Learning about multi subnet networks

[remus]

Hi all,

I need to learn how to allow network communication between two isolated networks.

Network 1
IP : 192.168.11.xxx

Network 2
Ip : 192.168.251.xxx

Each network has its own router, and I think network 2's router is a firewall/router appliance of some kind.

I am in the process of geting exact brand/model numbers for the network hardware.

they are about 150m apart as the crow flys, and they have already tried a direct cat5 network link, but get huge signal loss on that cable.

I'm thinking of using something like this http://bilcowifi.com/ as it seems to be fairly tough.

So I have to find a way to allow network communication between these two networks. I've never done this sort of thing before, and am starting by googling "bridge multi subnet linux"
Any suggestions welcome

[Rich]

Hi remus

they are about 150m apart as the crow flys, and they have already tried a direct cat5 network link, but get huge signal loss on that cable.

100 meters is the accepted maximum distance of a cat5 cable running at 100Mbits/sec. Install a repeater if you
need to go further. You can use 2 ports of a low cost 4 port network switch for this.

[remus]

That's exactly what they have done.

They put some 4 port switch's along the line, and I'm told that it worked for about two weeks. When I inspected the line, it was all badly corroded with water. It rains there for about an hour every day ! and in wet season it never stops. I think that a hard wire solution would require some heavy duty insulation + very weather resistant gear.

[Rich]

Hi remus
Sounds like an outdoor installation. As long as the outer jacket on the cable is intact, water won't bother it. Exposure
to the suns ultraviolet rays will degrade the jacket over time, probably several years, depending on the material.
Network switches are not meant to be exposed to the elements, especially rain. If they must be outdoors, raise them
off the ground with some bricks, place a bucket over them, and place a couple of bricks on the bucket to keep it in place.
Avoid putting sharp kinks in the cable so as not to distort the signal unnecessarily. An alternative would be a couple
of fiber<->100Base-T converters and some fiber optic cable, maybe Ebay, and you won't have that length limit.

[Juanito]

If it's 150m line of sight, then it might be better to go with a wireless link indoors at each end of the gap?

[remus]

Hi Rich,

The locals will take anything they can get their hands on, its just their culture
They even take the nuts holding together the pipes for the hydro project that was meant to provide 24 hour power, and used the nuts as sinkers for fishing
Any solution will need to be theft proof as well as hold up to server tropic sun and wet weather. I think your idea is on the right track, especially your fiber optic suggestions, I never thought of that.

Hi Juanito,
There is a firetide 5200 with 2 9dBI antenna's setup onsite above school of nursing that fails to penetrate the structures across the road from it, except for the windows with line of sight. The buildings are made of heavy duty bessa bricks with steel mesh so no wifi gets through those walls. A second firetide 5200 was purchased and brought to Atoifi to relay the signal into the hospital's own network switch. However I could never get the 2nd device to relay the signal. The supplier of the part's said we just had to install it and power it up, however it did not work. I've since been in touch with firetide tech support and have learn't the devices will need special configuration with proprietary firetide software to allow this capability. I have hopes that firetide tech support will get this relay connection sorted out. I wish I could have done it while I was there

Once the signal is sucessfully relayed to the hospital firetide 5200 unit I will have to make it connect to the hospital network. I'm guessing the easiest way to do that would be to power down the hospitals firewall/router, and it should then accept DHCP control from the school of nursing router ?, but I've never done this.

School of Nursing Router ---> School of Nursing Network Switch ---> FireTide 5200 a ---> Firetide 5200 b ---> Hospital Network Switch ---> Hospital Computers

As always I welcome the community's input and thoughts

[Juanito]

The supplier of the part's said we just had to install it and power it up, however it did not work.

In my limited experience of such things, that would not work.

You'd have to configure both of the units to act as a wireless bridge, which I presume would require entering the mac address of one unit in the other unit and vice versa. Typically the factory default would be for the units to act as an access point.

Given the above, there would be no way to just power up and have things work.

[remus]

In my limited experience of such things, that would not work.

I'm guessing that the guy who sold the gear was as surprised as we were.
I'm finding a lot more to the wifi networking world than I thought was available. Take a look at this website : http://www.data-alliance.net/ it has some good info about rugged outdoor solutions.

[Juanito]

Forum member "grandma" seems to have some experience in this field (long range wireless), you could maybe try dropping him a pm..

[Rich]

Hi remus
If you do decide to go the fiber optic route, this might be worth checking out:
http://www.commfront.com/Fiber-Optic-Converters/Ethernet-to-Fiber-Optic-Media-Converter.htm
It looks pretty foolproof. They are duplex so you only need one at each end. I would suggest the multi-mode version
with the ST connectors. The unit has a 1 mile range. You need to use multi-mode (not single-mode) fiber optic cable
to connect them. There is a FAQ link on the page.
For fiber optic cable, maybe this:
http://fiberopticcables.stores.yahoo.net/index.html

they are about 150m apart as the crow flys

If in doubt, err on the long side. If you come up short, you can't just strip and twist this stuff together to extend it.