Changing from peer-to-peer to server based environment

I am trying to help someone who has a small office with DSL.

He originally had his Verizon DSL with a Westell 6100 modem connected
to the uplink port on a Linksys WRT54GS wireless router. The four
workstations in the office would connect to the router either via
cabled or wireless connections. The router acted as the DHCP server.
All workstations had connections to the internet through the DSL line,
but there was periodic trouble with machines seeing each other.

He decided he wanted to add a server running MS Small Business 2003
server to the network. He wants the server to act as the DHCP server
and have all the workstations be able to access shared data and
programs from the server.

The server now has 2 network cards. I began by attaching the DSL modem
directly to one of the NICs in the server. I tried several IPs,
including the one that had previously been assigned to the wireless
router, but was not able to get a LAN connection. After speaking with
Verizon, they said the MAC address of the Linksys router was set in the
modem and the modem had to be connected through the router. Sure
enough if I did not change any IPs and connected the modem to the
uplink port in the router and connected the server to another router
port, I had connectivity. I went through all the configuration screens
to find where the MAC address was set or could be changed, but I could
not locate it. I reconnected the modem directly to the server and
continued to modify IPs until I got a connection, then attempted to
connect the server to the uplink port on the router, but even though I
had turned off the DHCP on the router that caused me to loose
connectivity.

In frustration, I reattached the DSL modem to the uplink port in the
router, disabled one of the NICs in the server, reset the router to
handle DHCP, and connected the server to the network as a peer device.
The workstations are able to log into the domain, but are having
trouble accessing network devices - such as the office printer.

Is there a way to connect the DSL line to one of the NICs in the
server, connect the 2nd NIC in the server to wireless router and allow
the server to act as the DHCP server. The router should simply act as
a hub that allows wireless connectivity to the workstations.

What configuration settings do I need to check on the modem? router?
server? The router seems to be causing some type of conflict that I
have not been able to narrow down.

"JRC" <abachman@itwizardry.com> hath wroth:

>I am trying to help someone who has a small office with DSL.

The title mentions peer-to-peer, which has NOTHING to do with anything
you mentioned in your question. Watch the buzzwords please. Also,
you seem to have neglected mentioning any IP addresses, which makes
specific advice a bit difficult.

I'll assume that the Windoze 2003 server has a static IP address on at
least one of the ethernet ports. I'll also assume that you have some
form of routeing setup in the Windoze 2003 server between the two
ethernet ports or users on one port will not be able to see users on
the other port. To make *MY* life simple, I'll just assume everyone
is connected to one of the ethernet ports.

>He originally had his Verizon DSL with a Westell 6100 modem connected
>to the uplink port on a Linksys WRT54GS wireless router. The four
>workstations in the office would connect to the router either via
>cabled or wireless connections. The router acted as the DHCP server.
>All workstations had connections to the internet through the DSL line,
>but there was periodic trouble with machines seeing each other.
>
>He decided he wanted to add a server running MS Small Business 2003
>server to the network. He wants the server to act as the DHCP server
>and have all the workstations be able to access shared data and
>programs from the server.

No problem having the Windoze 2003 server act as a DHCP server.
However, you didn't mention if you also wanted the Windoze 2003 server
to act as an NAT router. I'll assume you do NOT which means the
WRT54GS will act as the company router.

>The server now has 2 network cards. I began by attaching the DSL modem
>directly to one of the NICs in the server. I tried several IPs,
>including the one that had previously been assigned to the wireless
>router, but was not able to get a LAN connection.

OK, we can start here. The LAN IP addresses of the WRT54GS and the
Windoze 2003 server have to be compatible. For example, if the server
IP address on one of the ethernet ports is 192.168.55.3, then the
WRT54GS LAN IP address should be set to 192.168.55.1. This IP address
should NOT duplicate any existing IP address and should NOT be inside
the assigned DHCP range. You will also need to disable the DHCP
server in the WRT54GS. That should give you connectivity from the
Windoze 2003 server. The rest should be easy.

Note that the "55" above was selected by me at random and can be
almost any number from 0 to 255.

>After speaking with
>Verizon, they said the MAC address of the Linksys router was set in the
>modem and the modem had to be connected through the router. Sure
>enough if I did not change any IPs and connected the modem to the
>uplink port in the router and connected the server to another router
>port, I had connectivity. I went through all the configuration screens
>to find where the MAC address was set or could be changed, but I could
>not locate it. I reconnected the modem directly to the server and
>continued to modify IPs until I got a connection, then attempted to
>connect the server to the uplink port on the router, but even though I
>had turned off the DHCP on the router that caused me to loose
>connectivity.

Verizon is apparently authenticating using the MAC address of the
connected computer (not the modem or router). Reconfigure the system
temporarily to the original configuration that worked. Go to this
page:
| http://www.linksysdata.com/ui/WRT54G...0.7/WanMAC.htm
Enable Mac Address Cloning and clone the working PC. Save the
settings. When you reconfigure the network back to the Windoze 2003
server configuration, you should have connectivity.

>In frustration, I reattached the DSL modem to the uplink port in the
>router, disabled one of the NICs in the server, reset the router to
>handle DHCP, and connected the server to the network as a peer device.
>The workstations are able to log into the domain, but are having
>trouble accessing network devices - such as the office printer.

No clue. My guess(tm) is some Windoze 2003 server configuration. The
unspecified network printer may be a network print server which has
it's own IP address. My guess(tm) is that your reconfigured network
has moved the IP address block 192.168.xxx.xxx to something else and
the printer just didn't follow. I usually use static IP addresses for
print servers, which certainly will cause trouble if the IP address or
block moves. Check your IP's. Better yet, document your IP's.

>Is there a way to connect the DSL line to one of the NICs in the
>server, connect the 2nd NIC in the server to wireless router and allow
>the server to act as the DHCP server. The router should simply act as
>a hub that allows wireless connectivity to the workstations.

Yes, but you would need to effectively start over and setup the
Windoze 2003 server to act as an NAT router. The WRT54GS could be
setup as an access point, effectively disabling the router section. My
guess(tm) is that you don't want to do this. I certainly would not
want all my clients internet packets going THROUGHT the Windoze 2003
server, thus slowing it down.

>What configuration settings do I need to check on the modem? router?
>server? The router seems to be causing some type of conflict that I
>have not been able to narrow down.

See MAC address cloning.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558