routing issues

[looseliam]

Here's the simple version of my network. IP address have been changed to protect the innocent.

                 cable modem
                      |
         ---------------------------
         |                         |
      router0                   router1
     wan: dhcp                 wan: dhcp
  lan:192.168.1.1           lan:192.168.2.1
         |                         |
         ---------------------------
                      |
                   router2
               wan:192.168.2.4
               lan:192.168.1.4

router0 runs pfsense with a static route to 192.168.2.0/24 with a gateway of 192.168.1.4

router 1 runs dd-wrt with a static route to 192.168.1.0/24 with a gateway of 192.168.2.4

router 2 runs dd-wrt with no static routes specified. It is configures in router mode with nat, dhcp, spi, dnsmasq, etc. disabled and an entry into iptables to forward all packets (iptables -i forward -j accept).

When trying to connect to a samba share from 192.168.2.0/24 the ip/server can't be found. I am able to ping the samba server on 192.168.1.0/24 without problem. Once I ping the box, I can connect to the samba share. The same goes if I connect to the proxy server. Once some other connection has traversed the route, I can connect to shares.

Any thoughts on what I may be doing wrong?

TIA

 

[borg69unimatrix]

I was told at work you couldn't hook up more then one router to one incoming cable signal. You're attempting 3 ???

 

[looseliam]

The cable modem has 4 ports bridged to the wan. So I can connect 4 devices directly to the internetz.

 

[burke67]

So...

Your attempted SMB (via SAMBA) connection fails. IP based UNC?

A ping to the IP (via TCP/IP) responds.

Once the ping is responded to via TCP/IP, you can then access the SMB share via it's SMB UNC? Or by it's IP based UNC?

I wonder if this points to an issue on the SMB (SAMBA) side and not the routers themselves.

 

[looseliam]

You're correct. Connection is attempted with ip-unc as there's no method of name resolution on 192.168.2.0/24. It isn't just smb. Any service I try to use from 192.168.2.0/24 will not respond until I ping - vnc, smb, proxy, http.

 

[Corny]

iptables isn't involved here by any chance .. ?

 

[looseliam]

the only entry I've added to iptables is on router2 to forward all packets.

 

[burke67]

Hmmmm...

so no route is defined (or built) to 192.168.2.0/24 until a device on it is groped with ICMP packets; then all services (ports) are available on that device? or any device within that subnet?

I'm no network guru just thinking out loud here...

 

[looseliam]

Yep, that's the gist of it.

 

[looseliam]

the plot thickens...

So we had a power surge and one router went off-line (waiting for new UPS batteries). The computers started pulling IPs from the other subnet.

I think there's a setting I have to tweak on the router I'm using as the bridge. Now to find it...

 

[looseliam]

I thought I'd post the solution in case anyone cared lol

I think the dd-wrt router still knew which port was the wan and which was the lan. Communication improved when I used just a plain linux box with ip forwarding but loading shares had a terrible lag.

I put another nic in the pfsense box, set firewall rules and everything works just fine. It's not exactly how I wanted it but with traffic running through the pfsense I have better control of the traffic.