Do I need a router, and how do we configure it?

sjiraff79 · 10-01-2008, 02:30 AM

We're currently setting up a rack at a hosting provider downtown, and are struggling to get our internet connection running.

We've been assigned a subnet of 255 IP adresses, let's call it 1.2.78.0 / 255.255.255.0. We're getting our connection via fast ethernet i the server room.

Also, we got some additional info: "GEWAN4/3.275 1.2.200.234", dunno if this means anything.

They tell me that "our" ip is 1.2.200.233 and "their" ip is 1.2.200.234.

Now, at our previous provider, they gave us a router which had an IP like this: 2.3.4.1, and we configured our servers with fixed IPs like 2.3.4.99 and just used 2.3.4.1 as our default gateway, and we were online.

This time however, we don't have a router from our provider, only an assigned range of IPs and some router's IP on another subnet.

1. Could I just put this router's address as default gateway, would that work? Like 1.2.78.99 as a server's IP and 1.2.200.234 as default gateway? What subnet mask must I then use?

2. Or do I need to buy a router for our rack, set it up to use 1.2.200.233 as it's external IP, 1.2.200.234 as it's default gateway, 1.2.78.1 as it's internal IP, and have all our servers use 1.2.78.1 as their default gateway?

3. If I'm correct in #2, could anyone recommend a router, and is it hard to configure this stuff? I've never configured routers before, just firewalls and local networking.

Thanks for listening

**johnwill** · 10-01-2008, 07:31 AM

If you have a block of 255 IP addresses, what's wrong with just using a switch? What do you hope to accomplish with the router?

sjiraff79 · 10-02-2008, 01:34 AM

Ok, so if I just put a non-managed switch in there, and set up my server with IP: 1.2.78.99 and 1.2.200.234 as my default gateway, then that should work? Will my subnet mask be 255.255.0.0 in this case?

EricClemens · 10-02-2008, 08:45 AM

Can you clarify if you are using public IP addresses provided by your host or are you using (did they provide) address in a private block (192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x)?

If this were my setup - I would purchase a firewall to secure your gear from everyone else in the data center - unless they are providing some kind of managed firewall service for you and giving you private ip addresses...

sjiraff79 · 10-02-2008, 10:04 AM

The adresses are not in the 10 or 192.168 ranges, so they should all be accessible to the public.

I had planned on running the firewall in transparent mode, but I guess running our firewall in routing mode would solve my problem.

On the firewall, we'll be configuring 1.2.200.233 as the WAN IP, with netmask 255.255.255.252 and 1.2.200.234 as default gateway.

Then, we will set 1.2.78.1 as the IP for our DMZ interface.
If I've understodd this correctly, we should be able to set up a server on something like 1.2.78.30 with netmask 255.255.255.0 and 1.2.78.1 as default gateway.

I'll give it a try and see if we can get it online.

EricClemens · 10-03-2008, 07:50 AM

If this were my setup, I would install a Cisco ASA 5505 (or better depending on your throughput requirements). Setup the external interface with one of your public IP addresses then setup static NAT to your servers and program access rules.

It doesn't sound like you really need to have a DMZ because you wont have PCs or internal servers which need to be more secure than others...

Inside of your firewall, you would use a private address block - the static NAT mappings would map those internal addresses to public ones.

**johnwill** · 10-03-2008, 10:57 AM

I'm curious as to why the block of public IP addresses, do you need all these machines directly exposed to the Internet?

EricClemens · 10-04-2008, 06:22 AM

Ditto.... I thought class C blocks were hard to come by. It does seem unusual that you have a block of 254 public addresses for a single cabnet.

sjiraff79 · 10-04-2008, 08:00 AM

Thanks for advice and feedback :-)
We're running a lot of SSL-enabled websites, and they need a separate IP for each.

