Home Networking (Sorry 'bout length; prob is pretty involved)

androjeans · 07-16-2007, 01:27 PM

Okay, I have a Cisco 831/7 router fresh and clean (router#>write erase) ready to be configured. I have 3 hardwired devices that i want to have network/internet connectivity. One of those is a wireless access point that i want three devices to be able to connect to (two laptops [see image] and a PSP; the psp isnt necessary as i have an alternate method for that), the other two are my Nintendo Wii and a desktop workstation.

First, I want to know if this is the proper physical set up to do what I want to.

Second, the configuring. Im running DHCP DSL through ATT (not that my provider maters, but..). when I run setup through HyperTerminal (I console into the router to avoid any unecessary problems), i am presented with options to assign IPs and such to each ethernet port on the router. I just want to know if i should plug everything up and then console in and run set up and see what populates or should I enter the settings of my modem (subnet, default gateway, dns, etc) for eth1? Also, I only know some stuff about routers. Will a hardwired router be able to 'split' (for lack of a better word) the IP of the AP so that two laptops can connect simultaneously or do I need a wireless router to do that?

Thanks in advance.

HITMAN27 · 07-16-2007, 04:08 PM

The layout of you network looks fine.

I would configure the router first and then make all the connections.

I think that model router has 1 WAN ethernet port and the rest are ethernet switch ports, meaning you only assign an IP to the WAN interface. If they are indeed switch ports you will only need to configure the WAN port and connect your other devices to the switch ports, however, in order to assign IP's to the devices your router will have to have DHCP built-in along with NAT or you will need your own DHCP server.

For more info on your router and configuration options look here

androjeans · 07-17-2007, 07:49 AM

this particular router can be set up as a dhcp server. or, at least, the documentation says you can. anyway. i appreciate your reply, but Ill have to tool around with it after i finish breaking up with my girlfriend. once i can actually put all this stuff somewhere. i almost want to get a rack-mount server and just run that as a desktop. :)

anyway, thanks again.

07-16-2007, 01:27 PM	#1 (permalink)
androjeans Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 4 OS: XP SP3, Slackware 10.2, Puppy 4.2, Knoppix 5.0.1	Home Networking (Sorry 'bout length; prob is pretty involved) Okay, I have a Cisco 831/7 router fresh and clean (router#>write erase) ready to be configured. I have 3 hardwired devices that i want to have network/internet connectivity. One of those is a wireless access point that i want three devices to be able to connect to (two laptops [see image] and a PSP; the psp isnt necessary as i have an alternate method for that), the other two are my Nintendo Wii and a desktop workstation. First, I want to know if this is the proper physical set up to do what I want to. Second, the configuring. Im running DHCP DSL through ATT (not that my provider maters, but..). when I run setup through HyperTerminal (I console into the router to avoid any unecessary problems), i am presented with options to assign IPs and such to each ethernet port on the router. I just want to know if i should plug everything up and then console in and run set up and see what populates or should I enter the settings of my modem (subnet, default gateway, dns, etc) for eth1? Also, I only know some stuff about routers. Will a hardwired router be able to 'split' (for lack of a better word) the IP of the AP so that two laptops can connect simultaneously or do I need a wireless router to do that? Thanks in advance.

07-16-2007, 04:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
HITMAN27 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 2 OS: XP/Vista/Fedora Core 4	Re: Home Networking (Sorry 'bout length; prob is pretty involved) The layout of you network looks fine. I would configure the router first and then make all the connections. I think that model router has 1 WAN ethernet port and the rest are ethernet switch ports, meaning you only assign an IP to the WAN interface. If they are indeed switch ports you will only need to configure the WAN port and connect your other devices to the switch ports, however, in order to assign IP's to the devices your router will have to have DHCP built-in along with NAT or you will need your own DHCP server. For more info on your router and configuration options look here

07-17-2007, 07:49 AM	#3 (permalink)
androjeans Registered User Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Austin, Tx Posts: 4 OS: XP SP3, Slackware 10.2, Puppy 4.2, Knoppix 5.0.1	Re: Home Networking (Sorry 'bout length; prob is pretty involved) this particular router can be set up as a dhcp server. or, at least, the documentation says you can. anyway. i appreciate your reply, but Ill have to tool around with it after i finish breaking up with my girlfriend. once i can actually put all this stuff somewhere. i almost want to get a rack-mount server and just run that as a desktop. :) anyway, thanks again.