Twp networks to one ISP, with a one way cross over.

[royalbill]

This is for a private school. We have two NT based networks, one for the lab the kids use and one for the office handling grades, accounting, etc. We recently got a DSL connection. We got a Linksys 24 port managed switch (Linksys says it will do routing too) and the DSL copany supplied an ActionTech 4 port DSL router.
We want to set things up so the two networks can both access the DSL connection, but the lab must not have any access to the office system. It would be nice if I could access the lab from the Office for administrative purposes, to save me the walk back and forth, but this is not essential. I have gotten everyone to talk nicly as far as the basic setup, but the lab can see the office. How do I do this?

 

[cartwfh]

sounds like you are describing vlan's to me, and I am almost sure that Linksys does not support vlan's.

 

[ceh4702]

Well if you can use a device that does routing like a DHCP server which is available on some devices, dont ask me which, you may be able to set up rules that state for one set of network submasks send it to this (router, switch, server, etc) and for another submask send it to another. A lot depends on how your networks are set up. You know routers versus switches, and if you can do a network tree that the networking software can see both networks. This might require a server outside of both the networks or having one server being on the other server's tree as a subnet. It might be possible to grant access back and forth only to certain users. I dont think you want all the students to see your office or admin computers. This could double the traffic on both networks if done wrong.

You could use something simple like a MSN messenger program where you can chat back and forth over the internet if you just use a few usernames. I have heard of programs like PC anywhere and how XP allows people to take over other peoples computers temporarily. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[ceh4702]

If your admin server was connected as a subnet of the Students server, you could put an additional router between the two so you could basically have a firewall between your office and the students. The student's router should let you see all the student's computers but your router would block them.

Similar things could be done using netwrok rights by placing all the student's computers in one user group and all of admin and support in another user group. This way you could use the user rights of the groups so the students could not see your part of the tree.

Because a network is a Logical concept you do not have to do it all with hardware. You should research what that switch is capable of doing. Sometimes a switch will make 2 subnets that can not see each other and sometimes you can make them see each other, according to what netwrok Layer level the switch is on the OSI Model. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.