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We're getting an upgrade to our internet access here at work, and I was wondering if any of the other tech-heads around here had a recommendation for a router that can handle 5 public/WAN IP addresses with NAT. I've never had to configure such a thing before (and frankly I don't think we NEED it, but our engineer is whiny that he wants to be able to use multiple IP addresses with default ports for certain appliances), so I thought I'd ask around to what others thought as such things seem to be obscure and arcane even today. Multiple physical WAN ports not required.

Is there a reason you couldn't just use 5 physical routers and a decent switch between them and the Internet?

--Patrick

Whenever I've done this I've simply used the router the ISP recommended. Then I created a new network that had the Internet router, the firewall/router/NAT to the general office network, then the firewall/router to the network with Internet facing machines.

Made administration and troubleshooting a breeze.

The ISP isn't providing a router, and they're only providing one physical plug to the WAN. I suppose I could just put a switch on that and plug multiple routers into the switch... just seems to me there ought to be a single piece of hardware that would be able to handle such.

I'm sure there is. I just don't know if it will cost less than 5 routers + switch.

I suppose what matters most is whether or not you need 5 physical LANs (with 5 separate physical branches) or just planned to run 5 virtual LANs.

--Patrick

PatrThom said:

I'm sure there is. I just don't know if it will cost less than 5 routers + switch.

I suppose what matters most is whether or not you need 5 physical LANs (with 5 separate physical branches) or just planned to run 5 virtual LANs.

--Patrick

Click to expand...

We already run two physical LANs, but these new ones are going on one of them that already exist.

Did a quick check around. Almost all the dedicated hardware devices (in 10min of searching) seem to be dual-WAN (or sometimes Triple-WAN) but nothing with more that didn't have a $700 price tag. There do seem to be some options (Like OpenWRT?) which can act as a multi-WAN router when hooked to a decent switch, though*.

--Patrick
*I learned all this in the last 20minutes of web searching. It may be useful, or it may be bunk. Don't risk losing your job over it.

Well, I had another conversation with the engineer, and turns out I was mistaken.. he wants to use EIGHT public IPs. At this point I think I'll just let him make his case to the owner - I don't think the boss will go for it in a million years, but if he does, hey great. Otherwise I'm thinking the multiple routers on switches solution will be best.

Hasn't this guy heard of Host Headers?

--Patrick

The stuff he's doing isn't html based. He's got these... things, I dunno really what they are... but they have 3rd party, non-port-configurable black boxes on the inside, and for some reason, the stuff he's trying to get to jive with them on the outside also apparently can't be configured for different ports... I don't know, it all smells like a great big mixed load of "headache" and "don't really need" that I don't want to deal with even if I had the time. But he thinks he's found a router that can do all this stuff, so I'll let him pitch it. If it were up to me, we'd just use one router and one IP address.

...with ports. Like TCP/IP intended.

--Patrick

I just somehow know we're going to end up with a economy grade linksys.

So long as you don't have to support/troubleshoot it, let him have as big of a shovel as he wants.

--Patrick