Routing with multi-homed PC

This is the sort of thing that gets the big bucks!

We have a PC running NT SP6. This PC was the link betwen our office network and our wireless link to the ISP. PCs connected to the ISP using route commands (route add -p xxx.xxx. - you get the idea). The power went out, and the UPS failed to bnackup. when the power returned, the PC would not boot properly. We re-installed NT, etc. but now the server will no longer do IP forwarding - the server will connect to the internet, but none of the PCs will.
We installed RIP of Internet Protocol on the server, as before, and enabled IP forwarding, but nothing is happening. As an interim solution, I have installed a proxy on the server here, and reconfigured the PCs to access internet through it, as well as reconfiguring e-mail (on a separate server) to use the proxy server. My question is - what have we missed? I tried removing and re-adding the routing command on the clients, but it did not make a diference.
We have other clients accessing the internet through this link, but they use our current configuration - i.e.through a proxy server. We only have 3 PCs that use the link, so we don't want to purchase a proxy licence if we can avoid it - which we should be able to do, as one was not needed before.

God, I love windows, don't you?

 

Ryder - at the risk of insulting you

- both server NICs have static addresses
- the clients can 'see' the server via the LAN IP/netmask
- you say IP forwarding is enabled so that's OK
- Route add -p <subnet address> mask <subnet mask> <Gateway IP address>

Also, have you tried forcing the latest NT drivers for both NICs?

Can a client PC ping the WAN/Internet card's address?

 

Hi Newt,
I had to read the post twice to realise it was a suggestion, not a question. We have done all that, and clients can ping the NIC connected to the LAN. It just doesn't want to go through. I haven't tried the latest drivers. I will see if I can get them (difficult for NT...) and get back to you. Who knowns, maybe that will work!

Cross your fingers 4 me

As for insulting me, well I can't really claim to be insulted after asking for help. Indeed, when I initailly joined/whatever, I thought I would be dispensing more advice than seeking it, but that has not been the case. That tends to have a humbling effect on one's pride. Therefore, no isult was perceived. After all, how often is the simplest solution the best - OK certainly not a majority of the time, otherwise I'd be out of a job. But certainly a large percentage of the time.

 

We have done all that, and clients can ping the NIC connected to the LAN.

How about the one connected to the WAN/internet? If the route add has been effective they should be at least able to bounce a ping off that IP address.

And for the record, I came on here originally with a question I hadn't a clue about. But I was real sure I could answer lots of the stuff posted. Then I read the stuff.

Lots of google time. Lots of TechNet time. Lots of forum time. NOW I can answer a fair number of the questions in certain subject areas. It's been educational though and well worth the effort.

 

I should have been clearer. Yes, the PCs on the local LAN can ping the NIC attached to the WAN. The PC on both networks can even copy info from the PC @ the other end of the WAN to other PCs on our LAN, sop the NICs are working properly - actually we know they are already since we installed a proxy server on it, which is working more or less OK (Yahoo messenger, spybot don't like cascading proxies).

It's nice to know that when I get back to the real world I will have other options for solutions other than here. I can actually occasionally browse the net from home, just fr educational purposes. The only home internet here is Dial-up, and the fixed-line monopoly likes to disconenct people just for the fun of it.

I had hoped that when I came here, I would have a more positive opinion on the future of Africa, but unfortunately, the opposite has happened. Even if all of Africa's foreign debt were to be erased, it wouldn't cahnge matters, as the probelm is too muich domestic debt. It's why you get currencies with exchage rates that put the old Italian Lira to shame!

 

I hear ya about trying to work from the boonies. I tried to fix a system in Nebraska one time.

From what you say, it surely sounds to me like everything at your end is working so maybe a glitch with the ISP? If the server functions as a router to another WAN segment, I don't see how routing to the internet would be any different from your end.

 

One thing that isn't clear to me: Where are you setting up the Route?

You should not need to set up individual routes on each Client PC. Just set their default route to the gateway PC's internal IP address (assuming that all traffic goes via the gateway).

Then set up the routes on the gateway PC.

Another thing to bear in mind, is for the system you describe to work, the internal IP address of your PCs have to be Public (not 10.x.x.x, or 192.168.0.0 for example) and valid on the internet. If not the packets you send will get out, but the receiving PC won't know where to send the replies. Using a Proxy overcomes this problem because it uses the server IP address as the from address on the packets sent out over the WAN.

Lastly - how much time are you spending trying to fix this? if it is more than an hour or two, is buying three more proxy licenses that expensing compared to the cost of your lost time?

 

Ah NT Routing - how many songs could be sung about its wonders....

Seriously though it sounds as though it SHOULD work - a vague recollection comes to me about NT not being able to have two NICs with default gateways and registry hack to get round it

Does anyone else rememebr this ?

Can you post the results of an ipconfig /all from the server, from one of the clients and also a route print from the server

The other point ReggieB made is a fair one - if it takes this long why not buy proxy (or a cheap Cisco 801 off Ebay). Doesnt meant I dont want to help I hasten to add

 

You should only have one default gateway on a network node (PC). The default gateway is the address to which any traffic is sent that isn't covered by another routing table rule. If you set two, all the traffic will go to the first one listed in the routing table and the second entry will be redundant (assuming the system let's you set up two default gateways).