Re: [gentoo-user] Changing role of router

[Bill Roberts]

On 20:44 Sat 04 Mar     , Trey Sizemore wrote:
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.

The key, I think, is the capability of your wireless router. Can it act as
a bridge? If so, you may have the choice of setting it up with or without
an ip address. Normally, you would want it with a ip address, so that you
can easily http in and reconfigure it as necessary.

If you can set it up as a bridge with an ip address, the address will be on
the internal network, 192.168.1.0, not the DMZ network. 

If you cannot set it up as a bridge, it will need two ip addresses, the
"external" address on the DMZ network, and the "internal" network on the
192.168.1.0 network. It will then do NAT'ing, which will require you to put
a route on your firewall, letting it know where to send the 192.168.1.0
traffic.

Good luck

Bill Roberts