Request for assistance in updating the medium business network
Request for assistance in updating the medium business network
Hey, I’d love to share a network map and all the details. If anyone’s interested, I’m open to discussing it. My main question is about connecting devices in different parts of the office. We have a router and a 24-port managed switch linking all computers, but the R+D office is physically separate with only one Ethernet connection to the managed switch. They’ve installed an unmanaged 5-port switch for the R+D team, which now hosts two workstations and a NAS.
Currently, only the first machine boots up in the morning and can see the rest of the network and NAS, while the second workstation and the NAS appear as devices but not as computers. This issue was only discovered two days ago when setting up the new NAS, and it caused problems because the NAS couldn’t be seen by the second workstation.
I’m new to networking but know some basics. I’m trying to figure out how to connect all machines properly—should I add more Ethernet connections from the main switch or replace the unmanaged switch with a DHCP server from the NAS? If my understanding is off, I’d appreciate any advice. Thanks for your help!
ROUTER>24 Port managed switch>single link to R+D>5 unmanaged switches>2 workstations, 1 NAS unit
Your managed switch is likely hesitating to handle more than five systems on one port. I’m aware that at our workplace it would immediately cut off the port if it detects multiple IP addresses from a single connection. I highly recommend hiring a skilled network technician for this task, as you could easily cause even greater issues without proper expertise.
MAC? I’d give a positive for adding professionalism. Could you explain the setup of the managed-to-unmanaged switch interface? Is it trunked, untagged, or something else? What VLAN termination method are you using? Where will these devices be connected? How do hosts exit their subnets? Are the configurations as intended? Without a clear understanding, things can get confusing. I’d probably replace the unmanaged switch with a managed one if you need to tag multiple VLANs or require features like loop prevention (STP). The network should support several users—your description suggests it’s likely hundreds to low-thousands, which means budgeting for a network expert would be wise.
You're asking for clarification on what you mean by "exactly" and seeking details about the switch and router models. It sounds like you're referring to port security, but you mentioned it might be a trunk port. On an HP switch, you should enter config mode and set the security options accordingly. Make sure to include the correct address limits for the two workstations and any additional devices like the NAS Mac. Also, confirm that everything is on the same subnet—your SMB network looks fine, but separating servers into their own subnets or VLANs could be beneficial. Remember, DHCP manages IP assignments, not network segmentation, and you can verify settings in the router if needed.
The setup involves six workstations, one server, two NAS devices, one printer connected through Ethernet, and ten workstations on Wi-Fi. We aim to bring in a professional soon as we scale up to over 40 devices. Currently, we're focusing on a business continuity plan to close the network gap before relocating to a new site within six to twelve months. My task was to equip our two CAD/CAM specialists with a NAS backed by cloud storage. I suspect the issue stems from the managed switch not accepting the unmanaged switch's four connections. I often struggle with terminology and adapt quickly, having built this network in the simplest way possible for three years without issues. Tomorrow I’ll review the configuration for the management switch to perform the switch-to-router transition. If I understand correctly, VLAN isn’t necessary here—every device already has an IP address in the 192.168.1.x range. As our company has grown from a single office employee in 2004 to over ten plus four in R&D, we’ve steadily upgraded our network over the past 14 years. Business has thrived, and now we’re preparing for rapid expansion. My priority is ensuring R&D uses a NAS for backups and offices use one for fast access instead of depending solely on cloud storage during emergencies. The router model is a Cisco RV110W and the switch is an HP 1810-24G J9803A.
Are the remaining hosts on the unmanaged switch still able to connect to the network? From a switch perspective, it’s worth considering a more robust setup than simply connecting switches in a chain. A better approach would be to use a central distribution switch, with all your hosts linked through smaller access switches that feed into it. This design reduces the impact of a single switch failure. The Cisco three-tier architecture could help clarify this concept. If you’d like, drawing a diagram would make it easier to grasp. I see Blake’s concern about port security, but I’m not sure it’s enabled by default. I’d need to investigate further—unmanaged gear can behave unpredictably.
He would possess a greater number of switches compared to workstations during that occasion.