Home network setup

[Rob Blomquist]

On Sunday 05 March 2006 6:13 pm, Trey Sizemore so eloquently stated:
> My current home network consists of several PC connected to a Netgear
> wireless router (using its default factory IP of 192.168.0.1).  It also
> serves DHCP address to machines that need it.  It, in turn, is
> connected to my DSL modem.
>
> I will be adding a firewall to the mix and plan to use the Netgear
> wireless router solely as a hub and WAP.  I will disable it's DHCP
> serving functionality.
>
> My questions are:
>
> a) Given it's new role, will it still require an IP address?  If so, it
> will be on my internal network (vs. DMZ with servers) and have an
> address of 192.168.1.1 for example.  Should this be changed now before
> I rearrange the configuration?  I assume it needs an IP as I will need
> to access the web-based admin interface to turn wireless on and off,
> etc.

I would just hook up the firewall machine between the modem and the router. 
And yes, the router should still need the IP address, and I would continue to 
use it as the DHCP server for your inside setup.

> b)  I would assume the WAN port would not be used and all machines
> using the "hub" would just plug into one of the four LAN ports.
Don't do that, the router will get confused. And I am not sure if it can be 
reconfigured. The router is wanting that port to be the link to the web, so 
it knows where to route packages to.

> c)  I have a "true" hub that will be used in the DMZ consisting of
> machines with addresses like 192.168.0.x.  Here I assume the hub would
> *not* have an IP assigned to it.
Exactly, hubs don't use IP addresses the way routers do. They also do not have 
defined in and out ports.

> Just to be clear, the firewall box has 3 NICs.  One will have an IP
> (dynamic) assigned by my ISP.  The second will serve the DMZ and have
> an IP of 192.168.0.1 and the third will serve the internal network and
> have an address of 192.168.1.1.

Sounds like a good plan.

Rob