Help!?: Wireless Router --> WAP --> Switch --> Subnet (in shared house)

[porthacking]

I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

I am a uni student and have just moved in with a friend.

Her internet connection comes in downstairs to a VOIP box and wireless router. She uses wireless to her laptop without any problems.

I am setting up my own wired 'subnet' in my room and would love some advice.

I will run some type of good quality switch (e.g. Netgear GS108T). From it I will have my computer, my backup server, WD Live TV, print server, and possibly a second WD Live TV for the TV in my flatmate's room. This leaves 3 ports.

I need to get the internet to my subnet (my computer isn't wireless). I had hoped to wire it directly from the wireless router downstairs but it wont be possible. I figured I would use a WAP. Is this correct? Or would I use a wireless router? Is this called a gateway?

Additionally, I would like to be able to access my subnet from my flatmates laptop wirelessly as part of VLANs I'll setup on the switch (to access files, but to also access the second WD which will be in her room). Would this happen through the WAP that is providing the internet to my subnet or would I need a second WAP?

I would also like to be able to connect to the net on my iPhone through both the router downstairs and through my subnet. And to use my iPhone as a remote. I imagine for this it would connect to the WAP, or second WAP if I needed one?

Sorry for the long post, any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!


Scott
(P.S. My username refers to a river; nothing to do with hacking)

 

[freesafety13]

Well, for starters the best (easiest) way to get your subnet configured onto the existing wireless network will be to use a wireless bridge on the existing subnet.

What I would like to clarify is whether you plan on having your own subnet, with vlans, or you do not mind having your switch on the same subnet as the existing wireless router and laptop? This is very important because it will take much more work to connect multiple subnets together (layer 3) than it will to connect multiple physical (layer 1) networks together.

If you plan on allowing your flatmate to connect to your VLAN, what is the point of having multiple VLAN's and subnets? You dont plan on throttling your flatmates internet speed do you or perhaps installing a web content filter or proxy server to limit their access abilities? Because that would be very very naughty of you to do that without telling your flatmate about it first...

 

[porthacking]

I have drawn a diagram of what I would ultimately like (as my descriptions are unlikely to be of any use). I am definitely open to any suggestions on whether you think this is the correct way to go, or if you could see a better way.

1) Primarily, I have my own little network going on in my room, all running off a switch. I need to get the internet to the switch. Wireless bridge? WAP? etc.

To complicate matters, I don't really want the backup server to access to the net other than to occasionally update software/OS etc. Is there anyway to do this, should I just setup a VLAN with no internet connection, and whenever I need internet for the backup, to plug it into another port(VLAN) with internet connection?

2) I'd like my flatmate to be able to access my media HDDs and a few folders on the OS HDD on my computer. She would do this wirelessly. This is for the few files we share, but to also access all of my media (if she wants to watch it on her computer).

3) She is however unlikely to watch it on her computer because I am going to set up a WD TV Live in her room. This will access the media on my media HDDs.

Now if only I could get the picture to attach. I'll put this up in the meantime.

Thanks for your help.

 

[porthacking]

...the iPhone decided to work...

...and with the diagram.

I haven't drawn in the connection between my flatmate's computer and my switch/network, but it would be wireless.

 

[freesafety13]

Based on the setup you want, this should be realitively easy. I recommend using a wireless bridge and connecting the switch to the bridge. Setup 2 VLAN's on the switch. 1 VLAN is going to have everything that is going to be on the same subnet as the internet access, including the WD Tv's and pc's. The other subnet will only have the backup server. If you want the backup server to be able to communicate with all the other pc's you will need a managed switch and I don't know if that Netgear supports a routing table.

 

[porthacking]

Aside from getting the internet to the switch and VLANs, will it allow people to connect to my VLAN as well?

Any recommendations on wireless bridges. I would like all high end gear, I am sick of stuff breaking. The switch is a Prosafe switch, metal construction, excellent reviews etc. I think that switch is managed.

I didn't think the setup was too complicated. Thanks for getting back to me!

 

[freesafety13]

If the Netgear switch will allow you to create routing tables and if you want to have a total of 3 VLAN's you shouldn't have any problems. As far as the bridge goes, Netgears' own WNDR3700 is supposed to have bridging capabilities by default but if it does not you can always just flash DD-WRT onto it.