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I have a network setup with two different subnets 192.168.1.0 and 192.168.0.0. One router is connected to a VPN (via OpenVPN) the other is not. Both routers have static routes to each other and a device on one can communicate to another without issues when using IP addresses.

My problem is I want to use services like Bonjour, Netbios and Apple Talk across the two networks, which currently does not work. A laptop connected on one subnet will not see a laptop connected on another. Is there anyway that you can connect the two networks together so these sort of local service will work?

Wesley
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user72182
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  • You probably have /24 or 255.255.255.o as network mask set. Have you tried setting the network mask to /16 or 255.255.0.0 making it one subnet ? Be aware that this change changes the network definition and has lots of implications on the functionality of your network. See [Subnetwork](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subnetwork) . – rems Feb 25 '11 at 12:41
  • Hi Thanks for the suggestion, I moved the two routers on to 255.255.0.0 I have also deleted the entries in the routing table as I guess I no longer need these because they are on the same subnet. The computers still can not see each other and now I can no longer connect from one to the other via ip. Any other suggestions, thanks all the same – user72182 Feb 25 '11 at 15:07
  • Did you also change the netmask on the computers, not only the routers? – rems Feb 25 '11 at 15:14
  • Computer are all set via DHCP so yep all done. Do I need to add any static routes? – user72182 Feb 25 '11 at 16:17
  • Do both routers run dd-wrt? Can computers on the same router see each other? Have you searched or asked in the dd-wrt forums? – rems Feb 25 '11 at 16:47
  • Searched for ages and asked on the dd-wrt (no reply). Computers on the same router can see each other no problem. It's just when they are connected to a different routers that I have the problem. – user72182 Feb 25 '11 at 17:30
  • I have myself a router at home with dd-wrt installed but I don't remember myself. Isn't there perhaps an option there to block this type of connection? – rems Feb 25 '11 at 18:04
  • When you wrote "the computers cannot see each other" did you tried pinging the IPs or what do you mean by "see each other"? – rems Feb 25 '11 at 18:06
  • yer sorry I tried pinging them and the requests timeout. I can't connected to a computer on the other router by IP, so they can't communicate. – user72182 Feb 25 '11 at 19:19
  • if it helps the ping log is here http://pastebin.com/tLCXQrWk – user72182 Feb 25 '11 at 19:41

3 Answers3

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Appletalk is a nonroutable protocol. Netbios has to be reconfigured to allow routing by setting up servers on both sides (don't remember the exact procedure, it's been a while). Never played with Bonjour but a quick Google also indicates it is nonroutable.

RFR
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  • When I say that one is connected by openVPN it's connect as a client. so both routers are local. If what your saying is true I can stop playing a simply give up, thanks for the info. – user72182 Feb 26 '11 at 12:07
  • @user72182 - Bonjour is multicast however, so should be able to become site-local instead of link-local without too much trouble. For Netbios the answer mostly lies in setting a WINS server to take over the name resolution tasks from the broadcast side. – Flexo Sep 03 '11 at 12:58
  • http://www.grouplogic.com/Knowledge/PDFUpload/Info/WanBonjour_1.pdf – Flexo Sep 03 '11 at 13:05
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To use NetBIOS across subnets, you need a WINS server.

Any Samba server can act as one with just wins support = yes added to the [Global] section of smb.conf. Then distribute that address to clients using option netbios-name-servers 192.168.1.100; in dhcpd.conf (for example).

If you want another Samba server to use another WINS server, tell it wins server = 192.168.1.100 in the [Global] section of smb.conf.

Mark Henderson
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Jean-Marc Liotier
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Back in the day when I was trying to get my mt-daapd server visible for iTunes clients over VPN, I used RendezvousProxy. This thing is pretty much deadpooled development wise, but I think even the ancient version might still work.

lkraav
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