OK, I have a US Robotics wireless router connecting a desktop computer and laptop to the internet. Im in the UK and my ISP is eclipse. I applied to eclipse for some static IPs, I got them 82.152.138.201 > 82.152.138.206 I need to give my router an IP and both computers one. I want to do this so that each computer appears as seperate over the internet, (I want to run a server on my laptop) at the moment my router has the ip 82.152.138.201 whic when I go to sites to find my IP is what I get, on both computers. I want it to be a different one per computer. So when I want to connect to the server I use 82.152.138.202. I have phoned eclipse which told me to phone USR. I have phoned USR about 5 times now and each time I get someone who tells me something completly different. one said something about router settings. another said something about different settings. This guy said something about a dialer etc... |Anyway, I don't want to use port forwarding, as it doesn't seem to do what I want it to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm getting desperate to run this server.

Are you sure that the router actually is capable of serving as a router in the sense that you want? It may be hard-coded to do network address translation, which means the inside machines aren't globally visible without port forwarding.

Most consumer grade wireless routers aren't really routers at all. Regardless, you should be able to set it up to not run a DHCP server. In which case, it will use whatever IP your computer gives it. You must setup the static IP for the router, then a static IP on each of your machines. Setup properly, the router becomes just an extra hop between your machine and any other.

Though; port forwarding is easier - and safer.

I wish my ISP would give me a static IP. :(

I agree with Deyja. Use port forwarding. So for instance if you want to have a web server, redirect port 80 to your laptop's IP.

[edit] I assume you have the USR8054.
Go to http://192.168.123.254 (if you haven't changed the router's LAN IP)
Go to the "Access" tab. Then go to "Virtual Server"
Click "Enable" and give a name such as "Web Server"
Set protocol as TCP.
For simplicity, set both private and public ports to 80.
In the LAN server box, enter the IP to your laptop.

As an alternative, you can use DMZ, but that has security issues (it makes a computer public, opening all ports).
Go to http://192.168.123.254 (if you haven't changed the router's LAN IP)
Go to the "Access" tab. Then go to "DMZ"
Click "Enable" and enter the IP to your laptop.

[edit 2] Make sure the laptop has a static IP. In Windows XP,
go Start->Run->"control netconnections"->OK
Right click on the connection you want to set up the static IP->Properties
Double click on Internet Protocol
Click on "Use Following IP Address"
 IP Address: 192.168.123.x with x as a number of your choosing.
 Subnet Mask: I'm going to assume it's 255.255.255.0 in you case
 Default Gateway: 192.168.123.254
DNS Server(s): either check the real DNS server in your router, or point to your router.

[edit 3]

Quote:

Regardless, you should be able to set it up to not run a DHCP server. In which case, it will use whatever IP your computer gives it.

You can run the DHCP server at the same time that a client on the network has a static IP.

[Edited by - jflanglois on January 31, 2005 10:17:11 PM]

If you're not doing port forwarding, but want to use your router as a real router, you need to be able to configure it with two IP addresses; one for the interface that's on the outside, and one for the interface that's on the inside. You'd typically use .201 and .202 for these in your setup. Then use .203 and .204 for your computer. Set the netmask to /28 (255.255.255.240) on all the interfaces. Set the "gateway" of your computers to the internal address of the router (i e, .202 in this example).

If your router doesn't allow you to configure these parameters (and turn off network address translation and DHCP), then you won't be able to use it in the way you want.

cheers, my router is the 9106, and the default address is 192.168.1.1
OK, for the DMZ, do I put my laptops IP in as 192.168.1.3 or the 82...
Do I need to set up the static IP in netconnection for this to work?

If I did this, would a client connecting to 82.... (the routers address) be able to connect to my program over port 800? or would I have to get it to connect to 82... (my comps IP)?

edit: how would this make my laptop less secure? isn't it just like a computer connected without a router?

OK, In the last day since I did this, I have got about 20 trojans, any Idea whats going on? luckily norton spotted them, but there could be more. Could it be because of the DMZ letting things through, can you reccomend a firewall that blocks ports oher than the ones I want open? Also wouldn't the port have to be listening and awaiting a file.

The role of a router is to route packets. Many routers come with some kind of firewalling that sometimes is useful, but that's an extra, not something that's part of being a router. Also, many routers come with NAT capability, which serves as an effective firewall for inbound connections. Once you don't do NAT, you will be connected to the internet at large -- that's what you said you wanted.

Norton reports anyone trying to send a packet to your machine, even if there's nothing open and listening. That way, the customer will feel that he's getting his money's worth from the firewall.

If you only want to keep a single port (or a few ports) open, then port forwarding on your router is probably the better choice.

cheers, Norton is not reporting connections thoughits reporting actual trojans, and keyloggers