1 router 2 nic

If it's windows server there are proxy server options. Also see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324286

"1 router 2 nic " - sounds like a gross video you could find on the 'net  

I'm not sure I understand. If the server is hooked up with the PC's through a 24 port hub, where does the broadband connection enter in? Is it also hooked up to the hub? If so, then all of the PC's should be able to share the connection (if your ISP allows its modem to issue more than 1 ip address). If you only get one IP from your ISP, then you need a router. You can add a second NIC to your WHS, and have that NIC connect directly to the modem, then your server becomes the router/firewall/proxy, OR you should really look into getting a dedicated router if your in a business environment. More info on your current network topology will help get better answers. Are you using DHCP or static IP's on the PC's, if DHCP which device provides the service? Where does the broadband connect into the network currently and by what equipment?

This is the reply from Server 2003 to Someone19 transferred from separate post by Moderator:


"Hello,
Thanks for your reply.
The setup at the moment as this is a client site business that use to have a linux box as their proxy server/dns. The linux server the internet to the hardware crashed and this is a temporary solution for now. The situation now is they have a zyxel 660 router in their business is attached to the hub and sharing out internet to the client xp pc as the gateway of the router. The router is connected to the isp and has a dynamic ip assigned. I want now to have the server 2003 running dns/email exchange/dhcp/vpn. Should I setup rras on the server and assign 1 nic a different ip range and the 2 nic another. dhcp is turned off on the router. Will i have to setup pot forward on router and firewall rules to pass through to server
Thanks"


Server2003 -- reply within the same thread, not by creating a new one with the same title.

Well, you have options. I don't have personal experience with Windows Server, I've always used and recommend a linux solution, but that's me.

If I understand correctly, you want to keep the Zyxel router as your LAN <-> WAN connection, but want your WS to provide all of your network services to the client PC's. This is possible, but a more complicated DHCP server setup on the WS machine, but completely doable with the existing LAN connection on the WS. No other NIC's needed. If I were setting it up, I would have the LAN IP of the router static (ie. X.X.X.254) and the WS set to a static IP (ie X.X.X.1) DHCP server on the Zyxel should be turned off, and the WS needs to have the DHCP server setup to tell any clients that the router IP is x.254, and the DNS server IP is X.1. Those do not need to be the same IP. Obviously you need to have those services running on the WS as well. You will need to port forward the ports for e-mail and VPN.

That would be a very reliable setup with one NIC. If you need additional layers of security (which it sounds like you don't need) you can add a second IP to the one NIC in WS, or you can add a second NIC but I don't see that as necessary and needlessly complex.

This is actually how I setup several clients in the past, it works well, its redundant and spreads the responsibilities of your network topology through different machines which is desirable to an all in one setup.

Thanks for all the advice.
I will give it a try and see how I get on.