I run Debian potato Linux (upgrading it weekly) within a network that others have setup for Microsoft Windows 95/98. This network has (over the same ethernet cables) computers and printers covering 4 C-class networks as follows [first 2 digits altered], 10.129.206.0 10.129.207.0 10.129.208.0 10.129.209.0 My computer has the IP address, 10.129.208.230 HOW DO I GET MY LINUX COMPUTER TO WORK WELL IN A NETWORK OF 4 C-CLASSES?
Here are the two approaches I have tried. 1. Sub-networking I largely followed ideas in the IP Sub-Networking mini-HOWTO. In /etc/network/interfaces I set, address 10.129.208.230 netmask 255.255.252.0 #notice the different netmask network 10.129.206.0 broadcast 10.129.208.255 #no broadcast address seems correct. gateway 10.129.208.1 Unfortunately, looking at the configuration of Microsoft computers on our network, each computer has the standard C-class netmask 255.255.255.0, so probably a standard broadcast address. As a result, the above settings do not seem to properly work with all 4 C-class networks running over our common ethernet wire. In particular, the Debian "arpwatch" software sees all 10.129.{206,207,209} addresses as bogons, filling up /var/log with warnings. I last tried this approach 6 months ago. 2. Aliasing I largely followed ideas in the IP-alias mini-HOWTO. I turned on IP Aliasing in the kernel, then put the following in /etc/network/interfaces iface eth0 inet static address 10.129.208.230 netmask 255.255.255.0 network 10.129.208.0 broadcast 10.129.208.255 gateway 10.129.208.1 iface eth0:0 inet static address 10.129.206.1 #but this is another computer's address netmask 255.255.255.0 network 10.129.206.0 broadcast 10.129.206.255 gateway 10.129.208.1 iface eth0:1 inet static address 10.129.207.1 #but this is another computer's address netmask 255.255.255.0 network 10.129.207.0 broadcast 10.129.207.255 gateway 10.129.208.1 iface eth0:2 inet static address 10.129.209.1 #but this is another computer's address netmask 255.255.255.0 network 10.129.209.0 broadcast 10.129.209.255 gateway 10.129.208.1 This approach worked well for Samba for 5 minutes until, I presume, other computers like 10.129.206.1 conflicted with my multiple assignment of IP addresses to the same ethernet card, including this very "address 10.129.206.1" above. Of course, I have but one IP address, so my eth0 card should be assigned but one IP address. I last tried this approach 2 days ago. So, you can see I would like all 4 C-class subnets to be somehow recognized as one network by my Debian computer, which would probably require the following settings, a. address of my eth0 interface 10.129.208.230 I can get but one address for my computer from my administrators. I don't need all the IP aliasing that lets my computer respond to several IP address; I only need my computer to interract in a network that has 4 C-class networks. b. broadcast addresses 10.129.206.255 10.129.207.255 10.129.208.255 10.129.209.255 I believe I need all these standard C-class broadcast addresses because all other computers on the network use one of these four lines as a broadcast address. c. netmask and network I don't know what I need for these. Indeed, with the problems I have with trying to solve my networking problem through IP subnetworking and IP aliasing, I am unsure what approach to use with the above (a) and (b) restrictions. Any ideas? -- Jim Burt, NJ9L Fairfax, Virginia, USA [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.mnsinc.com/jameson [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://yuet.com (coming soon) [EMAIL PROTECTED] (202) 690-0380 (work) You can only find truth with logic if you have already found truth without it. -- G.K. Chesterton