Home Network Problems

[darkwolf]

I am trying to setup a network here at my house using an old PC and Linux. I want to be able to use it as a file server for my other computers (Mac os x) and don't want to wire everything to it. I have a wireless router (Netgear WGR614v7) that I would like to use, however when I tried to do the setup I got myself extremely confused. It has been a long time since I set up a network with a server, and I have never tried to do it like this.

My main problem is where to plug in the server. Should I plug it into the "internet" jack or should I put it in one of the others?

I would also like to share my internet connection I have on my Mac mini with the networked computers through my wireless connection (signal comes into mac mini through eth and out through airport), that is of course that it's possible and not so hard I'll fry my brain in the process. lol

Any and all suggestions are welcome and greatly appreciated.

[WhollyMindless]

My main problem is where to plug in the server. Should I plug it into the "internet" jack or should I put it in one of the others?

Possibly partial answer -

If you want all the machines on the network to use the internet (and this is the normal easy way to use it) - simply connect your incoming internet connection (The one currently directly into your mini) to the internet/wan port on the router. This will allow the router to do what it's named for - route. Everything else connects to the other ports on the router. The router will tell the connected machines everything they need to know to contact the internet - but will generally keep them safe from direct access by the outside world. (I'm glossing over some, but that should be ok).

Now, the server should be assigned an IP address that is inside the local network (Normally this is 192.168.1.x) that is managed by the router. This address is what your other machines would use to gain access to it. If you want the outside world to have access to this server, you will need to forward ports to the IP address you assigned above or simply put the server in the DMZ (NOT RECOMMENDED - generally forwards all requests to that IP).

Now, the router you have actually has wireless built in so it's simply a matter of connecting any wireless devices to the wireless access point the router will create. Honest, the easiest thing to do is to just follow the instructions with the setup disk to get the network working and then set up your server.

Even reading and going slow, you should have it all working within an hour - and that includes 20 minutes trying to get the latest firmware for the router. You ARE going to update the firmware on the router, right?

(To everyone else - Yeah, I glossed over a lot, but for his purposes close is good enough to start)

Advice - Never hook up ANYTHING directly to the internet unless you don't want to control it in about 10 minutes. It's a nasty nasty place and without a properly configured router/firewall you are ASKING to be destroyed.

[darkwolf]

Possibly partial answer -

If you want all the machines on the network to use the internet (and this is the normal easy way to use it) - simply connect your incoming internet connection (The one currently directly into your mini) to the internet/wan port on the router. This will allow the router to do what it's named for - route. Everything else connects to the other ports on the router. The router will tell the connected machines everything they need to know to contact the internet - but will generally keep them safe from direct access by the outside world. (I'm glossing over some, but that should be ok).

I actually have tried doing it that way but I am actually settin up this network on the other end of the house and a different floor than where the main router is and I get my ethernet connection from an adapter plugged into a wallwart. I tried to run that cable into the netgear router i have but i cant get it to see the internet. The setup goes fine as far as i can tell but the light indicating internet connectivity is amber instead of green and none of the computers can access the internet. That's the reason I'm tryin to do it this way.

BTW thanks for the response I may still be able to use some of that information in a different setup should the need arise.

[lanwanman]

I think we are missing few details to be able to help you out... After reading your post it I got the feeling that you are working with 2 routers. Do you have your dsl/cable modem plugged into a router in a different part of the house then have a cable running from the "main router" to your netgear? If that is the case you need to log in and turn off dchp on the netgear effectively making it a switch. You then would take the cable coming from your "main router" as you put into any other port other then the WAN/Internet port. If your main router does not do wifi, then you need to take the Netgear and replace it with your "main router."

[darkwolf]

Ok I'm not sure what happened i just plugged my router back in to test what you said and its working now. When I plugged it back in the "internet" light turned green this time instead of staying amber and I tested with my browser and got a quick error message from the main router it told me to restart my router and then restart my browser and it's working beautifully now.

But to answer your questions my router is not the main one. The main router is upstairs in the main house whereas I'm down in the basement. And the cable that I had plugged into my mini is connected on the other end to an adapter that plugs into the AC line in the wall. I don't know how it works other than it does but the router upstairs sends the signal through ethernet cables as well as any computer that has the wall adapter sending the signal through the AC mains in the house. The wireless signals from the router upstairs doesn't get through to my computers well enough to use because it travels through too much material plus there is a bunch of interference where I'm located in the house which I haven't yet figured out where it's coming from.

Thanks for your help anyway :)

Now once I get my file server up I'll be good to go.