Att gives me 5 ip's. How do I assign them to multiple machines?

Question

I have a server, a dvr, and a home automation/alarm system I would like to access remotely over the internet and would like to assign each one of them one of those 5 ip addresses (all 3 have 10/100 lan ports), so I can access them separately.

All I will have is one modem, and my wrt-54g with dd-wrt on it. I can get a new router/switch if need be. They way I have it set now works... but Im only using one ip address and using port forwarding to separate the devices.

I would also like my home network to be a little more secure then trusting the dd-wrt spi firewall.

Anyone know how I can do this? Thanks

Answer 1

Actually, the way you have it is more secure than the way you want to do it!  If you put PUBLIC IP's on all those devices, well they are PUBLIC!  Keep them behind a NATed router and only the ports you have forwarded are exposed! (Much much safer as you only have to worry about that port and no other traffic will get into them!)

To do what you want, you use a switch and put PUBLIC IP's on each device. Sometimes you can do that even through the router all depends on how the router passes those IP's. You simply set one to one of the assigned IP's using the Public subnet and gateway and DNS and plug it into the router! Most Linksys will just pass the data. Since the router has in its WAN that same gateway setting all of it should pass.

If it were me, I'd leave them on one IP with port forward's. (Run firewalls on all devices!)

Answer 2

Your current setup is great for the equipment you have. .My only suggestion would be for you to invest in a firewall. The Sonicwall tz150 can acomodate your needs. It also has a DMZ feature should you decide that you would like to expose any of the devices to the world unprotected.  Using NAT and port forwarding through a firewalll is more secure than assigning Public Issued IP address to devices on your LAN and then you run into subnetting issues depending on the amount of valid hosts allowed in your subnet. Too messy.

Answer 3

The router you have cannot do what you want to do.

If you want greater security than having port forwarding enabled, I suggest you install a router that hosts a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for mobile peers.  Establish a VPN link between your notebook and your router.  Once the VPN is established you are remotely connected to your home subnet.

I would use a private subnet that is at least a 25 bit subnet (mask 255.255.255.128) to be different than most subnets.

Give your server, dvr, alarm system static LAN IP addresses.  

This makes your connection very secure.

You really do not need to use the other public IP addresses.

Finally if you want to do 1:1 NAT which translates a public IP to a private IP as you propose, anyone who hits that public IP will be accessing your respective device - not secure.

An Adtran Netvanta 3120 would be a very nice router for your application.