LAN party Setup

[heymrdj]

Ok I'm setting up the MILLER (Mobile Interoperable Lightweight LAN Entertainment Rig). yeah..that sucked...

Anyways on topic. I'm setting up the rig based off my media server that will be used to host once per month or bi-monthly LAN parties. Capabilites need to be, but not limited to, serving games from as few as 5 to as many as 30 computers. Software and Hardware are as follows:

RIG:
AMD Athlon X2 4400+ Brisbane overclocked to ~2.9Ghz Orthos/Prime/Memtest stable.
1GB RAM, might get another GB in this week making 2GB.
1 40GB HD, another 30GB HD
Season S12 430 watt PSU
Biostar AM2 motherboard T-5025

Software:
Windows 2000 Professional 32 bit
Windows 2003 Server Enterprise Edition 32 bit
Debian Etch 4.0 64 bit

Networking:
6 port Linksys Workgroup 10/100mbs Full Duplex Switch (5x200mbs max per port) +1x200mbs uplink port.
2xNetgear 16 port hubs

What this rig has to do:
Serve UT2004, one instance only
Serve Serious Sam: The Second Encounter, one instance
Serve BnB, one instance only, very little work load on the server for that one
Act as Teamspeak server
Act as local webserver for cache of UT2004 mods/maps/mutators
Act as a DHCP server

So here's what I've got so far on my mind:

2000 Pro, or 2003 Server Enterprise? I see that the server has a DHCP functionality, but frankly I'm lost on that. But would server be the better OS to use? What could I use for a DHCP program. We have no router available to throw into this to use as a DHCP server. I need this to have it, what can use so that when we connect machines to this sealed network, they contact this server for IP's?

I would run DHCP and Teamspeak off the host OS. Then using VMWare, I would make a VM with Win2kPro and host UT2004, Serious Sam, and BnB on it. Then using a VM of debian 4.0 I would make a local webserver running Apache or lighthttpd for UT2004 to use to distribute maps/mods/mutators (anyone familiar with UT2004 servers knows that by default UT2004 only shares mods and stuff with clients at a few KB/s. To get true MB/s you must use a separate webserver).

The clients would connect with a random IP given by DHCP. The webserver would connect via a static IP that is in the UT2004 ini so everyone that joins will point to that IP on the network to grab files.

Basically guys, I got everything that I need. I'm lost on this DHCP venture though. How do you setup a simple, but effective, local DHCP server?

Thx to all who will help, guys and gals. I'll be watchin this topic every second unless i'm sleepin, even then, I might check in the middle of the night lol.

 

[jlazzaro]

2003 has DHCP built in (admin tools > DHCP)...very easy to setup, just create a single scope and enable it, done.

if you dont have 2003, there are an abundance of free programs out there, pick ur poison.

i would also scrap those hubs for something a little newer...

 

[heymrdj]

Originally posted by: jlazzaro
2003 has DHCP built in (admin tools > DHCP)...very easy to setup, just create a single scope and enable it, done.

if you dont have 2003, there are an abundance of free programs out there, pick ur poison.

i would also scrap those hubs for something a little newer...

Ok, tomorrow I'm reimaging the server and giving Windows Server 2003 Enterprise a shot. I tried Tftpd (Tftp, BOOTTP, NFS, and DHCP client) but it didn't quite work for what I needed on Windows 2000 Pro. Besides, going to a geek party with Windows 2003 Enterprise on your server rig just seems...more geeky .

As for those hubs, some 16 port D-Link switches are in the pipe. We should have them for this upcoming party.

 

[heymrdj]

I'm confused about two aspects. One, I see in this guide http://www.windowsnetworking.c...rver_Windows_2003.html about a company router and excluding it's IP from the scope since we don't want a computer taking the router's IP. I can just skip that since I don't have a router (or gateway, or any internet device) unless I want my second NIC to act as an intermediary between the schools conneciton? Then if I want that, I assign my second NIC a static IP, set it up with NAT (http://www.windowsnetworking.c...3-act-NAT-router.html), then exclude it's IP from the scope so no one gets it. I think I got it?

Secondly, what do I do in the DNS section? I have no DNS servers. No domain. It's supposed to be a local isolated setup.

Well that's all my confusion for now. Sorry for the noobishness. Thanks!

 

[jlazzaro]

the only excluded address you will have is the server itself. its best to assign a static for ease of accessibility.

you can disregard DNS and the default gateway. you dont need name resolution as there is no internet access, and no gateway since you wont be accessing anything outside your subnet.

if you wanted to setup a second nic to bridge the 2 lans (schools and the party), the default gateway would be the lan party facing NIC card.

