Network Question

I hope someone can help me here, and I hope it is possible. I want to set up a second network in my home which does not have access to the internet, but share the same networking cables (cat 5) along with my current network. Also, wi-fi access is necessary.

802.1Q, vlan is what you are asking to implement.

802.1Q, vlan is what you are asking to implement.

You need a switch to support above feature, the cheapest ones are called SMART switches, while above that are MANAGED or FULLY MANAGED switches.

Keep in mind though you need to configure the switch properly to make things work, some network knowledge is indispensable, like understanding tagged and untagged frames.

 

I hope someone can help me here, and I hope it is possible. I want to set up a second network in my home which does not have access to the internet, but share the same networking cables (cat 5) along with my current network. Also, wi-fi access is necessary.

Depending on if you want this second network to be isolated from the first network or not, you can do subnetting.  Can be done manually or easier in wireless routers.  As others have stated you can do vlan tagging using smart or managed switches, but can also be done with wireless routers that either support it from the OEM or if supported by Tomato/DD-WRT firmwares.

Thanks, guys for the reply's. I know basic networking, but this shines a light on my lack of knowledge. I will do some Goggling. MY only goal is to keep my server inaccessible from the internet. Maybe I better rethink this.

Any good router will let you prohibit the server from gaining internet access (via its Mac address).

But consider this carefully, as this also means some of the features of the server won't work correctly ... time updates; the auto-update checks; etc.

With a good firewall and appropriate security settings on the server, you're probably fine without the need for a separate dedicated internal network.

MY only goal is to keep my server inaccessible from the internet.

It's probably already is inaccessible from the internet, unless you did some port forwarding. Most home routers are actually running masq which facilitates outbound connections and requires inbound connections to be defined.

Guys, thanks for the help. I forgot about the firewall being there. I have an Asus  RT-N66U so I think I am ok. I will put this issue to rest.

Thanks