Topic: network card - how to add one the SME Server way

[nicolasdiogo]

hi,

i can see that many posts on this forum have asked this question, but i have not found a way of adding a network card to SME Server using its configuration manager.

i tried a few times to re-configure the server and it only gives me option to setup two card, and two of these are the same.

my linux understanding is with debian but not extensive, and i could not find a configuration file for network card as i looked for /etc/network/interface.

i would really appreciate if someone could point to a document that explain me how to complete this simple task.


many thanks folks

[cactus]

hi,

i can see that many posts on this forum have asked this question, but i have not found a way of adding a network card to SME Server using its configuration manager.

i tried a few times to re-configure the server and it only gives me option to setup two card, and two of these are the same.

my linux understanding is with debian but not extensive, and i could not find a configuration file for network card as i looked for /etc/network/interface.

i would really appreciate if someone could point to a document that explain me how to complete this simple task.


many thanks folks

If I understand your question correctly you are trying to add a third card to SME Server. My guess is that in almost all of the threads you would have found the answer that SME Server only supports two network cards. There have been some posts on adding a third network card, but since SME Server does not support that do not expect support for it in the server-manager or other configuration applications. However the forum gives some clues on howto setup a third NIC.

Perhaps you can explain the purpose of why you need a third NIC. Sometimes there are there are other (perhaps better) solutions.

If this is about configuring your second NIC you can just add it to your box and log in as admin on a server shell and do some reconfiguration using the menu presented to you.

[nicolasdiogo]

thanks cactus,

i have installed SME as my home office server, and i have a desktop attached to it.
but i also have my wife that often wants to use the internet on her laptop.  thus i would use a second internal network card to connect to a wireless router (SME would be the dhcp server) and enable wireless internet.

thus by having two network card would allow my wife to turn the wireless router on only when it is necessary. saving a bit of energy.

[CharlieBrady]

thus by having two network card would allow my wife to turn the wireless router on only when it is necessary. saving a bit of energy.

I assume, since you do not already have a second NIC installed, that your server is in serveronly mode, and you have some other router between it and the Internet.

You do not need a second NIC. The wireless router's WAN port can be connected to the LAN your server is on. Your wife can still turn it on and off as she pleases. Be sure to enable proper security on the wireless network, so that only your wife's laptop can connect.

[nicolasdiogo]

thanks Charlie,

i considered that possibility, but i decided to have a linux server to work as a firewall as it is more secure and so placing the wireless router behind SME.
so i want to enable a second network card it would not be possible to do so from SME configuration manager at all?

thanks

[pfloor]

thanks Charlie,

i considered that possibility, but i decided to have a linux server to work as a firewall as it is more secure and so placing the wireless router behind SME.
so i want to enable a second network card it would not be possible to do so from SME configuration manager at all?

thanks

It is possible and fairly straight forward.

1-Install the second card if you haven't already done so.
2-Boot up and log into the server console as "admin".
3-Choose "configure this server".
4-Make sure your internal NIC is configured properly (see http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter5#Configuring_Your_Local_Network)
5-Then choose "Server and gateway" mode (see http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter5#Operation_Mode)
6-Then configure the gateway mode and 2nd NIC (see http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Documentation:Administration_Manual:Chapter5#Configuring_Server_and_Gateway_Mode)

-Paul

[nicolasdiogo]

thanks pfloor,

i believe i did not expressed myself properly.
what i meant for second network card was actually a second internal network card making for a total of three network card on this SME Server installation.
but it seems rather obvious now from these posts below that having more than two NIC is not yet supported by SME:

http://bugs.contribs.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1478
http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=38460.0

so could you advise me on a better way of installing and perhaps managing three NIC with SME?

many thanks

[cactus]

i believe i did not expressed myself properly.
what i meant for second network card was actually a second internal network card making for a total of three network card on this SME Server installation.
but it seems rather obvious now from these posts below that having more than two NIC is not yet supported by SME:

Does your wireless router have wired ports as well. If not you should buy such a wireless router and then follow Charlie's advice, this is much easier than trying to add a third NIC.

By properly securing the wireless router (i. e. MAC Address filtering, encryption and access lists) and your server (defining the ip-range handed out by your server as a local network) you would get a setup like this:

WAN --- SME Server --- (w)LAN router --- LAN (either wired or/and wireless)

Above setup gives your wife access to the internet as well as your wired PC's. I have the same setup for my laptop(s) and a few other machines connected by wires using a Linksys WRTG54GL wireless router.

[nicolasdiogo]

hi folks,

i have followed your advice and installed the router behind SME and connected all machines through the router.  although i would rather have a third NIC installed.

but it is working great thanks,

i have a client who is looking to have an office installed, and he is might be looking for a linux solution, could you tell whether SME will be able to provide support for more then a single local network NIC?


thanks

[cactus]

although i would rather have a third NIC installed.

And have all the disadvantages of not having encryption, mac filtering etc. leaving your connection virtually open to everyone in range? I would not want that!

[nicolasdiogo]

i suppose having the alternative of more then two card for local network might be a genuine requirement in future.
and more important would be to enable wireless network from SME. would these be listed on the wish list for SME v8?
or how can we progress that?

thanks

[chris burnat]

how can we progress that?

You could go in the Bugtracker and fill a New Feature Request (NFR).
It will then be in the system.

[CharlieBrady]

i suppose having the alternative of more then two card for local network might be a genuine requirement in future.

I can't see any reason why it would be. A single NIC is sufficient to connect to any number of local networks (wired or unwired), via one or more routers.

[cactus]

i suppose having the alternative of more then two card for local network might be a genuine requirement in future.
and more important would be to enable wireless network from SME. would these be listed on the wish list for SME v8?
or how can we progress that?

thanks

Both are already in the bugtracker

• bug 3278: Wireless Access Point functionality
• bug 1478: Add support for three NIC configuration

You could have found them easily by looking at the Open issues for SME 7 Future.