Hello

I need to setup a small wired/wireless network where two branches of
the network are invisibile to each other but both access the internet
on a single phone line.

In previous occasions I used Draytek modem/routers because they
provide a port-based Virtual LAN facility, i.e. you can decide which
of the port can see which other.

This time, however, I need to provide gigabit connectivity as each
branch should frequent backups to a separate NAS.
 
A modem/router would be ideal, but I could not find any with a gigabit
switch on four ports. 

I also could not find any other make of cheapish modem/routers which
provide virtual LAN segregation between the ports.

I toyed with the idea of a separate ADSL modem, connected to a "cable"
router, but I never used them and would not know where to begin.

I'd really appreciate any suggestion on a possible solution.

Lnz


PS Are there issues to consider if I connect a small unmanaged gigabit
switch (for instance a D-Link DGS-1008D) to a 100Mbps port of the
router?

On Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:29:33 +0100
"[Lnz]"  wrote:

> I need to setup a small wired/wireless network where two branches of
> the network are invisibile to each other but both access the internet
> on a single phone line.
> 
> In previous occasions I used Draytek modem/routers because they
> provide a port-based Virtual LAN facility, i.e. you can decide which
> of the port can see which other.
> 
> This time, however, I need to provide gigabit connectivity as each
> branch should frequent backups to a separate NAS.
>  
> A modem/router would be ideal, but I could not find any with a gigabit
> switch on four ports. 
> 
> I also could not find any other make of cheapish modem/routers which
> provide virtual LAN segregation between the ports.

I think you could probably do this using overlapping subnets, where the
router is the only device in the overlapping address space (or is the
NAS shared too?)
> 
> I toyed with the idea of a separate ADSL modem, connected to a "cable"
> router, but I never used them and would not know where to begin.
> 
Basically just hook them up and put the ADSL account settings in the
router.

> 
> PS Are there issues to consider if I connect a small unmanaged gigabit
> switch (for instance a D-Link DGS-1008D) to a 100Mbps port of the
> router?

It should behave just as you would expect, with devices talking to each
other through the switch at 1Gb speeds and to the router at 100Mb
speeds.  Of course Gigabit is a somewhat optimistic term - you'll
never get a billion bits of useful data down those wires each second.

In article <20090706112925.10790149@bluemoon>, Rob Morley says...

> I think you could probably do this using overlapping subnets, where the
> router is the only device in the overlapping address space (or is the
> NAS shared too?)
> > 

Seconded. I think careful management of subnets is the way to go.

-- 
Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't 
looking good either. - Scott Adams

On Mon, 6 Jul 2009 11:29:25 +0100, Rob Morley 
wrote:

>> I also could not find any other make of cheapish modem/routers which
>> provide virtual LAN segregation between the ports.
>
>I think you could probably do this using overlapping subnets, where the
>router is the only device in the overlapping address space (or is the
>NAS shared too?)

I am not sure yet whether a single larger NAS should be shared or it's
better to have two smaller ones.

If I use subnets, however, I believe I'd have to set each machine
individually and not use DHCP, which might cause some problems with
the enterprising individuals who will use one of the branches of the
LAN, and prevent on-the-hoof connections by laptops etc.

Using a hardware, port-based VLAN solution would instead centralise
the Virtual Lan management to the router, which can be password
protected.

One of the reasons I wanted to stop using Drayteks (which offer this
function --  See 
http://www.draytek.com/.upload/Demo/Vigor2820_3.3.1.2/vlansetup.htm
or 
http://www.draytek.com/user/SupportLiveDemoDetail.php?ID=25
is that I had to replace three that failed during small lighting
storms, even if they were protected by UPS and phone and LAN filters
and the storms were minor.

I could not find any information about this port-based VLAN function
on any other consumer-class routers.

>> I toyed with the idea of a separate ADSL modem, connected to a "cable"
>> router, but I never used them and would not know where to begin.
>> 
>Basically just hook them up and put the ADSL account settings in the
>router.

Thanks! GTK.

>> PS Are there issues to consider if I connect a small unmanaged gigabit
>> switch (for instance a D-Link DGS-1008D) to a 100Mbps port of the
>> router?
>
>It should behave just as you would expect, with devices talking to each
>other through the switch at 1Gb speeds and to the router at 100Mb
>speeds.  Of course Gigabit is a somewhat optimistic term - you'll
>never get a billion bits of useful data down those wires each second.

Well. Yes... :-))

Thanks

Lnz