> > > For about a year, I've been using a dynamic IP DSL link to the internet.
> >  [...]
> >
> > More fun with this:
> >
> > I'm having trouble getting my gateway to act as a gateway *while* also
> > having my static IP numbers farmed out over my little home network.
> >
> > The situation is something like this:
> >
> >  Internet <==> [rtk0/gate  Gatewa  tlp0/prometheus] <==> [other machines]
> >
> > rtk0/gate is the interface/name (IP address 66.136.7.249) used to talk to
> > the ISP via DSL.
> >
> > tlp0/prometheus is the interface/name (IP address 66.136.7.250) used to
> > talk to my LAN.
>
> You got two overlapping subnets on both interfaces.
> Can't you make smaller subnets on each side to remedy the problem

I don't know.  Can I?  It crossed my mind, but wouldn't I lose two more
addresses (at least) for top/bottom on my subnets?  Where there are
presently 8 IP's (from which 1 is reserved at bottom, one at top, and
anther (254) is used by my ISP), I would instead have two lots of 4, 4 of
which would be used by top/bottom and 1 more by my ISP.  That would give
me just enough IP's to have 1 IP number per machine, but if I have 3
machines and one of the machines needs 2 IP's (one in each of the
subnets)...I'm stuck.

Correct?

> of overlapping subnets? Or if you wish to keep it this way ....

Ah, I don't particularly wish it to be this way.  What I wish is only to
have all of my machines allocated their static IP's.  I'd kind of like to
have a firewall.  I would rather not pump my LAN data out through the
modem gratuitously (which I think would happen if I were to plug the modem
into my hub---maybe that's why David said specifically to *buy* a switch,
rather than using what I've already got for my LAN?)


> Proxy arp would be the solution.

Please remember what I said about my network skills not being too sharp.
What is "proxy arp"?  (As much as I like computers, I have not had the
time to get up to my elbows in NetBSD and UNIX administration details
since getting my hands on a machine capable of running NetBSD.  I've
learned just enough to get by in many cases.)


> And of course dont forget net.inet.ip.forwarding=1

Yes, that or a custom kernel.  (^&


> Though, In my opinion two interfaces with overlapping
> subnets is a misconfiguration, but I could be wrong. :-)

Unfortunately, I didn't get to dictate the IP's.  I just have to deal with
them.


Thanks, though (to all who have replied).  I think that I see a way to
partially solve this.  Will a *switch* (or the uplink in my hub?) screen
packets that are meant for my local network, keeping them off of my ISP?
(I think it will, but want to be sure that I understand.)


  ``I probably don't know what I'm talking about.'' --rauch@math.rice.edu