 

[heymrdj]

Originally posted by: jlazzaro
the only excluded address you will have is the server itself. its best to assign a static for ease of accessibility.

you can disregard DNS and the default gateway. you dont need name resolution as there is no internet access, and no gateway since you wont be accessing anything outside your subnet.

if you wanted to setup a second nic to bridge the 2 lans (schools and the party), the default gateway would be the lan party facing NIC card.

hey thx for the reply. I should be ready to install Windows Server 2003 Enterprise within the hour. When you say assign the static IP to the server, how would you go about doing that? Doesn't that mean you are requesting the DHCP server in Windows Server 2003 to assign itself an IP? So I guess I set up the NIC with a static IP address, such as 192.168.0.100, then in DHCP setup, exclude that IP. Sounds easy enough, but also sounds like a chicked or the egg thing.

 

[jlazzaro]

Originally posted by: heymrdj
When you say assign the static IP to the server, how would you go about doing that?

static ip address

Originally posted by: heymrdj
Doesn't that mean you are requesting the DHCP server in Windows Server 2003 to assign itself an IP? So I guess I set up the NIC with a static IP address, such as 192.168.0.100, then in DHCP setup, exclude that IP. Sounds easy enough, but also sounds like a chicked or the egg thing.

yes...you could assign a static or create a reservation in DHCP, but the point is to give the server an ip address that will never change. navigating by name or long DHCP lease times are an option, but in the heat of battle its the last thing you want to worry about

 

[heymrdj]

Originally posted by: jlazzaro

Originally posted by: heymrdj
When you say assign the static IP to the server, how would you go about doing that?

static ip address

Originally posted by: heymrdj
Doesn't that mean you are requesting the DHCP server in Windows Server 2003 to assign itself an IP? So I guess I set up the NIC with a static IP address, such as 192.168.0.100, then in DHCP setup, exclude that IP. Sounds easy enough, but also sounds like a chicked or the egg thing.

yes...you could assign a static or create a reservation in DHCP, but the point is to give the server an ip address that will never change. navigating by name or long DHCP lease times are an option, but in the heat of battle its the last thing you want to worry about

Alright I'm just about ready to test the DHCP system. I'm just finishing some tweaks to the Win2k3 Enterprise Edition Install.

One other note, would it be preferable to run IIS in this OS than to Apache in a Debian VM? I by far am more experienced with Debian and Apache. I know nothing about IIS, any time I run Windows, I use Apache on there too.

 

[heymrdj]

i still need help with this IP thing. I used the server's automated system, and DHCP worked like a charm, but it didn't do me any good to share internet. So here's what I've got:

A fresh install.

Local Area Connection 1 goes to the switch which will be used at the party
Local Area Connection 2 which is used to hook to the internet via the college's public network

So do I assign a static IP (192.168.0.1) to LAC1, and set it as the default gateway in the DHCP setup?
When I do that, how do I set up LAC2 to be the source of internet (it's IP is assigned by the schools router by the way) and have LAC1 pass connections that aren't local on to the internet (I guess you could say acting as a NAT).

Thanks.

 

[heymrdj]

Ok I'm going to get depserate and ask for deeper help. Please understand it's my desire to do as much as possible myself on this cause I love learning this stuff, but at the same time, this job in a way crept up on me and I need to have some base form of a working server system by Thursday for possible deployment on Saturday. Again, please excuse the noobishness.

What I have managed to achieve is a working DHCP server, however, when I create this server, it kills both the servers, and all things attached to the server, internet connection (it can't be accessed).

Fresh install:

I know I need a NAT to share the internet, and a DHCP server. So the starters:

Using this guide: http://www.windowsnetworking.c...03-act-NAT-router.html

Server has Local Area Connection 1 (wired), and Wireless connection with WMP54G card.

I go as the guide shows, selecting Use this public interface to connect to the internet, and selecting the Wireless connection, which gets an IP of 192.168.0.30 statically by the wireless router.

I enable security.

Next.

It's done. That's a problem point. It's ready for me to select finish. But I'm supposed to be asked what NIC is attached to my private network, it never does. I have one other thing to try for that, but I dunno that it's gonna work.

Next will be to establish DHCP. http://www.windowsnetworking.c...rver_Windows_2003.html

This is where i get lost. The chicken and the egg thing. I'm supposed to give the private network NIC a static IP. But how does the IP get accepted when there's no gateway? What do I put as a gateway when I put the IP. I was putting 192.168.0.101 for the IP of the NIC, and 192.168.0.100 for the gateway. Of course no gateway exists at that point.

Any help on filling in the spaces in this guide?

