IP Addresses from other ISPs - Part 2

Recap: Previously, I was told by a friend that it is possible to purchase IP Addresses from 1 ISP, and use them on servers with an internet connection on another ISP. I have a few web servers on a DSL connection. I currently purchase the IP addresses I use from the DSL provider. Problem is they charge $10/month per IP with no kind of package plan. My friend mentioned to me that I could purchase IP Addresses from another ISP, and use them on my current network. I didn't thnk that this would be possible, so I posted the question here. No one thought that it was possible either, and couldn't explain to me a way in which it would be possible. So I called my friend on it, and asked him to explain into detail how I could do this.

Here is what I got...

He gave me a call today and explained how. He said I get a router that supports VPN and has configurable NAT tables. That router uses an IP Address from my current ISP. The place I purchase additional IP Addresses from sets up some kind of VPN connection to my router, and sends the IP Addresses traffic there. The router then uses it's NAT tables to direct the traffic from each IP to an internal IP Address on my internal network. This seems to all hold water looking at it from my router's end. But the part that I don't clearly understand is how the ISP sets up that VPN connection to my router. If anyone has experience with this, could you clarify that this method really is feasible, and also any more detailed information that can be provided would be greatly appreciated.

Finally, if this method does work, can anyone point me in the direction of some ISPs that sell cheap IP Addresses, and would have no problem doing this kind of setup? Thanks!

Do you really need more then 1 IP address? Why not setup a router that supports NAT (as your friend suggested) and then host all of the websites on an internal LAN. Then setup different DMZs (Demilitarized Zones A.K.A port forwarding) to forward connections to your servers. Used in combination with domain names, this system could be deployed transparently.

I'm not sure what your friend means by using a VPN to tunnel traffic to your router... That part didn't make much sense to me. As far as I know, it would be impossible to use IP addresses from other ISPs, because it would make routing impossible.

--Sudo

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Originally posted here by Sudo
Do you really need more then 1 IP address? Why not setup a router that supports NAT (as your friend suggested) and then host all of the websites on an internal LAN. Then setup different DMZs (Demilitarized Zones A.K.A port forwarding) to forward connections to your servers. Used in combination with domain names, this system could be deployed transparently.

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From what I understand if you are a unix guru implememting something like that would be a snap. But i'm using all Windows 2000 Servers. Unless there is some kind of router that will take care of that, i'm not sure if there is a way to get that to work when using Windows 2000. I have heard I could get a unix box and set it up to handle the traffic and route the IPs, but I don't know anything about unix. I host a few people's web sites, and if something bad happens, I want to be familiar with the software. If it was unix I wouldn't even know where to start if something wasn't working.

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Originally posted here by jared_c
But i'm using all Windows 2000 Servers.

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That's fine. You can keep all of the web servers on windows 2000.

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Unless there is some kind of router that will take care of that, i'm not sure if there is a way to get that to work when using Windows 2000. I have heard I could get a unix box and set it up to handle the traffic and route the IPs, but I don't know anything about unix. I host a few people's web sites, and if something bad happens, I want to be familiar with the software. If it was unix I wouldn't even know where to start if something wasn't working.

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I have no idea how to do that on Windows (or if it's even possible), but you can easily turn an older machine into a Linux router. It is alot easier then you think. There is endless amounts of information available on how this is done.

In fact, you don't even have to fully understand how Linux or IP Chains/Tables work. There are scripts availble that will do everything for you. After you have made a few configurations, specific for your network, you should not have to even touch the router again.


As a first step I would recommend that you download Linux and install it on an older machine. I would recommend Debian Linux, because it is easy to install and can be deployed very quickly. All you want is a base installation... I.E No X-windows or unneeded apps.

The great thing about Debian is its package manager. If I need a package after the installation, such as OpenSSH, all I would need to type is apt-get install ssh

This is great for someone who is new to Linux, and it enables us to quickly deploy our server and new additions/upgrades.

--Sudo