I will consider whether I really need to do this or not, but for better or for worse, right now I have it this way. I have a D-Link DIR-655 Router (mainrouter). It has ports as follows:


a) WAN - Cable Modem
b) #1 - NAS
c) #2 - main1
d) #3 - main2
e) #4 - Linksys switch
f) Wireless - Linksys Print Server


The switch is wired as follows:


a) #1 - mainrouter
b) #2 - clientrouter
c) #3 - guestrouter


clientrouter is a Linksys router. clientrouter is wired as follows:


a) WAN - Linksys switch
b) #1 - d-des
c) Wireless - dw-des
d) Wireless - bw-des
e) Wireless - at-des
f) Wireless - bt-des
g) Wireless - aph-des
h) Wireless - awii-des


guestrouter is a Netgear router. guestrouter is wired as follows:


a) WAN - Linksys switch
b) #1 - Cord for guest computer
c) Wireless - Any guests on the network


I chose to have multiple subnets to logically divide up the network into groups depending on the reason for the client.


However, I do not think I have used the right technology to accomplish this, because it's not very reliable. The netgear router needs to be manually unplugged and plugged back in often, but this is normal for it's model. The Linksys router is humming just fine along. When I in the past, tried a Linksys router (the same model as the clientrouter), as the mainrouter, it was unstable all the time. I had to return it (there was no damage or anything, it was just inherently unstable).


This model, the D-Link, is similar, but until now was seeming to be livable for now, at least barely. This one origionally stayed stable for long periods of time, anywhere from 2 seconds to 1 week I'd estimate, although the exact period it'd stay stable for I could not predict yet. When it was unstable, I could get to Internet from the router, but not anything connected to the router (connected in any way). I had to reboot the router to fix the problem, by it's web interface. I could not just release and renew the IP, it had to be a reboot.


But now, it's behavior is changing. Now it loses total network connectivity when it does that, and needs to be manually unplugged and plugged back in. It often doesn't boot right with just one time, so I have counted that the usual amount is 6 times in a row, waiting for it to boot each time, before it works again. But not always, sometimes it will only take 1 time, or sometimes 2, so you need to check what's going on each time, though the lights mainly tell you. Not until the last time, can you use the web interface either.


This is a recent purchase, because my old mainrouter died, and it was working just fine. It was a DIR-615 router, but you cannot get those from d-link anymore. It's too old. I already troubleshooted with the tech support, and we ended up coming to the conclusion that the hardware is probably dying and that's why the new behavior. I could not return it or anything anymore, because it's probably due to using my specific configuration with it that it doesn't work.


Can you either point me to a model of router with similar features that will work in this configuration, if this is one right way to do it, or tell me what a better way to accomplish this dividing is?

---------- Post added 01-19-15 at 04:59 PM ----------

Please see: http://forums.techguy.org/networking...ml#post9024894 for more information.

With your configuration ideas, I would search out a switch that supports vlans, and has a console or gui login to it's intelligence to program them. What you are describing is a system that is not reliable, and customers will get fed up. Separate that function from the modem, and do not be tempted to use the basic switch functions there.

It sounds to me like you are vastly over complicating your standard setup. Do all your customers require vlans?

This is the best subnetting tutorial I've seen. Don't be fooled by the Web 1.0 look. When I first found it, it was hosted at a university. I suspect that the creator ported it to his own site unchanged when he moved or retired. The concepts are explained clearly and succinctly.

http://www.ralphb.net/IPSubnet/index.html

You may find it useful.

I looked at the tutorial and understood enough of it to know that I am basically doing that much already. I have network numbers, such as 1.1.1.0 and 2.1.1.0. I have a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 all over the place, which gives me 254 computers per subnet. That is enough because I am way under my limit right now. Please tell me more about that switch.

So I just added a switch so that the wiring is changed as thus:

mainrouter:

a) #1 to d-link switch
b) #2 to main2


d-link switch:
a) #1 mainrouter
b) #2 mainnas
c) #3 main1
d) #4 Linksys switch
e) #5 N/A

It is probably too late to save this router, I think it's dying already, but do you think this is what the problem was that there was too much plugged into the router, and if so, will that wiring help a bit? It shouldn't be too hard on the switch.

What I would do is like stated above, scratch all the other routers,get one router and 1 switch with enough ports and setup vlans. It will drastically cut down the amount of routers you have. I've treid using routers in a similar configuration before and it just never really works how you want it too. There not meant to be ran like that. If your up for a bit of learning pick up an old cisco switch, reliable hardware and the learnign curve isn't to bad. If you want to practice setting it up in a cisco environment get yourself a copy of packet tracer.

In Cisco switches, you can log in, and set up parameters like vlans and level 2 routing (Frame relay style). Likewise in their competitors. But you can't do that stuff on crappy modem/routers or switches from wall mart. To test just the network speed, why not IGNORE the routing table & use

dd if=large_file_1 of=/dev/eth0 & dd if=/dev/eth1 of=large_file_2

That will probably work for 100Mb cards, I don't know if the disk could keep up on gigabit cards

So I need wireless for each subnet as well as wired. Is there hardware that will do that? Also, I just found out now that my wiring will not work, so I will be trying to collapse the subnets for now, and see if the router is stable then.

---------- Post added 01-27-15 at 03:44 PM ----------

...But I'd really like to do subnets, at least eventually if you could help me find the right hardware...

You need to keep a few basic things in mind and you can handle subnets
1. IPV4 numbers are in the form nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn.n , e.g. 192.168.0.1.1, etc.
2. 192.168.0.1.1 is isolated from 192.168.0.1.2, etc. and they cannot see each other's traffic. So 192.168.0.1.1 is isolated in software from 192.168.0.1.2
3. EVERYTHING has to support them - nics, routing, switches, etc. Switches are often the problem as they have to be programmed into the switch. So the switch takes on a routing function.
4. Routing has to be careful, and precise.

The guide referenced in post#3 seems very good.

Having said that, your nic has 4 outputs. You are the last person who needs subnets. When you have one nic o/p, and four networks that have to be kept separate (e.g. management, accounts, sales, & research all using the one internet feed or file server) that's when you need subnets.

For now I will just collapse the subnets and see if it's stable.