Connecting through 2 routers

[Sbrideau]

Hi, question that is simple enough,

 

I'm trying to connect through a home network that has 2 routers.

 

With one computer on one router and the other on the other router, using the different things seem to give the same result: error message.

 

They're all on Windows 7. The one that I'm using is Windows 7 Pro trying to connect to a Windows 7 Ultimate computer.

 

I used the ip adress as well, as I remember being able to access other computers this way, I just can't recall how to do it.

 

Thanks for the help guys. Wrote 2 routers to go faster, but one of them is a switch.

[indy500fan]

Hi, question that is simple enough,

 

I'm trying to connect through a home network that has 2 routers.

 

With one computer on one router and the other on the other router, using the different things seem to give the same result: error message.

 

They're all on Windows 7. The one that I'm using is Windows 7 Pro trying to connect to a Windows 7 Ultimate computer.

 

I used the ip adress as well, as I remember being able to access other computers this way, I just can't recall how to do it.

 

Thanks for the help guys. Wrote 2 routers to go faster, but one of them is a switch.

 

Huh? So do you have a router and a switch or two routers? Because those are entirely different scenarios. Also what are you trying to do with them?

[Sbrideau]

I am no expert at networking but one of them is a switch. The one I'm on is on a router and the one I'm trying to access is on the switch. The router is also on the switch. Anyway, I know that it works well using the remote desktop connection, but what I'm trying to do is connect to the other computer like in a vpn, I just can't recall how to do it. Or do I just have to create a vpn for such a small network?

[indy500fan]

So how exactly is your network setup? Also what model numbers are the switch and router? If it is a switch and a router that makes things very easy, the router will handle all the addressing so everything will be in the same subne. The way that you are going to want this to go is: ethernet cable from internet connection (cable modem/dsl modem/fiber nid ect...) goes into the WAN/Internet port of router (there are generally five ethernet ports on back of router, a group of 4 and one by itself, the WAN/Internet is the one by itself) - then an ethernet cable from any one of the other four ports in back of router to the uplink port of switch (some switches don't have a dedicated uplink port, if it doesn't then any port will work). All devices can be plugged into any of the left over ports on switch or last three ports on router. You don't need any sort of virtual private network set up because you already have a private network setup.

 

Now if it isn't set up like that then switching it to that should fix any problems you are having. From the way you describe it, it almost sounds like you have the internet going to the switch, which then goes to the router. In that scenario you don't have all devices on the same local network. All devices plugged into the router will be on the same network, but anything plugged into the switch will be pulling public IP addresses from your ISP. You will still be able to remote from the computers on the router to the computers on the switch with an IP address no problem (or set up a VPN and you can use a name). If you try and remote to a computer on the router from one on the switch you would have to have port forwarding set up but it will work with an ip address+port, or have a VPN set up. Just easier to put them on the same logical and physical local network by setting up like stated above.

[Sbrideau]

Thank you very much for this, clears things up a bit. I'm no expert in networking but while I did know some stuff about it, now I know more. I won't be changing anything around though since there's only 2 days left and for that I can keep using my external hard drive. I'll know for next time though, and I thank you very much for this. It's just that with 8 devices I had to find a way to have them all on the network and had 2 of my computers a different places. When I'm back to my apartment it's going to be only 4 devices so the router is enough.

 

Thanks, we can let this die now.