How do I implement a second router within a network so that two computers can share the same (internal) IP address? [closed]

Question

At work I am given only a single internal IP address (198.168.10.106) to be used on a single computer on the network. The problem is that I want to use 2 computers at my office and share the only single given IP address between them.

On one of my 2 computers I have a web server that I want to be accessed from (198.168.10.106) work network. My work's network Administrator will not give me a second IP address, so I decided to use a TP-Link consumer Router to have the single available IP shared between the 2 computers.

TO SUMMARIZE. I would like both my server PC and the regular windows PC (connected to the router's LAN port) to be seen over my work network as one IP address. The one given by my administrator (198.168.10.106).

Work Network ----->| WAN MY ROUTER ||----> PC 1 |---- PC 2

I connected the cable from my work's wall socket to the WAN port of my Router. And from my router's 2 LAN ports a cable to my 2 personal computers respectively. So I am about to share this single IP address (198.168.10.106) between my PC1 and PC2 which are given IP addresses 198.168.0.1 and 198.168.0.2 respectively.

WHERE IS THE PROBLEM? The problem is that Internet works fine but Windows File Sharing with other computers on work network does not work.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

What we have here is a failure to communicate.

There's a few issues in play here, many of which are well, not technical.

Lets start with "Work Network Admin refuses to give me a 2nd IP address". This is a right thing to do. One does not have arbitrary systems added to a work network. In many workplaces doing so without authorisation will likely lead to you very quickly having to put all your personal belongings in a box and walking out of here. And of course, if you showed the same level of hostility towards the network admin as you did in the original version of the question, well, he might be disinclined to explain it to you.

The reason for this is securing the network and even having a second router is a horrible horrible thing in most work environments.

LPchip's answer covers why it dosen't work for most part. Also consider that your two systems are in a separate network segment and unless routing is set up explicitly, systems outside your subnet can't see them. Incidentally the person who could set this up is your network admin.

What can you do? Not much. Actually there's no simple way to make it work. Samba relies on fixed, known ports and isn't really designed for the sort of scenario you're trying to work with.

The easy solution really is to be nice to your admin, bribe him with a sixpack of whatever beverage of choice and ask him how you can have your needs met without breaking the network. I'd also consider checking the company policy since its no use getting your way if you no longer have a job.

Answer 2

Whoa. It sounds like you're either an intern, or a very young developer hired just out of college, with no idea of how the corporate world actually works. You're soon in for a very nasty surprise if you continue down this course of action.

As multiple other people have probably told you, what you're trying to do is almost certainly against your company policy, and almost certainly will get you fired if you persist. I mean, you're playing with your career here. Once you get fired with cause, it's nearly impossible to get hired again in the IT world.

You need to stop trying to route around the procedures and policies in place at your workplace, and start working with your coworkers and management to convince them that what you're trying to do is a good thing for the business. If they ultimately tell you "no" and you still believe you're in the right, you can then start polishing your resume and try to find another place to work that's a little more open-minded.

The policies at your workplace are there out of an overabundance of caution. I'm not saying the policies are the best thing in the world, but they are approved by the management, and if you violate those policies, there are very real consequences for doing so that might require you to change your career.

Yes, it will take longer to buy the hardware/software you need through the company's official channels. Yes, the system administrator might give you a hard time. But ultimately, if everyone else in the business knows what you're doing and fully supports it, everyone will be better off. They might even change the policy to allow similar things to happen more easily in the future, if your effort pays off.

Blindly telling us in your comments to "just give you the answer" is the most inane thing you can possibly do. One, if you get it to work, and you're caught or detected to be basically a rogue operator, you're probably going to get fired.

And two, it's not technically possible based on the way you've set it up now. You could install a second network card in your main (official) company desktop computer and use Windows' built-in Internet Connection Sharing to give your other box local network access, but this would be a further violation of your company's policy on not modifying their equipment or reconfiguring their software.

This whole cowboy "I'm better than the policy" attitude is really playing with fire. Step over the wrong boundary and you'd better learn how to flip burgers. This is the most correct answer to your overall problem that I can give you: work within the system to change and mold it to your needs; don't try to bypass the system. If you do, you'll quickly be branded a rogue operator and you will never be able to get another decent job in your life. Despite not knowing you at all, I wouldn't wish this fate on you. Wisen up.

Answer 3

What you want is not possible. This is not how TCP/IP works.

By using a router, you create a new network, so obviously, things as file sharing stop working, as they only work with your internal network.

You should place the webserver either on your own computer or place the machine with a secondary IP in the network where you optionally use DNS to make people find that server (for example through the hostname, or by asking nicely to get a DNS entry through the DNS server.

By using a router, you create a new network, your traffic remains inside this network and by port forwarding on the router, you can selectively allow traffic to go from the outside of the network to the inside. If this were not the case, I could access the files on your computer through the internet. Its just not possible. Again, TCP/IP does not work that way.

Answer 4

If adding a router without any auth to the wall socket works then simply adding a switch should work by the sounds of things, unless you did MAC spoofing as part of the process.