Static IP Wan and Lan

[deramon]

I operate a small professional service company. I have about six computers and an NAS for data storage. These are all on a LAN with a Linksys router. I have static IP service with a local cable company, with five static IP's.

My problem is that four computers have two network cards, one is configured with a static IP and gateway. The second card is a dynamic IP issued by the Linksys router. I know that having two gateways is not proper but actually it worked pretty good for a few years. In the past couple of years I have problems with the devices on the network and connectivity.

I need the static IP's because several employees work from outside the office using Microsoft remote desktop connection. Using It allows fast connection and is just like physically being at that work station.

How can I configure my network to keep both needs? What I have now is not really working. Also I am not a network engineer, just a long term PC user with basic knowledge.

Thank you.

 

[cubby1223]

Port forward through the linksys router for remote desktop?

Honestly, you have not yet stated a need for even one static ip address from your isp. Use a ddns service, set that up in the linksys router. Put each computer's remote desktop on a different port, forward those through the router. Done and done.

 

[John Connor]

I use a dDNS service so no matter what the IP address changes to I use an update client I can still connect.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

Port forward through the linksys router for remote desktop?

Honestly, you have not yet stated a need for even one static ip address from your isp. Use a ddns service, set that up in the linksys router. Put each computer's remote desktop on a different port, forward those through the router. Done and done.

I'd recommend this.

You can actually change the RDC servers listening ports in the registry in windows, if you change it to be different for each PC and then port forward those ports through the routers to the correct PCs on the LAN (these must have static IPs for the port forwarding to work) then you can have multiple RDP sessions through the same remote IP.

If you do decide the change the port use this guide: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306759

When you goto use RDP just remember to specify the custom port when you connect in the normal <ipaddress>:<port> format.

 

[kevnich2]

I'd recommend this.

You can actually change the RDC servers listening ports in the registry in windows, if you change it to be different for each PC and then port forward those ports through the routers to the correct PCs on the LAN (these must have static IPs for the port forwarding to work) then you can have multiple RDP sessions through the same remote IP.

If you do decide the change the port use this guide: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306759

When you goto use RDP just remember to specify the custom port when you connect in the normal <ipaddress>:<port> format.

No need to even do this and I wouldn't recommend it as it causes confusion later on. The simpler, better way is to forward the proper ports in the linksys router from a different WAN side port to the RDP internal port.

For example, if you want to access RDP on 192.168.1.50 and RDP on 192.168.1.75, you simply setup two port forwarding rules for WAN side TCP 3389 to LAN side 192.168.1.50 TCP 3389 and the second being WAN side TCP 3390 to LAN side 192.168.1.75 TCP 3389

Then on the client side when you're trying to RDP in, for the hostname it would be IPaddress:3390 and then when it hits the router, it'll translate it to LAN 3389

 

[kevnich2]

For the OP - do what other's have mentioned and eliminate the second NIC's from the computer's and utilize port forwarding for your RDP needs. I would recommend keeping one of the static IP's, for businesses it just makes things a bit easier sometimes but definitely don't need more than that from what you've mentioned.

 

[deramon]

Thank you very much kevnich2 and PrincessFrosty.
You made this very clear to me and I have no doubt I will be able to make the changes and get everything running in short order.

 

[deramon]

I really owe you a great deal of thanks for your great and simple help. I made the changes last night and everything went very smoothly. I have been using it myself with great success. Please smile to yourselves and know that you have made a big difference in someone's life.

Thank you very much kevnich2 and PrincessFrosty.
You made this very clear to me and I have no doubt I will be able to make the changes and get everything running in short order.