Remote Desktop, 2 routers, and my sanity

T

tycho1974

Posts: 7   +0
Okay, I've searched the forums and haven't found anything like my situation.

I've got a home PC that I want to use to connect to my work PC. Problem is my work computer is behind 2 routers. Short version is that we piggyback broadband off our neighbor's line by connecting our router (Router 2) to theirs (Router 1). And don't worry, they know about it, we're sharing.

So they've got their computers connected to their router on their own LAN, and we've got our LAN on our router connected to theirs simply for internet access.

So, like I said, I want to connect to my work computer. After some experimentation (all failures), this is what I'm theorizing:

Router 1 WAN IP - Dynamic
Router 1 LAN IP - 192.168.1.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0
Router 2 WAN IP - 192.168.1.2
Router 2 LAN IP - 192.168.2.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0

(Okay, here's where I'm not sure if this will work:)

Router 1 - disable DHCP on the LAN side and setup 192.168.1.2 as the DMZ
Router 2 - Enable DHCP on the LAN side and forward ports as needed

Computer on Router 2 - Just use DHCP, it should be a 192.168.2.x ip address

So theoretically, I will be able to forward port 3389 on Router 1 to 192.168.1.2, then forward port 3389 on Router 2 to 192.168.2.x - right?

If I'm missing something completely obvious, bad on me. But I've been on this for two day straight and I'm ready to go suck exhaust. Anyone have any ideas? I'd appreciate any suggestions...
 
tycho1974 said:
Short version is that we piggyback broadband off our neighbor's line by connecting our router (Router 2) to theirs (Router 1).

So they've got their computers connected to their router on their own LAN, and we've got our LAN on our router connected to theirs simply for internet access.
Click to expand...
good, because sharing is almost impossible (needs special routing in both routers)
this is what I'm theorizing:

Router 1 WAN IP - Dynamic
Router 1 LAN1 IP - 192.168.1.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0
Router 2 WAN IP - 192.168.1.2
Router 2 LAN2 IP - 192.168.2.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0
Click to expand...
this should be working, ie: both LANs should be able to use the browser and get email.
(Okay, here's where I'm not sure if this will work:)

Router 1 - disable DHCP on the LAN side and setup 192.168.1.2 as the DMZ
Router 2 - Enable DHCP on the LAN side and forward ports as needed

Computer on Router 2 - Just use DHCP, it should be a 192.168.2.x ip address
Click to expand...
all that is unnecessary and forces LAN1 to use manual IP setup. it does not help with your gaming issues that follow
So theoretically, I will be able to forward port 3389 on Router 1 to 192.168.1.2, then forward port 3389 on Router 2 to 192.168.2.x - right?
Click to expand...
NO. the circular routing will not work and fowarding ports in this layout
will remove that/those services from LAN1
 
tycho1974 said:
Okay, I've searched the forums and haven't found anything like my situation.

I've got a home PC that I want to use to connect to my work PC. Problem is my work computer is behind 2 routers. Short version is that we piggyback broadband off our neighbor's line by connecting our router (Router 2) to theirs (Router 1). And don't worry, they know about it, we're sharing.

So they've got their computers connected to their router on their own LAN, and we've got our LAN on our router connected to theirs simply for internet access.

So, like I said, I want to connect to my work computer. After some experimentation (all failures), this is what I'm theorizing:

Router 1 WAN IP - Dynamic
Router 1 LAN IP - 192.168.1.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0
Router 2 WAN IP - 192.168.1.2
Router 2 LAN IP - 192.168.2.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0

(Okay, here's where I'm not sure if this will work:)

Router 1 - disable DHCP on the LAN side and setup 192.168.1.2 as the DMZ
Router 2 - Enable DHCP on the LAN side and forward ports as needed

Computer on Router 2 - Just use DHCP, it should be a 192.168.2.x ip address

So theoretically, I will be able to forward port 3389 on Router 1 to 192.168.1.2, then forward port 3389 on Router 2 to 192.168.2.x - right?

If I'm missing something completely obvious, bad on me. But I've been on this for two day straight and I'm ready to go suck exhaust. Anyone have any ideas? I'd appreciate any suggestions...
Click to expand...

Static IP on both ends you could do it with using one of those free services like No-IP address. Also you should connect to the other network using VPN client Nortel or Cisco VPN or using OpenVPN to protect both incoming/outcoming data streams using VPN tunnel.
 
Okay, so here's happened. This was how I configured:

Router 1 WAN IP - Dynamic
Router 1 LAN IP - 192.168.1.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0
Router 2 WAN IP - 192.168.1.2
Router 2 LAN IP - 192.168.2.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0

The problem with this was that my computer (as opposed to everybody else's on the network) had serious problems with internet speed. Webpages, email, everything was wicked slow. So I changed to this:

Router 1 WAN IP - Dynamic
Router 1 LAN IP - 192.168.1.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0
Router 2 WAN IP - 0.0.0.0
Router 2 LAN IP - 192.168.2.1, Subnet 255.255.255.0

This effectively allows Router 1 to assign an IP to Router 2, which it did. It assigned it 192.168.1.2. Then:

Router 1 - DMZ=192.168.1.2
Router 2 - Forward port 3389 to IP needed

And this works. I can connect to my work computer from home, no problem. The only thing I can't figure out is why, when I specify the IP for Router 2, my PC gets all wonky, and everyone else's is the same; then when I let Router 1 assign the IP (which ends up being the same as the one I specified), everything's hunky-dory.

Anyway, thought I'd pass this along...
 
Thanks... Good to see others with complex setups too solve the mysteries of the network infrastructure blues! :)
 
tycho1974 said:
... when I let Router 1 assign the IP (which ends up being the same as the one I specified), everything's hunky-dory.
Click to expand...
that's because all devices (both routers) are on the same subnet and traffic from
either router can be seen/received by systems on the other; no special routing requirements :)
 

Similar threads

D
Starlink drops support for first-generation routers, offers free hardware upgrades
Replies
12
Views
157
Beerfloat
Beerfloat
Julio Franco
Arm just changed the rules, building its first-ever CPU and betting big on agentic AI
Replies
11
Views
208
J Oelschl
J
midian182
Nvidia teases RTX 5000 series with Hype Meter, GeForce Greats, and LAN 50 promotions
Replies
9
Views
728
Starfals
Starfals

Latest posts

Back