[mythtv-users] What to check/change when changing LAN subnet

[Mike Perkins]

On 13/05/14 08:06, Simon Hobson wrote:
> Craig Huff <huffcslists at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> True, but when I get a new firewall/router, especially in a hurry because
>> the old one died unexpectedly, things get hectic and with me, that usually
>> means problems.  The last time I replaced the router, I ended up with one
>> that didn't support DHCP/DNS (no openWRT) and had to scramble to get things
>> reset because it defaulted to the 192.168.1.X subnet.  If I'm already using
>> the standard 192.169.1.X subnet, switching routers is less involved. I'd
>> rather be watching TV. ;-)
>
> Speaking as someone contemplating the move the other way round, ie away from
> 192.168.0 which was the default for the first router I had, how about a bit
> of forward thinking. If your router is that unreliable, then get another
> cheap one now and configure it. Or, use one ofyour Linux machines as a router
> and get all the benefits of that - add Shorewall as an easy to use firewall
> "appliance" and you'll wonder how you ever managed with some crappy and
> limited CPE router !
>
> OK, my network isn't the typical home network, but I have a guest VM (under
> Xen) that just runs a router. At work I have to deal with customers' routers
> - and I usually end up muttering about how crap the diagnostics and logging
> on them is - some worse than others, but none of them good !
>
I went the other way. I have a mini-ITX board which does little but supply DHCP 
for all my networks. It takes almost no power and just sits there for years on 
end doing its job. The advantage is that if I have firewall/router problems the 
myth systems just keep going.

The box is deliberately independent so that I can take anything else offline and 
rebuild/upgrade/fix it without disturbing other functions. You can't do that 
with a guest VM if you're upgrading the box where it and everything else lives.

This box also has two other functions: it acts as a remote log collector, which 
means that the logs of /all/ my systems are in one place when I need to look at 
them and there's also a software cache for those 'apt-get update; apt-get 
upgrade' times. Pull once; re-use many times.

Oh, and none of my subnets are 192.168.1.n; since everything I have is 
DHCP-enabled just plugging any laptop or workstation into a new or upgraded 
router gets me the login page. Reconfigure it, reboot, and I'm back in business.

-- 

Mike Perkins