Creating an NT 4.0 Bridge between two network subnets

[Yogensha 0]

Hello,

 

I am trying to cause my NT server to act as a bridge between two different subnets, connected to switches, so that they may communicate with each other. Since I am exceedingly new to Windows in general, I am somewhat puzzled. Does anyone have any information or know specifically where I may find the answer to this problem? I've read the manual for some time now, as well as reseaching the matter on the Internet, though I've come up with very little. Hopefully this will serve as a good supplementary source of information.

 

Thanks for your time.

[adamvjackson 0]

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't a bridge connect two dissimilar network topologies?

 

What I think you actually want is to set up basic routing.

[ross_aveling 0]

Wahay, multi-homing. Not used it in a long while.

 

This is actually really easy to do in NT Server. I've not used NT for a while (so apologies if my directions aren't great) but open Network configuration from Control Panel (I think), go to the protocols tab and bring up the properties of the 'TCP/IP Protocol'. Then select the 'Routing' tab and you'll see a check box to enable IP forwarding. That should do what you're after.

 

Incidentally, this can be achieved in any version of Windows (including 9x) by a registry hack.

 

 

 

[ross_aveling 0]

Originally posted by Alec§taar:

Quote:

That registry entries GUI front-end in network properties for IP was removed by MS in those Os' last time I looked (& I think we looked with Clutch & DosFreak years ago here) it was "missing" vs. having it showing in NT 3.5x & 4.0...

 

NO BIGGIE THOUGH, because here is the registry hack needed:

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters

 

Change IPEnableRouter to 1 decimal or hex (does not matter, equates to same value)

 

That's the one, well remembered Alec. Very strange why Microsoft took out the GUI based access to this setting (and many others I suspect). Stranger still why this hack works in the 9x versions of Windows. It would save loads of money for a lot of people who bought Windows server just for this purpose.

[DosFreak 2]

Originally posted by ross_aveling:

Quote:

That's the one, well remembered Alec. Very strange why Microsoft took out the GUI based access to this setting (and many others I suspect). Stranger still why this hack works in the 9x versions of Windows.

 

 

IIRC, Microsoft merged that feature into Windows 2000's Routing and Remote Access. Of course 2000 Pro doesn't have this feature so you'll have to use the reg tweak.

 

As far as I know the reg entry dates back to Windows NT 3.5.

 

Quote:

It would save loads of money for a lot of people who bought Windows server just for this purpose.

 

Marketing is the money killer. (Butchered Dune Quote)

 

[Yogensha 0]

Hello again,

 

Thanks for the informative replies that you all have provided me. I have changed my project around a bit, and instead of having two separate subnets connected to two switches, I now have one subnet, with a single node connected to each switch, and the multihomed NT 4.0 machine connected to each switch. Both of these nodes are running Windows 98 SE. The network configuration is essentially a 10BaseT Ethernet star topology. The purpose is to cause this NT machine to be able to connect these two switches in such a way that one node may be able to communicate with the other. I am attempting to do this purely for academic reasons, given that I have just begun studying networking, and I am new to Windows, and I feel that this would be a good exercise to undertake.

 

Yes, I have enabled IP forwarding since the beginning, though I am certain that I have left much undone in my considerable inexperience in this area. At any rate, my current configuration still doesn't function in the least.

 

I have searched the web for information on this topic, and I have read the NT manual I have for this machine; however, it provides little assistance. If anyone knows of resources which will aid me in this particular problem, it will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks again,

Yogensha