downstairs, it sees the router 192.168.0.1 which must be the sky box. I belive for all macs to see each other then they all have to have the first three numbers of the i.p. the same, so I am a bit confused why the Belkin router is using 192.168.2.1 & not a 192.168.0.X.
Am I missing something really dumb here?

 

[edesignuk]

If your "modem" has 4 ethernet ports in it it is definitely a router/switch too, and this is where your problem begins. You have two devices on your network issuing IP addresses on different ranges depending which router they're plugged in to. Try turning off the DHCP server on the Belkin, and set the Belkin's IP address to a static one, say...

IP: 192.168.0.2
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: 192.168.0.1

This should make the Belkin hook in to your Sky router and use the Sky routers DHCP for distributing IP addresses...I think!

 

[andy.barron]

thanks edesignuk.

I will give this a go when I get back home & let you know the result.

I guess you are either working night shifts or you are nocturnal

 

[andy.barron]

hi again night owl!!

No joy. I basically just put back together my network to get access to the internet again after an hour or so! (reset of the routers etc).

I tried what you said, but I think we are missing that there needs to be 2 macs off the Belkin & hence this needs to distribute ips for both Macs to work.

I even tried making the sky router the same IP range as the Belkin, but this did not work either (the macs default to the network cards default ip).

I think the only solution is to remove the Belkin router & in its place put a simple switch/hub to enable ip range.

Unless you know a way of adding the ip range that the Belkin is spitting out to the powerbook outside its radar (downstairs) to allow it to play along?

Cheers for your efforts though

 

[edesignuk]

Sounds like the kind of thing I could probably eventually figure out if I was sat in front of it all, but from here I have no idea I'm afraid.

I'd go with your idea of a simple switch/hub to replace the belkin, it is the fact you have 2 routers that is causing the problem, a simple switch/hub with solve this.

 

[andy.barron]

don't worry edesignuk, sorted it.

Plugged into the LAN of the Belkin rather that the WAN & its now a slave to the Sky router.

Thanks again.