Setting up 2 networks on 1 switch

[Ignotus79]

Hello all,


I'm asked to think of a solution to make in an existing LAN connected by switches (connected to each other) to make another network availible.

atm we have a network with 192.168.110.0 and we are short on IP adresses because of a large DHCP pool from wireless clients and a growing network with static IP addresses.

So basicly what i want to accomplish is an extra network 192.168.111.0 in the existing LAN and all computers have to be able to communicate to each other and all computers have to be able to connect to the internet using gateway 192.168.110.1 (direct or trough route tables). For future growth an extra LAN 192.168.112.0 with not perse internet access for only VOIP, but that is on the side and is not a priority, because I can set up that network on the same switches easy without having them to be able to connect to the computers and servers in the network. (correct me if I am wrong)

What I found out browsing the internet is that a layer 3 switch may provide the solution, but I can't make out of the technical specs if thats going to work when both LAN's computers will be connected on the same switches.

Also I found a lot of solutions with setting up a server with 2 NIC's and setting up routes on that server. But since we have a very large amount of network traffic with large graphical files, having 2 nics to route all that trafic doesn't seem like a desirable solution for my purpose.

So my question is what would be the best solution and/or/if the one with the layer 3 switch will be a solution for my goal.

Many thanks for all info.


With Kind regards,

Ignotus

 

[mitchflossin]

A Layer 3 switch or a router would do the trick. A layer 3 switch acts like a router and a switch and would be an "all in one" solution. Or you could keep your existing switch (assuming it's capable of handling VLANs) and incorporate a router in the mix to route traffic between networks. Like you suggested, using your server as a router wouldn't be ideal with a heavy amount of traffic. I hope this helps.

 

[Ignotus79]

Thanks for the reply, this helps indeed a lot.

Altough I have only a few questions about the setup with a router.
The router will have one WAN port which i assume will connect to the firewall which provides the internet access.
Then the other ports, the router I have at home only supports one LAN (fe. 192.168.110.0). Would I need a special type of router or does it need a totally different configuration. I am a bit new on setting up a router for this goal.

Thanks again.


With kind regards,

Ignotus

 

[c911darkwolf]

A switch with Trunking enabled should do the trick as well.

 

[mitchflossin]

In his situation, he will need to enable trunking since he only has one LAN port on his router--however, trunking a switch without a router still won't allow the networks to communicate. The router is needed to route packets between networks--something a layer 2 switch isn't capable of doing.

Having one port on your router isn't a problem as long as it's capable of supporting sub interfaces. You'll create sub interfaces for each of your networks then enable trunking.

In essence, you'll have your router connected to your firewall for internet access and the switch connected to your router for your internal networks. The single cable from the switch to router will enable your private networks to communicate once subinterfaces are added to the router and trunking is enabled.

Good luck!