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WHS 2011 and Multiple SubNets - Does it work? RRS feed

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    Will WHS 2011 , Windows 7 and Vista work across 2 subnets?  

    by work I mean things like ...

    1. have all pcs on both subnets, see a printer on one subnet

    2. have all PCs on both subnets be able to connect to WHS 2011 for backups

    3. have all PCs on both subnets share folders via WORKGROUP sharing

    This is first time I am using WHS.  I have been following for awhile but have limping along with a linux fileserver and OneCare but when that got discontinued, using manual synchs.  Recently we added 2 laptops for our family and I wanted to have a easy, proven backup system.  Recently I upgraded one of the pcs, and am using the replaced pc for WHS 2011.  I have a small home network with 3 laptops, 2 pcs, linux file server, 2 ROKU, Sony REceiver, 2 XBOX, couple of iTouch, damn that grows quickly.  And I just setup WHS 2011 on 4GB old desktop with 4 disks, 3 2TB and 1 500GB.  $50 Copy from Amazon.  Everything works, backups and all.  

    But to add Wireless N, I purchased cisco linksys e4200 router and because I have VERIZON FIOS that prefers to keep their ActionTec router as primary router, I have configured the e4200 in Bridge mode so it acts like a switch behind my primary VERIZON FIOS Actiontec Wireless G router.  Everything is in one subnet  and wireless n from e4200 and wireless g from ActionTec works.

    But what doesn't work is guest mode on the e4200 new router.  Wireless works great and 1GB switch works great but no guest account.

    I was hoping to use the guest account on the e4200 router, but turns out if the e4200 runs in bridge mode, no dhcp by design, and then no guest account because the client can't get to gateway to get to internet.    

    Cisco says to configure e4200 as router behind the Actiontec, so that there are 2 subnets, one for the devices linked to Actiontec (i.e. 192.168.1.X) and second for the devices linked to Cisco e4200 (i.e. 192.168.2.X).

    I am worried that the WHS 2011 and windows homegroup sharing and printer setup and itunes HomeShare will all fall apart.  I appreciate any guidance on this.


    • Edited by brunjest Saturday, January 14, 2012 3:35 AM typo
    Saturday, January 14, 2012 3:34 AM

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    Maybe I'm missing something but wouldn't it be easy and cheap to just add a second nic to the WHS , one for each subnet. Then PCs on both subnets could see and use the server.

     

    Also Guest Mode by definition is supposed to isolate the untrusted Guests from the rest of the network.

     

    You would still have to have your router in bridge mode to bridge the VZ network to the E4200 network and have IP isolation disabled (kind of the definition of bridge mode)

     

    hope that helps

    Michael

    • Marked as answer by brunjest Saturday, January 21, 2012 11:19 PM
    Tuesday, January 17, 2012 1:46 AM

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    My networking is a bit rusty to be honoust. :| I am not even sure if I understand what is going wrong.

    Why is the lack of a DHCP server a showstopper? Is it not possible to setup a static IP address?

    Sunday, January 15, 2012 3:21 PM
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    Hi Cir0

    I have the e4200 setup in bridge mode with static IP and guest mode doesn't work.  Also, tried with dynamic ip mode in bridge mode and guest didn't work then either.  e4200 provides guest access on 192.169.33.X, if in bridge mode you can connect but can't see internet.  

    The feedback was...

    "It's not possible to use guest access in bridge mode. Guest access is only possible when the E4200 operates as router. In bridge mode any wireless network goes directly into the same LAN. Guest separation would not be possible"

    Linksys support suggested having 2 subnets each with DHCP turned on and then guest mode will work.  But from little I know about networking , which isn't much, I don't think that will be easy, and will require double nat etc.  But was curious if others with more knowledge have done that with WHS 2011.

    • Proposed as answer by Ken Warren Sunday, January 15, 2012 10:58 PM
    Sunday, January 15, 2012 9:46 PM
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    Maybe I'm missing something but wouldn't it be easy and cheap to just add a second nic to the WHS , one for each subnet. Then PCs on both subnets could see and use the server.

     

    Also Guest Mode by definition is supposed to isolate the untrusted Guests from the rest of the network.

     

    You would still have to have your router in bridge mode to bridge the VZ network to the E4200 network and have IP isolation disabled (kind of the definition of bridge mode)

     

    hope that helps

    Michael

    • Marked as answer by brunjest Saturday, January 21, 2012 11:19 PM
    Tuesday, January 17, 2012 1:46 AM
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    Well, serving more networks/subnets from one DHCP server pretty standard but I am really not familair with the E4200 and it's guest mode details.

    I agree with MrMichaelHallett that adding an extra NIC in the WHS is the easiest way to make the WHS available in both networks (Point 2).

    To enable points 1 & 3 you really need an extra device which can act as a router in your network. (Or buy loads of NIC's ;) )

    Saturday, January 21, 2012 10:49 PM
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    Hi All,

    after getting help from e4200 board, I was able to get guest mode to work, when the e4200 is in bridge mode. 

    If I had followed Linksys support recommendations, I would have been hosed, going down 2 sub-net path and lots of unnecessary config time.  Luckily they have a fairly good forum also and other users were able to help me.

    If you are curious go to -> http://homecommunity.cisco.com/t5/Wireless-Routers/E4200-Guest-Network-Not-Working/td-p/406345/page/3?comm_cc=HSus&comm_lang=en

    I had to connect ethernet into e4200 WAN jack rather than LAN jack, even though it is in bridge mode.   I don't understand but it worked!!

    So I can keep all my computers on one subnet!

    Thanks for the suggestions!

    Saturday, January 21, 2012 11:20 PM
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    Oh, what interesting topic! I hoped to find something for me as well, as I'm in very similar situation; running one WHS serving PCs in 2 subnets...

    My situation is slightly different though; I have 2 physically distant networks that are connected together via LAN2LAN VPN tunnel (using Draytek Vigor 2930 and 2130 routers). So the only solution for me is to have 2 separate IP address ranges, one for each LAN and proper routing between subnets configured. After lots of fiddling I can easily access computers on both of networks from each other, but still cannot get to configuration where WHS on one subnet would be visible in the other one. While I understand that problem lays in initial Connector setup (e.g. Connector installation process searches only local subnet (255.255.255.0) for presence of WHS, so simply cannot find one in the other LAN. Doing just experiment I connected not via LAN2LAN VPN, but using VPN client, that assigned me IP address from LAN, where WHS is connected to. Then everything worked fine, I got installation completed and everything seemed to work, untill disconnected... Then there is something wrong; I still can't reach the server (though connector should be now configured with proper server IP address that is easily reachable from other subnet). Any idea if it is possible to configure access to WHS (Dashboard access, client PC backup/restore) in such configuration? Access to home page and shares are working perfectly. I can also easility RDP between subnets.

    Monday, January 23, 2012 7:07 AM