Networking with 2 NICs

[tk421]

I need some help with a network problem I'm having with 2 NICs:

I have an XP computer on a LAN that I need to access remotely via PCAnywhere. However, there is no internet access via the LAN (because of firewall restrictions), so I have a DSL modem, plugged into a router that connects to a NIC in the computer. The computer has a second NIC that connects to the LAN. So the config is like this:

NIC1: Internet
NIC2: LAN

Now, straight away this configuration works just fine. I can access the printer on the LAN that I need (which is about the only thing i need on the LAN), and I can access the Internet, and connect to the computer from my remote office using PCAnywhere. The problem comes a few days later, when all
of a sudden, I can't access the computer remotely, and I can't access the internet from the computer.

I figured the network was getting the routes mixed up, so what I did was figure out the routing configuration that I needed, wrote a batch file for it, and set the batch file to run every two hours. That way, the system will be constantly "reminded" that it's supposed to go through the router (192.168.0.1) to get to the Internet (0.0.0.0), and that it needs to go through the lan to get to the printer I need.

However, since I was there on Tuesday, it has again "forgotten" how to access the Internet. Friday this happened and we rebooted it and it was fine. It happened again today. I don't know how to make this configuration
work reliably. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

By the way, the batch file contains these lines:
route change 0.0.0.0 192.168.0.1 metric 1 (to set the default route)
route add 0.0.0.0 mask 0.0.0.0 192.168.0.1 (router)
route add 209.100.100.31 208.100.100.3 (printer)

[Gollo]

Ummmm quick question. Why don't you have the second computer plugged into the router as well (or hub/switch attached to the router)? This seems like it would make things a whole lot simpler.

Anyways you want to access the second computer (not the one connected directly to the internet) remotely correct? Why not use a port forwarding program like AnalogX's portmapper. But this is the hard way to do things. I would just open the needed ports on the router and then connect the router to a hub or switch (if it only has 1 port) and let it do the routing (hence the name router )

[tk421]

somehow you're misunderstanding my setup...

PC
/ \
NIC1 NIC2
| |
router LAN
| |
Internet Printer
|
Pcanywhere
|
Remote PC


something like that. from my remote pc, i keep losing connection to the PC. And when i go to the physical PC console and try to open a web page, i'm taken to the LAN's firewall. Clearly, the routing table gets fouled up, and tries to make NIC2 the default gateway.

[Gollo]

Originally posted by tk421
somehow you're misunderstanding my setup...

PC
/ \
NIC1 NIC2
| |
router LAN
| |
Internet Printer
|
Pcanywhere
|
Remote PC


something like that. from my remote pc, i keep losing connection to the PC. And when i go to the physical PC console and try to open a web page, i'm taken to the LAN's firewall. Clearly, the routing table gets fouled up, and tries to make NIC2 the default gateway.

Ah ok I gotcha. I was thinking the exact opposite of what you were shooting for!

[PacMan]

Just take the computer back to India (no offence India, just an inside joke ) man, this is America, we don’t do that here.. lol..

Did some idiot install any new programs since it was working fine? Can you configure the firewall to allow this PC to access the net? Uninstall all the junk programs on that computer, run virus scan, and back up the important info. Then kick it while no one is looking and format and reinstall XP. Was always the way I did it Tim .

BTW,
I’m working for the IT department at the college here now (part of my work study). I am supposed to be working right now..lol.. training some new kid on formatting and installing OS.. Not good pay but wht can I do.. He’s working and I’m surfing and doing HW . I heard Thomas got a job at Disneyland LMAO !!!

Tell everyone I said hi and hope business is going good so you can take me back dammit!! Oh well, I’m trying to do my own lil thing here so I’ll see if I can get back there. Take care and do you guys still have that one crazy, mad, cursing-all-the-time, lawyer guy as a client still? lol (the guy "someone" deleted the Partition on and sent me to go put his computer together again)

Ok, just format that damn thing and let the president know who fixed it lol.

G2get back to work, this kid keeps asking me stupid question about bois and wht options to pick for installing the OS.. take care boss..
(PS I hope you know who this is)