Can I use a VLAN to separate WAN and LAN on the same switch?

[nreyest]

Good morning everyone,

This is my first post on the forums.

It seemed like this particular topic was the right place to pose a question, since I am wondering if a VLAN will help me on my case.

I work at the garage of my house, but the Internet (I have BOTH Comcast Internet and AT&T DSL) goes in the house. I have cat 5 wiring from the place where the Internet is, inside the house, to my garage.

My firewall is a HotBrick LB-2 VPN, which I have had for several years, using one connection as a backup of the other for a long time, for several years. I have never been able to use them simultaneously because I could not get UMA (TMobile's technology to use the WiFi in my house for voice while I am connected to it) working with the two of them up at the same time.

I have been thinking of retiring the Hotbrick, because the company does not exist anymore, and there have not been any new updates for years.

In considering options for a new firewall with dual (or even three) WAN ports, including an option for wireless, I have considered many alternatives, but the one I would like to implement is a Virtual machine firewall on my ESXi 4.1 Server, running either IPCOP or PFSENSE.

The problem is, my ESXi server is in the garage, and here is where the question is:

I have on both the place where the cable and dsl modems are, AND at the place where the ESXi server is, Netgear switches capable of VLAN (GS716T and GS724T, for more details).

Does anyone know whether I can create a VLAN to connect the cable modem and DSL modem to ports on the switch inside the house, that will only talk to two physical interfaces on the switch in the garage, that will then be fed to the Virtual Machine firewall ?

The question arises simply because, even though they have an ethernet connection, they don't have local addresses (they possibly have the public addresses designated by Comcast and AT&T respectively), so I don't even know where to start creating the VLANs.

Any ideas?

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[overdrive31]

Wouldn't it work without VLAN? Comcast modems use MAC address auth. for assigning IP. ATT uses PPPoE unless it's static. That should be separation enough. Why even use the switches, just plug the modems directly to the server?

 

[nreyest]

Wouldn't it work without VLAN? Comcast modems use MAC address auth. for assigning IP. ATT uses PPPoE unless it's static. That should be separation enough. Why even use the switches, just plug the modems directly to the server?

The reason I CAN'T connect them directly, is because the modems are INSIDE the house, 60 ft. from the Server. I have only one patch cord (I had two, but one died), connecting the house and the garage, so I can't connect TWO of them physically AND have connectivity both in the garage AND the house.

 

[overdrive31]

You hoping to provide wireless inside the house over a VLAN too? Why not just move it all inside the house or drop some RG6 and CAT3 to the garage? If you are wanting to know if it is possible, yes it is. You probably want someone to tell you how. Search google for tutorials. I think the two different authentication methods is separation enough, but maybe not.

 

[nreyest]

You hoping to provide wireless inside the house over a VLAN too? Why not just move it all inside the house or drop some RG6 and CAT3 to the garage? If you are wanting to know if it is possible, yes it is. You probably want someone to tell you how. Search google for tutorials. I think the two different authentication methods is separation enough, but maybe not.

Thanks for your reply.

I DO provide WLAN services all around the house, via a Netgear Access point, separate from the firewall.

The "drop some Cat3 and RG6" from the house to the garage are not economically feasible propositions, since they are SEPARATE buildings, and I already have CAT5 on a 1/2" conduit between them ... too late for that, or USD$2,000.00 more approx. A rackmount ESXi server does not fit under my stairs either.

Fishing on google for tutorials ...

 

[overdrive31]

How will you provide the WLAN via the AP, you only have one cable, so you must be planning to route it over VLAN. Unless, the supposed dead line is just reserved for such. Couldn't you economically pull another CAT5 through the conduit? Since both WAN devices operate at less than gigabit, you could just split the twisted pairs. If you must, use pfSense as your VLAN manager, allowing the use of just one switch.

 

[nreyest]

How will you provide the WLAN via the AP, you only have one cable, so you must be planning to route it over VLAN. Unless, the supposed dead line is just reserved for such. Couldn't you economically pull another CAT5 through the conduit? Since both WAN devices operate at less than gigabit, you could just split the twisted pairs. If you must, use pfSense as your VLAN manager, allowing the use of just one switch.

An THIS is precisely why I am trying to figure out whether I can or can not use a VLAN to route the traffic from the DSL and CABLE modems to the server, over the same port that connects the switch in the house to the WAN on the garage.