Complex port forwarding WiFi->Switch->Modem
Hi, I posted this on the Linksys forums, but it's gets snowed under too quickly for a response. I'm hoping there's someone here with some solid networking knowlege to help with my problem.
A while ago I bought a WRK54G in the kit that also comes with the notebook card. At home, I already have a wired LAN connecting several XP PCs via a switch to a Safecom broadband modem/single port router. The WRK54G is connected to the switch via the WRK54G's Internet port. This means that a device connecting to the WRK54G via wifi connects to it, then to the switch, then to the safecom modem and to the ISP.
The main reason for needing the wireless router was to connect my PSP console to the internet, which works fine.
Now i'm wanting to do something more complicated, and want to have two PSP communicating by TCP across the internet. Essentially there are two applications; the client PSP and the server PSP. If my PSP is the client, it can connect to the other PSP and sends it a message which the other PSP recieves OK, but mine does not seem to recieve any data back. The problem comes when data needs to be sent the other way, i.e my PSP is the server accepting the connections. Because my setup goes through two NATs (one for the modem/router giving IPs 10.0.0.3+ and one for the WRK54G giving IPs 192.168.1.100+) meaning that the client cannot connect to my PSP. The app. connects on port 55555, which should be valid yet unused and i've tried forwarding that port on both the WRK54G and the modem/router which didn't seem to work. I also tried disabling NAT on the WRK54G, but this prevents my PSP from getting a valid IP.
I think that the problem could be solved by the static routing function, but I am unsure how to use said function in my situation.
I think that one problem might be that the incoming connection on 55555 is translated in the modem/router to something else when it goes through NAT. Would this then mean that my Wifi router doesn't forward it because it's not on port 55555 any longer?
A while ago I bought a WRK54G in the kit that also comes with the notebook card. At home, I already have a wired LAN connecting several XP PCs via a switch to a Safecom broadband modem/single port router. The WRK54G is connected to the switch via the WRK54G's Internet port. This means that a device connecting to the WRK54G via wifi connects to it, then to the switch, then to the safecom modem and to the ISP.
The main reason for needing the wireless router was to connect my PSP console to the internet, which works fine.
Now i'm wanting to do something more complicated, and want to have two PSP communicating by TCP across the internet. Essentially there are two applications; the client PSP and the server PSP. If my PSP is the client, it can connect to the other PSP and sends it a message which the other PSP recieves OK, but mine does not seem to recieve any data back. The problem comes when data needs to be sent the other way, i.e my PSP is the server accepting the connections. Because my setup goes through two NATs (one for the modem/router giving IPs 10.0.0.3+ and one for the WRK54G giving IPs 192.168.1.100+) meaning that the client cannot connect to my PSP. The app. connects on port 55555, which should be valid yet unused and i've tried forwarding that port on both the WRK54G and the modem/router which didn't seem to work. I also tried disabling NAT on the WRK54G, but this prevents my PSP from getting a valid IP.
I think that the problem could be solved by the static routing function, but I am unsure how to use said function in my situation.
I think that one problem might be that the incoming connection on 55555 is translated in the modem/router to something else when it goes through NAT. Would this then mean that my Wifi router doesn't forward it because it's not on port 55555 any longer?
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Comments
Why do you have two separate networks? Why not just have the wireless clients an extension to the wired network of XP PCs? That would be the easiest and best solution as long as there's not a legitimate reason to separate them.
Do this:
1. Power the WRK54G up without anything connected.
2. Connect 1 PC to it with a static IP (give it 192.168.1.13 for example).
3. Open the browser and go to http://192.168.1.1 (WRK setup page)
4. Find the DHCP server settings (should be first page) and turn it OFF
5. Find where you change the device IP (should be the first page you visit). Change this to an unused IP of your existing network (ex: 10.0.0.248)
The router will REBOOT after this step. (From now on to access the WRK you will enter the IP you gave it!)
6. Unhook the PC and plug it back where it came from.
7. Take a normal CAT5 and run it from your existing switch into one of the 4 ports on the back of the WRK (not the Internet port).
This is just like plugging one switch into another (since you disabled DHCP and aren't using the routing functions of the WRK anymore). Anything going through the WRK is now ultimately going to be switched to your modem/router.
Thanks a lot for the help, i'll come back if I need anything else answering.
EDIT: One other thing: with this current setup, can I have my PSP connect to several others through the same port (55555) or do I need to open more?
In the "norm" you only need to open the port(s) that the SERVER uses to allow people to connect to you. For example a web server would forward port 80 allowing multiple people to connect. Multiple people should be able to connect to you with only that one port (55555) open because ports are re-mapped after the connection is initiated/accepted.
If you're just talking about connecting to other people then you definately do not need to forward/open anything more.