[ale] What do I need to bridge two networks?

[Jim Lynch]

Sorry for the confusion.  In-line responses.
On 02/02/2014 03:44 PM, Michael H. Warfield wrote:
> On Sun, 2014-02-02 at 15:00 -0500, Jim Lynch wrote:
>> I'm working in a lab that has a single wifi connection to the outside.
>> I don't have any control over the installed router.  I have a separate
>> router that I use to connect come of my systems together but would like
>> to be able to bridge the two routers somehow.  I don't have physical
>> access to the installed router so I'd have to bridge a wifi to my router
>> somehow.  It's difficult to attempt to put my systems (some of them) on
>> the installed router.
> Your description is kind of confusing.  I'm not quite sure I have the
> mental image of what you're trying to accomplish or if you're referring
> to "router" when you mean "switch".
>
> You say the lab as a single WiFi connection to the outside.  Meaning it
> connects through WiFi to the greater Internet or that it as a single
> WiFi access point that you can connect to?
>
> Internet -> WiFi -> Lab -> Network
>
> or
>
> Internet -> Router -> Network -> Wifi ->Z--Z-> clients
Simplier than that.  They powers at be have a wireless router we can 
use.  It's a distance from us so it will be hard to connect all the 
devices we are using and I don't always have access to the devices 
except via a wired ethernet connection. They are now connected by a 
stand alone router that I mentioned.  So I have a local network with 
both wired and wifi devices connected that isn't connected to the 
outside.   I simply need to connect that network to the outside via the 
wireless router that is connected to the net using wifi.

Internet -> WiFi -> Lab -> Network

Seems like it's what we have.
>
> Where does your equipment fall.  I assume it's inside the lab.  You say
> "some of your equipment".  What's the problem with the others?
I don't have an easy way to configure them to connect to the provided 
wifi due to physical location.  They are configured to work with my router.
>   Not
> enough ports?  You say you don't have access to the router.
I do have physical access but they won't let us run a cable.  It's a 
long ways off.  I don't know the admin passwords to get in and dink with 
the settings.  It is a wifi router.  The only thing they will allow us 
to do is connect over wifi with it.

My local router simply connects my devices together.  That's the major 
purpose, but I'd like for devices (all Linux) on that network to be able 
to do things like install new software (apt-get), save files (svn ci, 
scp, etc) to a remote system.
>    Well,
> that's not unexpected.  What is this router doing?  Is it a WiFi router?
> Having access to one port off of it should be sufficient to throw an
> etherswitch on and give you more fan-out.  What does your "separate
> router" do?
>
>> What's the minimum that that I'd need to make this happen, if it's even
>> possible?  The router I have is a Cisco/Linksys of some variety.  I
>> forget the model number but it is several years old. It's running the
>> stock Cisco software.
> Well...  You asked for a minimum.  My minimum would be a Raspberry Pi
> with a WiFi plugin dongle.  Then bridge the ethernet and the WiFi
> interfaces to an internal bridge.  Then again, if you just need more
> ports, a 5 or 8 port workgroup etherswitch would do just fine.
That's doable.  There already is a Pi in the system. Can you point me to 
instructions on how to set up a route table to connect the two 
networks?  I hate to use the word bridge 'cause it apparently has a 
different meaning from what I though it was.

Thanks,
Jim.
>
>> Thanks,
>> Jim.
> Regards,
> Mike