So, I've got this complicated network setup. I have two routers, thus two networks. Network A is connected to my router and uses static IP addresses. Network B is wireless, is connected to network A and uses DHCP.

I run most of my computers in my office off of network A, but my laptop I have connected to network B.

I just purchased a network accessible storage device (NAS), went through some pain to assign it a static IP address on network A. When I connect my laptop to network A, I can access the NAS, but not when I connect my laptop to network B.

network A operates on 192.168.1.1/24, while network B operates on 192.168.10.1/24

Does anyone have any idea what I need to do so that I can access my NAS from network B?

Thanks!

A combo ethernet/wireless router so that you don't have to screw around with two home networks?

Yes, I'm afraid that's the best I can come up with.

Why not just disable DHCP on network B and have the router on A assign DHCP for all connected to it? Thus all on the same local network.

router B has 4 ports and is wireless. Router A has 8 ports and is not wireless.

(Granted, I'm only using 4 of router's A's ports, so it would be possible to replace Router A with B, but I see that as a last resort).

I have a static IP network because at one time I was running a web server here, and at this point I'd rather not go through all the network settings across 4 or 5 computers and 4 different operating systems trying to remember how to put it all back to use DHCP.

Once I get this NAS working, though... I think I'm going to format some other things and re-install some operating systems.

How is router B connected to router A?

Just like you'd connect a computer to router A. Same sort of connection.

Gateway for router B is 192.168.1.1 (Router A's IP address)

so again why not just disable dhcp on router B and have router A take over the dhcp job?

I'm using router B like a wireless access point (WAP). I would have bought a WAP, but believe it or not the router was on sale and cheaper. As a last resort, I'll replace router A with router B, re-do either router B to be static IP, or the entire rest of my network to be DHCP and give up those four extra ports I've got on router A. I'd prefer to just get it working as is, though, if I can.

I'm hoping I can make contact with his Pinkness -- he should know what to do.

I really don't see why you can't just set the wireless router to switch mode by disabling DHCP and simply have the entire network on DHCP but whatever.

Makes no sense running two routers, go buy a new router/wireless combo and be done with it.

It's cheaper just to learn how to do it.

I spoke with a co-worker in our administrator team today. He was wondering why I had two subnets and just recommended putting router B on the same subnet as A.

Thus, router B will now have an IP address of 192.168.1.10.

I'll try this tonight and see how it works. I didn't realize that you could have two routers on the same subnet until now.

Think about what you get paid per hour, and how many hours you've sunk into this, and say that again.

Meh, I can't make heads nor tails of your story just now... But yeah, it does sound like you are making things much more complex than need be, which is never good. Some routers won't let you use the same subnet though (and it also tends to drive Windows crazy sometimes), but that may work out for ya, if yer lucky.

I was wondering, are you able to ping the IP of the NAS from your laptop connected network B? ( or any PC on the network A for that matter )

If you've configured the network B gateway with network A's gateway IP, it should work. (assuming you're trying to connect through IP)

I don't think changing Network B's subet to the same as A's will work. If you do that, and say your NAS had a IP of 192.168.1.69, you're on your laptop on Network B, you try to ping 192.168.1.69, it wouldn't work because it would constantly try to find/ping a 192.168.1.69 on the B network and not the A.



this should be fine, if you're talking about the WAN IP on router B

Evil, thanks for your response.
Originally I was not able to ping the NAS from network B.
Originally I had a WAN IP address for router B of 192.168.10.1 (which is outside of the subnet range for network A).
I changed the WAN IP for router B to 192.168.1.10 and now I can ping devices from network B on network A. I cannot ping the devices if I switch router B from a "Gateway" to a "router" in the linksys config.

This would be all well and good (since I can ping the NAS), but I cannot automatically mount it on my MAC OS-X laptop. I have a feeling the printer sharing that comes with the thing will be a problem also.



Yes, for the most part. But I think since I'm on different subnets I have some issues with device sharing.



I did try it and it didn't work. So that's why, 'eh?



I wasn't. But it is now.

I think at this point I'm going to have to follow Thoth's advice. I want more ports than the 4 that come with my wireless router (and I want the wireless router in one room, whereas many other devices are in another). Therefore, I'm going to go out and purchase a switch, and put it where router A is currently. (And obviously, I'll need to spent some time adjusting the network settings of router B and connect it directly to my DSL modem. sigh)

I'm told that you should be able to change your router into operating into like a switch or a hub, but I'll be damned if I can figure out how, and I'm sick and tired of messing with it. I was hoping to learn some things in this process, and I guess I learned a little bit, but at this point I just want to use my NAS without the hassle of a complicated network.

Thanks!

So, Thoth's advice won out. Eventually I had no more time to deal with it and I bought a switch.