Router advice

Oct 10 03 5:24 am

I have a client that has a small network connected to 56K dialup through a Netgear Rm256 router/hub. They want to gain a firewall and user restrictions but continue to use this router/hub. I have suggested WinGate (of course), but I want to be sure to connect this right. I feel that installing another NIC into WG server back to hub and point client machines to WG server is the way to go (there is an available port), but I seem to remember seeing posts of others using just one connection to router from WG server. Is this type of scenario (one connection) workable? Any feedback would be appreciated. TIA

Oct 10 03 1:44 pm

If I understand you correctly, you are suggesting running the second NIC back into the same hub as the first, and running the router off the hub as well?

There will be a couple of issues with this.

1. If they are on different logical subnets (different IP address ranges) then you will have 2 subnets on the same physical network. This can cause some weird errors in relation to name broadcasts, and routing.

2. You will find it impossible to mandate that users connect through the WinGate.

You may be better off getting a crossover cable to connect the second NIC in the WinGate machine to the router and the other one to the hub for everyone else.