I did a search on the topic and found nothing so I'll ask my question.

Has anyone connected a PC to a node that is part of a mesh with one network card and to the internet with a second network card in the same PC with both NICs set for DHCP and for DNS from the server to which each NIC is connected? If so were you able to use the mesh successfully and the internet successfully?

I'm experimenting with this configuration. In theory, this would keep the mesh off the internet, which it does in my testing, but still be able to access assets on the mesh as well as on the internet.

In my testing, I see no issues with internet connectivity but I do with the mesh. I have a simple two node mesh set up for testing, K8NRT-1 and K8NRT-2. The PC is connected to K8NRT-1 with one NIC and to the internet with the other NIC.

With both NICs connected I can ping k8nrt-1 with no issues. But when I ping K8NRT-2, the node name does resolve to the nodes IP address which indicates DNS on the mesh is working correctly. However, the pings to K8NRT-2 will sometimes return but most of the time they time out. When I either disable or disconnect the nic connected to the internet, then the pings to K8NRT-2 are returning with no issue.

I'm certain that being connected to the internet is causing the problem but I don't know why.

Just curious if anyone else has done this successfully and what I need to do to make it work. I see the possibility of doing something similar in an exercise or actual emergency since I could use the internet through my mobile hotspot on a laptop while connected to a mesh network.

Thanks for any answers you might have.

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Bob
bob@k8nrt.net

I didn't see the FAQ that addresses this very scenario. So, I'll have to experiment with the methods proposed there. This FAQ proposes three methods:

Instead, if you want to play mesh and at the same time have internet access, there are three ways to achieve this:

1. connect your laptop to the LAN port of the node, and the WAN port of the node to your home network
   
   
2. use two nodes with mesh access point mode
   • connect the WAN port of node 1 to your home network
   • set the mode of node 2 to Mesh Access Point
   • connect the LAN ports of both nodes together
   • connect your laptop by wireless to node 2
     
     
3. use two nodes in dynamic default gateway mode
   • connect your laptop the the LAN port of node 1
   • connect the WAN port of node 2 to your home network

I've already tried # 1 and that doesn't work. Pings to K8NRT-2 fail plus it still exposed the mesh to the internet. My goal is to have full access to the mesh and to the internet and the only way I see to do this is with two nics if I want to use one PC.

Tim (w9ntn): I'll take a look at the wiki you posted. Thanks.

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Bob
bob@k8nrt.net

Tim, My Internet Connection Sharing service was already disabled.

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Bob
bob@k8nrt.net

A fully DHCP setup will never work with multiple NICS.

The preference will be to use the wired port where possible. DNS priority is indeterminate in this state as wired is considered less cost than wireless.

Mode 1 WILL WORK (and it is NOT suppose to allow internet access from wifi UNLESS you check MESHGW checkbox.)) It will let you connect to the local network and internet (assuming your local net is not in the 10.x range).  As this is suppose to allow wired LAN to WAN and WIFI TO LAN but not WIFI TO WAN. 

Disable your WIFI while plugged in via the wired port in mode 1

Mode 2 is just complicating it

Mode 3 is actually exposing the internet to the mesh

"Mode 1 WILL WORK(and it is NOT suppose to allow internet access from wifi UNLESS you check MESHGW checkbox.)) It will let you connect to the local network and internet (assuming your local net is not in the 10.x range).  As this is suppose to allow wired LAN to WAN and WIFI TO LAN but not WIFI TO WAN."

Method 1 wasn't working for me yesterday, not sure why, but pings to the remote node by name were failing. Pings by IP Address were working. Clearly a DNS issue. One thing I didn't try before throwing in the towel on method 1 was to flush the DNS. That's why I tried the configuration with using two wired NICs which didn't work correctly as explained in the first post.

This morning I went back to the method 1 configuration, turned on the PC and now it is working correctly as it should. What I probably should have done was flush the DNS on the PC or at the worst case rebooted. In any case, its working as it should.

Now on to testing connectivity to a neighbor ham who is .8 miles from me. We've ordered high gain directional antennae for the testing. I've had great success with long distance WiFi connectivity using a parabolic antenna. I'm having a great time with this and hope to spur on more interest with the local EmComm group.

Thanks to all who commented on this thread. It is greatly appreciated.

--
Bob
bob@k8nrt.net