Network question - DHCP/DNS - Linksys WRT54G Router

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Hello there,

I came across Pluto recently and am very interested in trying it out.  My current network is setup as:
Cable Modem -> Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router -> Wired + Wireless PCs

I currently forward several ports on the Linksys Router for various applications (Remote Desktop, Bit Torrent, etc).  I use DHCP on the Linksys Router to assign IP addresses to my PCs and I also use DHCP on the LinksysRouter to assign static allocation of IP addresses based on MAC address.

I'd like to be able to access the media on the Core from my wired and wireless PCs.  I'd also like to continue to forward ports to my wired and wireless PCs.  Turning the DHCP server off on the Linksys Router is definitely possible.

What is the recommended solution for placement of the Core?

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your core needs to be the DHCP server so it can offer plug-and-play and network boot services.we normally put two network cards in the core, one of which is used for the Internet, and the other for the internal home network, and that way and novice homeowner doesn't need to worry about disabling the DHCP server in his existing DSL/cable modem.  If you have only one network card, you'll need to disable DHCP in your other device, and in Pluto admin choose advanced, network settings, and give the Pluto core and a static IP address for the Internet, and that also have  its default 192.168.80.1, used for the internal network

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Hello Aaron,

Thanks for your quick reply!  Do I understand this correctly?

So the two options are:

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Option 1) Core w/2 network cards
Cable Modem -> Core -> Switch -> Wired PCs
                             -> Wireless Gateway -> Wireless PCs

Option 2) Core w/1 network card
Cable Modem -> Router (DHCP Server disabled) -> Switch -> Core
                                                      -> Wired PCs
                                                      -> Wireless Gateway -> Wireless PCs


With Option 1, your existing router isn't used.  Instead the Core acts as a router for your PCs to communicate to the internet.  The Core also acts as a firewall for the internal network.  Is it possible to forward ports on the Core as you can with a router?

With Option 2, the router is used but it's DHCP Server functionality is disabled.  The Router provides internet connectivity to the Core and PCs.  The Router also acts as a firewall for the internal network and no part of the Core is exposed directly to the Internet.  The Core is the DHCP server and provides IP addresses for all devices on the network.  From the Core, can I statically allocate IP address for my PCs based on MAC address (so my laptop is always 192.168.1.21, etc.)?

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Yes, correct.  And yes you can allocate specific IP's to Mac's, and setup port forwarding

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What if I already have a DHCP server in my network (in my Firewall device) and I don't want to disable it? How can I run diskless (network boot) Media Directors/Orbiters?

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you can't.  only a dhcp server can provide a network boot.

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My firewall's DHCP server supports BOOTP and provides me the option to specify the filename to hand to the diskless client. I was hoping there was a file in Pluto that I could copy to my firewall to support this?

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Can I use my existing Linksys router for DHCP if I don't need diskless boot?  I'd rather not switch my entire network around just to test Pluto.

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My firewall's DHCP server supports BOOTP and provides me the option to specify the filename to hand to the diskless client. I was hoping there was a file in Pluto that I could copy to my firewall to support this?

(I wonder how I missed this post)
No, there is no such file. It's a more complicated discussion for this topic.

Can I use my existing Linksys router for DHCP if I don't need diskless boot? I'd rather not switch my entire network around just to test Pluto.

If you don't need diskless boot, you can install with the DHCP server turned off with no problem.

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If you have only one network card, you'll need to disable DHCP in your other device, and in Pluto admin choose advanced, network settings, and give the Pluto core and a static IP address for the Internet, and that also have  its default 192.168.80.1, used for the internal network

I am trying to do exactly this but I think I am misunderstanding something here.

The Core should be the DHCP server. What do I need to configure in the core? (static IP adresses etc)? What do I need to configure in my router besides turning DHCP off? My static IP adress from my ISProvider is today configured in the router and I believe it should continue to be since this is where the outside cable comes in. The router also has a static adress (192.168.0.1). Should this be configured in the core?

/Gojan

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The DHCP server in your route should be turned off, the Core should be allocated an external IP address in the 192.168.0.0/24 subnet (this is your router's subnet) and be told that the router is its gateway, with the right DNS settings too. Then, all machines in your network that will use DHCP will use the Pluto Core as the gateway and DNS, and the Core will forward their packets to the Internet through your router. The machines will get IPs from a dynamic address pool, in the 192.168.80.0/24 subnet.

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Am I correct in thinking that I can setup the network as follows:

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cableModem->Core->WRT54G(NoDHCP)->WirelessPCs / MDs
                                                          ->WiredPcs / MDs


This way, the core is setup as a DHCP server, the WRT is used as a switch/wireless HUB (possibly a waste, but there we go!)

Also, it is possible to use wireless connections between the MDs?

Cheers,

xMarks

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I tried it.

It didn't work.



back to the drawing board...