10-01-2008, 02:30 AM	#1 (permalink)
sjiraff79 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows XP sp2	Do I need a router, and how do we configure it? We're currently setting up a rack at a hosting provider downtown, and are struggling to get our internet connection running. We've been assigned a subnet of 255 IP adresses, let's call it 1.2.78.0 / 255.255.255.0. We're getting our connection via fast ethernet i the server room. Also, we got some additional info: "GEWAN4/3.275 1.2.200.234", dunno if this means anything. They tell me that "our" ip is 1.2.200.233 and "their" ip is 1.2.200.234. Now, at our previous provider, they gave us a router which had an IP like this: 2.3.4.1, and we configured our servers with fixed IPs like 2.3.4.99 and just used 2.3.4.1 as our default gateway, and we were online. This time however, we don't have a router from our provider, only an assigned range of IPs and some router's IP on another subnet. 1. Could I just put this router's address as default gateway, would that work? Like 1.2.78.99 as a server's IP and 1.2.200.234 as default gateway? What subnet mask must I then use? 2. Or do I need to buy a router for our rack, set it up to use 1.2.200.233 as it's external IP, 1.2.200.234 as it's default gateway, 1.2.78.1 as it's internal IP, and have all our servers use 1.2.78.1 as their default gateway? 3. If I'm correct in #2, could anyone recommend a router, and is it hard to configure this stuff? I've never configured routers before, just firewalls and local networking. Thanks for listening

10-01-2008, 07:31 AM	#2 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,832 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Do I need a router, and how do we configure it? If you have a block of 255 IP addresses, what's wrong with just using a switch? What do you hope to accomplish with the router? __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

10-02-2008, 01:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
sjiraff79 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows XP sp2	Re: Do I need a router, and how do we configure it? Ok, so if I just put a non-managed switch in there, and set up my server with IP: 1.2.78.99 and 1.2.200.234 as my default gateway, then that should work? Will my subnet mask be 255.255.0.0 in this case?

10-02-2008, 08:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
EricClemens Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland, Oh Posts: 28 OS: WinXP Pro SP3, Vista x86 SP1, All Win Versions	Re: Do I need a router, and how do we configure it? Can you clarify if you are using public IP addresses provided by your host or are you using (did they provide) address in a private block (192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x)? If this were my setup - I would purchase a firewall to secure your gear from everyone else in the data center - unless they are providing some kind of managed firewall service for you and giving you private ip addresses...

10-02-2008, 10:04 AM	#5 (permalink)
sjiraff79 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows XP sp2	Re: Do I need a router, and how do we configure it? The adresses are not in the 10 or 192.168 ranges, so they should all be accessible to the public. I had planned on running the firewall in transparent mode, but I guess running our firewall in routing mode would solve my problem. On the firewall, we'll be configuring 1.2.200.233 as the WAN IP, with netmask 255.255.255.252 and 1.2.200.234 as default gateway. Then, we will set 1.2.78.1 as the IP for our DMZ interface. If I've understodd this correctly, we should be able to set up a server on something like 1.2.78.30 with netmask 255.255.255.0 and 1.2.78.1 as default gateway. I'll give it a try and see if we can get it online.

10-03-2008, 07:50 AM	#6 (permalink)
EricClemens Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland, Oh Posts: 28 OS: WinXP Pro SP3, Vista x86 SP1, All Win Versions	Re: Do I need a router, and how do we configure it? If this were my setup, I would install a Cisco ASA 5505 (or better depending on your throughput requirements). Setup the external interface with one of your public IP addresses then setup static NAT to your servers and program access rules. It doesn't sound like you really need to have a DMZ because you wont have PCs or internal servers which need to be more secure than others... Inside of your firewall, you would use a private address block - the static NAT mappings would map those internal addresses to public ones.

10-03-2008, 10:57 AM	#7 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 41,832 OS: Windows 7, XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Do I need a router, and how do we configure it? I'm curious as to why the block of public IP addresses, do you need all these machines directly exposed to the Internet? __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

10-04-2008, 06:22 AM	#8 (permalink)
EricClemens Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland, Oh Posts: 28 OS: WinXP Pro SP3, Vista x86 SP1, All Win Versions	Re: Do I need a router, and how do we configure it? Ditto.... I thought class C blocks were hard to come by. It does seem unusual that you have a block of 254 public addresses for a single cabnet.

10-04-2008, 08:00 AM	#9 (permalink)
sjiraff79 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows XP sp2	Re: Do I need a router, and how do we configure it? Thanks for advice and feedback :-) We're running a lot of SSL-enabled websites, and they need a separate IP for each.