Difficulty with 2 router setup -- routing issue

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 29, 2006 Posts: 2

I've followed the postings that demonstrate how to setup a network using 2 routers, but I'm still having an issue.

My setup:

Cable Modem --> (WAN) Belkin F5D7231-4 (LAN) --> (LAN) Linksys RTP300

I also have the loopback cable from the RTP300's WAN port to one of its LAN ports. I disabled the DHCP Server & Firewall/NAT on the RTP300.

My phone works, all machines can access the internet. However, a PC connected to the RTP300 cannot access a PC connected to the Belkin, but the connection works the other way around. Both machines have DHCP IPs from the Belkin router.

Any ideas?

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 9:39 pm Post subject:

Are the RTP300 and Belkin both using the same IP address range for local addresses?

If so, the RTP300 may be trying to route the traffic through the WAN, and you are getting circular traffic (this could happen, for example, if the RTP300 was set at the same IP as your gateway. Set the "Local Network" address on the RTP300 to be something that is not present anywhere else on your LAN.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 29, 2006 Posts: 2

The "Local IP Address" on the RTP300 is the default: 192.168.15.1. It receives its WAN address via DHCP (currently 192.168.2.6). My Belkin router's internal address is 192.168.2.1.

Thanks for the help.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 6:58 am Post subject:

From one of the machines on the RTP300, do a TRACERT to one of the machines on the Belkin, and vice versa. Also make sure both switches are providing the Belkin as the Gateway address.

Also, just to be sure, are you running any firewalls on any of these machines?

Posts: 60 · Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 11:15 am Post subject:

The easiest way to make this work is to change the IP address of the RTP300 to 192.168.2.2 and leave the other one at 192.168.2.1 . I have mine setup this way and it works with all computers being able to see each other on the network.

Posts: 49 · Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 2:34 pm Post subject: Using multiple routers

GET RID OF THE LOOPBACK. YOU COULD DAMAGE THE RTP300!!!!!

Using multiple routers is never a problem if you understand how IP addresses work.

In my own network I have four routers, 2 - 100Gbps 8 port switches, and a 4 port 10Mbps switch.

The reason that your PC connected to the RTP 300 could not see any machines on your Belkin is that the RTP 300 is on a subnet of the Belkin.

Is there a reason why you connected a PC to the RTP 300?

If you need to utilize the ports on the RTP 300, do the following:

Check the DHCP of your Belkin to find out what range it is assigning. (Ie: 100-150, 2-50, etc.)

Change the WAN side of the RTP300 to be outside the range of the Belkin. (Ie: 192.168.2.51 any number outside the Belkins DHCP).

Then, change the DHCP of the RTP300 to be outside the range of the DHCP of the Belkin, but leave DHCP ACTIVE on the RTP300.

Make sure that the Belkin & RTP300 have the same SUBNET MASK, otherwise devices on the RTP300 will not be seen and vice-versa.

That should resolve your problem.

Hope I have Helped you.

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 2:51 am Post subject: Re: Using multiple routers

DJWildBill wrote:

GET RID OF THE LOOPBACK. YOU COULD DAMAGE THE RTP300!!!!!

Um...could you explain this? You can confuse the hell out of the router with this sort of setup if things aren't correct, BUT, I've never heard of data packets being capable of damaging a router.

Posts: 49 · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 7:43 am Post subject: RTP300 Wan to Lan - same device

Packet data cannot damage RTP300, but line drivers are shared within the device and looping back can cause failure of the IC line drivers in the RTP300.

Posts: 1715

DJWildBill wrote:

Packet data cannot damage RTP300, but line drivers are shared within the device and looping back can cause failure of the IC line drivers in the RTP300.

Still sounds very unusual to me... if this was being done with the phone ports, I could understand, but the LAN/WAN?