Port forwarding question

[Rastalovich]

I understand the port forwarding principle in so much as u have a router and u want a specific program/game to communicate with 1 pc on the ports u have on the router. U can assign it via the router`s menus and every1 is happy.

2 Questions tho:

1. If u were to setup as above, everything is working - then decide to put a switch on the port u have the pc connected to, lets say to connect 2 pcs instead of 1, does the router procede to allocate an additional address for the additional pc so in effect u`ve just added to the number of ports to the router - OR - does the router forward to the switch and both pcs get the forwarding ?

2. If u were to setup as above, everything is working - then decide to put another router on the same port (setup internally as a router not a gateway). I would imagine the router u introduce gets an address (as if it were a pc), so u would forward the port to the router, then procede to forward on the 2nd router to the pc u originally had working. ??

Any clarifications from our resident network experts would be appreciated. (this is @ home).

 

[nathan]

1. The pc should grab another ip from the router thats running DHCP.

2. why the need for a second router, can you not just use a simple switch?

 

[Rastalovich]

Ah kewl, so in effect u`r just adding to the ports on the router so DHCP will just act accordingly.

In answer to the why, I`m playing with some kit. What I was going to try is WRT54G to a Netgear Prosafe FVS318 to play around with it`s firewall stuff - whilst leaving my existing pcs connected to the original linksys.

So, switch the Netgear to router and the forwarding would work as suggested ?

Thnx nat.