Routing in a DHCP Network...how???

[ulrik]

OK, I have a problem. First, let me explain how my network looks like:

I have a DSL Modem, connected to a Barricade 4 Port Router. Connected to this router is my OKI network printer and my Airport basestation (the old one without the WAN port, that's why I need the Barricade). "Connected" to my basestation is my Quicksilver, my Cube, my fathers Sawtooth and my brothers PC. Now I have the following problem. I have set up my Apache, my FTP and everything. It works well, BUT, my brother always has to call me to see what my IP is if he wants to connect to my FTP, since we a running DHCP and we are getting the IPs automatically from the basestation. I tried to set my IP manually over DHCP, but it doesn't work! It just doesn't work. Now, to make things even worse, I want my FTP Server and Apache to be accessible over the net, a VPN. Now, to do this (and because I had trouble connecting to my printer under OS X) I attached the Quicksilver ALSO via a patchcable to the barricade, so it is running two network connections, one via Airport, one via the built-in ethernet port. I have done this so I have different firewall zones. One from the barricade which pretty much blocks anything and one software firewall which handles the intranet Airport access.
Now here is my problem: How do I route port 80, 8080 and 21 (FTP, HTTP and maybe in the future also some more for game servers) to the Internet when I don't know my IP?
I hope anybody understands my problem AND the setup I have (it took me some time to understand it myself ) and I hoop even more somebody can help me! Thanx!!!

 

[james23]

Originally posted by ulrik
OK, I have a problem. First, let me explain how my network looks like:

--snip

Now here is my problem: How do I route port 80, 8080 and 21 (FTP, HTTP and maybe in the future also some more for game servers) to the Internet when I don't know my IP?

I hope anybody understands my problem AND the setup I have (it took me some time to understand it myself ) and I hoop even more somebody can help me! Thanx!!!

I'm not sure but, your router should be able handle this - this is something called "port forwarding", best to read the manuals. As for getting the IP, visit http://www.dyndns.org apply for an account and get your own dns address for free, hop over to versiontracker.com/macosx and download DNSUpdate which allows you to install a daemon which automatically updates your new DNS address to your new IP everytime you get a new IP.

 

[ulrik]

Well, I know about the forwarding, but the problem is, both the Barricade and the Airport only let me forward ports to an intranet IP (as I have seen it on most routers). But I don't know the IP of my Mac in the Intranet, since it gets it via DHCP! That's the problem! Of course I can track down the IP NOW, then configure the routers to forward the port to this IP, but once the lease time is over and I get a new IP (or once I reboot), the forwarding doesn't work any longer.

And when I use Manual DHCP configuration, everything works, but I can't access the DNS of my ISP and thus I cannot access the web via domain names.

BTW: Are there free alternatives to DynDNS? At the moment, I am running a deamon which sens an SMS to my Nokia Communicator as soon as my internet IP changes, so even on the road I always know to which IP I have to connect.

 

[howardm4]

you need to see if the Barracade can 'reserve' addresses.

What happens is that you tell the unit the hardware MAC address
of the box and tell it to reserve a certain IP address for that MAC address.

That way, even though your getting your address via DHCP, you get the
SAME one, every time.

Some of the home type routers can do it. I dont know if the Barrracade can.

 

[ulrik]

Ah, OK, this is how it works. Till now, I didn't know what exactly the MAC adress is, now I know. Thanx!!!

The Barricade doesn't have this option, so I guess I have to track down why I can't connect to DNS when I use manual DHCP config, giving myself in the network prefs of OS X/9 a fixed IP. It works for the ethernet AND for the extra/intranet bridge, so everything is routed fine. The only problem is, that with this config, my Mac doesn't connect to the DNS of my ISP. I can access sites via their IPs, but not via their domains, and traceroutes always end directly behind my router.

Well, good to know how a solution for my first problem would look like.

Many thanx!

 

[howardm4]

it is NOT unusual for home routers to NOT pass traceroute packets.

Most of them just dont.

The Asante 3004 just got that feature from a firmware upgd
and I think the SMC is the same box, different package.

 

[mcasteel]

Originally posted by ulrik
BUT, my brother always has to call me to see what my IP is if he wants to connect to my FTP, since we a running DHCP and we are getting the IPs automatically from the basestation. I tried to set my IP manually over DHCP, but it doesn't work!

If you're using AirPort wireless, you can use a manual IP address if you wish. The AirPort Base Station supports this. I don't know if it will work with a wired connection to the Barricade, it depends on whether the Barricade supports it like the Base Station does.

Normally, AirPort is configured to issue addresses on the network 10.0.1, but only in the range 1-50. You should be able to go into Network prefs and switch to manual configuration. Enter an IP address such as 10.0.1.55, subnet 255.255.255.0, the 'router' address, and be sure to enter a DNS server address (your ISP's, or possibly the barricade will forward DNS). When you're using the network on OS X (with DHCP), the prefs panel will show you the router address and subnet you'll want to use.

This would solve your brother's problem (on your internal network). However, using AirPort you are a couple hops from the Internet and it could get troublesome. Assuming the manual configuration works with the Barricade as well as with the AirPort, you could disable 'issue IP addresses' (or whatever it's called) on the Base Station, turn on Bridging and then all your AirPort-connected machines would bridge right through the Base Station, directly to the Barricade. Then, try manually configuring an IP address that's on the Barricade's internal network but not in its dynamic DHCP range. Don't forget to set a DNS server address.