Advanced Networking Question (NET)

[ECMarshall]

Hello, everyone! I'm hoping that one of you might have the answer to an unusual networking question that I have. I'm embarassed to have to ask... I have tried to solve it myself, but I've had no success. I'm probably not looking in the right place or using smart enough search queries.

Here is a link to a diagram that shows a simplified version of the network I have set up. The yellow 'wire' connects the "Router" to the Internet, say through a bridged Cable Modem. The blue 'wires' are standard straight-through Cat 5 cables, and the purple 'wire' is a Cat 6 (Gigabit Ethernet) crossover cable:

<a target="_blank" href=http://bfn.org/~bq553/Network.gif>--&gt; Network Illustration &lt;--</a>

Let's say the "Router" is like a <a target="_blank" href=http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1122062340941&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper>Linksys BEFSR41</a> that has one WAN port to connect to the Internet and four LAN ports. It provides IP addresses (through DHCP), name service, and Internet access to the computers connected to this integrated four port switch.

So now let's say that I have four computers connected to those four LAN ports. The computers are named Adam, Hoss, Ben, and LittleJoe (just watched a Bonanza re-run on TV). All four of them have 10/100 Mbit Ethernet Network Cards (NICs) which are connected to the "Router". This provides their Internet connection, and also allows them access to each other to share files and printers, for example.

Up to this point we have a pretty standard small home network setup. Here's where it gets interesting: I also have a Gigabit (1000 Mbit) NIC in two of the computers, Ben and Hoss. I have a Cat6 crossover cable running between Ben's and Hoss' Gigabit NICs.

My question is this: If it's possible, I'd like all communication between Ben and Hoss to be done over the faster Gigabit connection. So if Hoss is copying a file from Ben's shared hard drive, I'd like for it to take place over the Gigabit network. If LittleJoe wants that same file from Ben's shared drive, it'll go over the 100 Mbit network.

Does anyone know if this is possible? And if so, could you give me an idea of how to set it up? Thank you so much for your help!

-Eric Marshall

[Brf]

You can give another subnet to that Gigabit connection, say 192.168.69.0. Give one Gagabit card "1" and the other "2". Then you should be able to connect from one to the other using that IP.

[ECMarshall]

Thank you for your quick response!

I think I understand what you're saying, tell me if I'm right:

The router's DHCP server gives out addresses like 192.168.0.x to the 100 Mbit NICs. But then I manually set the IP addresses for the two Gigabit NICs to be in a different subnet, like 192.168.1.x.

Then in Windows, I create shortcuts on my desktop to get to shares on other computers. On the "Hoss" computer, for example, the shortcut names and targets are:

Adam: \\Adam
Ben: \\192.168.1.2
LittleJoe: \\LittleJoe

That will use the 100 Mbit connection to get at the shares on Adam and LittleJoe, but will use the Gigabit connection to get at Ben? Am I on the right track?

Thanks again!

[Brf]

Yes. That is correct. Your shortcuts would need sharenames though

\\192.168.1.1\share1\

[ECMarshall]

Thank you very much, Brf. You're the man =). Hope I can help others on this message board like you helped me.

-Eric