 

[heymrdj]

After much cursing, I finally got *almost* everything up and running now . DCHP is in good order and assigning properly. Server still has proper internet access. The problem is, the DHCP clients still can't tap in through the server to the internet. Now..I'm guessing NAT or DNS. Now, when the server set up its typical configuration where it made DNS, domain controller, NAT, and DHCP, it set my wireless lan card to use the dns 127.0.0.1 which killed my internet. I switched it back to DHCP where the wireless card gets it's DNS and IP from the wireless router (which it has to have anyways) i regained internet connection. I'm imagining this is the same issue I'm currently having with the DHCP clients on the network, that DNS is pointing to local host instead of going outside. I noticed there is a DNS forwarder in place at 192.168.0.1, perhaps forwarding client machines that attempt to connect to that IP on to DHCP or something like that. Anyways, any clue as to why the server has an internet connection, but clients cannot receive internet, only local traffic?

 

[heymrdj]

This might help my issue, I just have to wait to get home from school at 4PM....

http://www.windowsnetworking.c...tup_Configuration.html

 

[Ninjazx]

A basic check to see if your DNS is not configured correctly. (using google as an example)

log on a client machine
ping 72.14.207.99

If you get 'request timed out's- stop! DNS is not your problem (yet). make sure your clients are allowed through the firewall and the gateway IP's are correct.
If you get replies, good. your gateway works. then try
ping google.com

If you get replies, good. your gateway+dns work. If you don't, but the ping above worked, then your DNS is setup incorrectly.
It may not be elegant, but its a 10 second check to see whats up.

 

[heymrdj]

I got 100% timeouts. So firewall and gateway?

 

[heymrdj]

Ok getting closer.

Fresh install.

I just installed the NAT role and let it also handle DCHP. All that's working fine. The clients can now ping IP's (the 72.14.287.99 and others) and can use those in Internet Explorer, however I still can't use domain names. So that's a DNS issue. Any ideas on how to fix that.

Again this is a fresh install. ONLY the NAT role is running with the DHCP assigning part in Routing and Remote Access. No DHCP role or DNS role or Active Domain Controller role ect. Just the NAT role.

 

[heymrdj]

Oi for some reason the hole thing is screwed up again. i can get an IP, but clients can't ping anything, whether in or out of the local. Can anyone help me with this IP stuff?

I'm supposed to give my NIC a static IP. I believe somewhere in here is the problem.
What do I set the NIC to?
IP I set to 192.168.0.100
Subnet is set to 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway is 192.168.0.100

My wireless card is getting its network automatically
DHCP
192.168.0.50
255.255.255.0
192.168.0.1

I try to set up NAT and it appears to work, and the DHCP allocator part is doing its job.

It assigned my client the following way:
IP: 192.168.0.3
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
Gateway: 192.168.0.100

It can't ping 192.168.0.100 or 72.14.287.99, all it can ping is 192.168.0.3 (itself)

Any ideas/help?

 

[vorgusa]

ok.. I did not read everything completely, but why don't you just set up a router for your internet connection and keep your server for the gaming and other stuff? Less complicated and will keep work off your server.....

Having to do with your clients not being able to use DNS names.. do you have the DHCP server set up properly so that it will send the clients the DNS IP address. An easy way to check this is to go on a client and go to the Network status area where it tells you the IP and other info.. should be a DNS part

 

[heymrdj]

Originally posted by: vorgusa
ok.. I did not read everything completely, but why don't you just set up a router for your internet connection and keep your server for the gaming and other stuff? Less complicated and will keep work off your server.....

Having to do with your clients not being able to use DNS names.. do you have the DHCP server set up properly so that it will send the clients the DNS IP address. An easy way to check this is to go on a client and go to the Network status area where it tells you the IP and other info.. should be a DNS part

No there's no DNS part, and I just realized this last night. I have a new guide on how to do it, and they discuss the DNS thing, so I'ma try that in the next hour or so.

As for the router, all we have is 1 router (my personal one), a WRT54G here for my home. I would have to reconfigure the router to work at school, then that would leave my parents without internet for 14 hours straight (something my mom is very against) and then I would be doing that every 2 weeks. It's not feasible. The club is considering a future purchase of a router, but it's just extra equipment to haul to the premesis and for someone to store, wire up, ect. Plus I still couldn't use it to stream internet because their school connection acts as DHCP as well, but with a lot of port filtering. In the end we have to have a completely separated LAN (school demanded this of the club for security reasons, not wanting visible computers on the public LAN) and have to let Internet into it using the gateway. The server has a wireless card to tap into the schools wireless internet, which it can successfully do just like it does here at home on our wireless LAN, and then I just gotta get it to share on the private LAN.

 

[vorgusa]

well the router would have NAT and DHCP and would pass the DNS from the school. the only difference (that I see) is that you could not use your own DNS names. The router would have you seperated from the school