Topic: Linking 2 local networks

[erik hansen]

We are currently running a e-smith 4.1.2 setup (i think, its 4.1.2 i'm away from it and it's been running for quite awhile unattended - just chugging away) in a facility that also houses a NT server network for internet access, exchange, etc...  these 2 networks have never interacted before (the esmith is not on the internet) but now we are going to add internet access for the esmith network and we want to link the two networks together so that the PCs on the NT network can see the esmith server.  It is not important that the Macs/PCs on the esmith side see the PCs or the NT server on the other network.

Wondering if this is possible and if anyone can give me some info on how-to do this?  As far as the cabling issues go we have a connection to the NT network where the esmith server is located,  and there is currently only 1 network card in the esmith server.

For background info we are a postproduction facility, that uses the esmith server as a fileserver for delivering media to the different workstations.

thanks,
-erik

[Julian Luton]

Is your NT network using a domain or a workgroup?

If it's a workgroup then life is easy - just set the workgroup of the e-smith box and all it's current clients to be the same as the NT side and then slap in a bit of CAT5 to link your two switches together. At the same time I would reconfigure your e-smith network with the same TCP/IP config as your NT network (i.e. with the NT box as the default gateway).

[guestHH]

Hi,

Are they on a different subnet ?

Regards,
guestHH

[erik hansen]

I don't think I made it clear in my original email, in that we don't want the boxes on the esmith side to access the internet thorugh the NT server (gateway). We want to add a high speed connection where the esmith server would act as a gateway.

The only reason that we want to do this is that the 2 networks are 2 different companys and for whatever reasons the higher ups want to each have their own internet connection.

thanks for the info though that may help in the time being, for providing "secret" internet access to the esmith side.

-erik

[erik hansen]

They are currently on different subnets.  They can be on same if needed.

-erik

[BillN]

Eric,

I like 'sneaky'!

In my understanding of what you want to do, the interim solution is also the end solution.

Sounds like all you need to do is drop a second NIC into the E-Smith box and then run through the "Configure this server" from the console and change it to server and gateway. Give the new NIC the appropriate parameters for the NT network, and then set the E-Smith clients to use the original NICs IP address as their gateway.

Since you don't want or need the two networks to see each other I wouldn't dink with the Samba setup.

Then, whenever the final solution for the E-Smith sides internet access comes to light simply unplug from the NT network and plug into the new device (and of course reconfigure the IP settings).

Bill

[erik hansen]

hmm...  except that i do need both networks to at least be able to see esmith server.  what i meant originally is that i don't need a box on network A to be able to see box M on network B.

except for that it sounds like it will work for the interm.  any recommended NICs that are plug in play? I'm 99% there is a linksys (tulip chipset) in there right now.

Most likely we will put in a Netgear ISDN router on the esmith server network to provide internet access for that side of the network.  so...

I am assuming than that i could just leave the second NIC in the esmith box and reset the configuration to server (as the ISDN router would be the gateway), but how do i assign the settings for the NT network to the second NIC?

seems like i always have just enough knowledge to get into trouble.

thanks for the help everyone!

-erik

[erik hansen]

ok, did a little more research.  i read through the howto "Additional Network Card" so i (think) understand how to add another card to the esmith server.  my question is though, is there away to add a NIC that gets its settings from the NT server acting as a DHCP server?

In the example, it appears that i need to hardcode the IP address of the new NIC.  Is there another way with out messing with the NT server?  and if not how do itell the NT server about the hardcoded IP address of the esmith box?  in a HOSTS file?

thanks for any help!

-erik

[Les Mikesell]

Unless it is important for the currently separate networks *not* to see each other, why don't you just plug the lans together?  Give the e-smith an IP on the NT LAN (but not one in the NT server's DHCP range), turn off dhcp on the e-smith and let the NT's DHCP server supply the addresses for everything else (and become the default gateway, since it has the internet connection.  Personally I'd do it the other way around with the gateway and DHCP on e-smith but either should work.

[erik hansen]

It's actually pretty important that the computers on the esmith side not be able to be seen by anything on anyother network.  The reason being that these are editing workstations that do only one thing, and that is edit.  Opening them up to other computers on the network will make them more acceptable to security and performance risks.

but nonetheless, i know how to assign a IP address to the esmith NIC so that it can be seen on the NT network but how do i let the other computers (and the NT server) know about it?

thanks for the info though.

-erik

[guestHH]

add a static route on nt ?

[BillN]

I think I am on the same expertise notch as you!

Without being too specific for your comfort, can you tell us what resources on the e-smith you are needing the NT side to see?

Depending on what you do or do not want the NT side to see, you can setup an iBay with public access. That would allow the NT side to see files on the server(just maybe not throgh the network neighborhood). I can do some experamenting for you when I get to work on Monday to see what may or may not work from the second NIC side for access.

[erik hansen]

actually that's what i realized this weekend,  all i really need to do is make an ibay that is accessible from the NT side.  so i guess all i need to do is add the 2nd network card and give it an ip address from the NT side.  it would be nice if it was in the network neighborhood but it's not really that important.  i can write a custom net use script for anyone to use it if neccessary, or just make them ftp. that should do it, i think.

will know more on friday when i attempt to do it!  thanks for the help!

-erik

[Les Mikesell]

One quirk you may need to know: as of SME 5.1.2 giving 'everybody' permisssion on an ibay really means 'everybody with a login on the SME box', not everybody on the network.   With your 4.x version you don't have to add accounts for the new users but if you upgrade you will.

[BillN]

Les,

Not that Erik needs this info for his problem, but to help me understand the big picture, given an SME 5.1.2 box in an NT environment, if you join the SME's SAMBA server name into the NT domain would it allow members of the NT user group 'Everyone' to allow access to the iBay if you create an 'everyone' user on the SME side?

Thanks,

Bill