Access Networks

[machazlet]

Hi folks - I am new to this forum but have been using MAC for a while. Actually, we use a variety of OS systems here but my question involves using the MAC to access my networks.

I have a MAC OS X V 10.6.8 Quad Core Xeon , 4 gig RAM

We have 4 networks split up so that our servers on on one network i.e. 152.xxx.xxx.xxx - our Workstations are on another one 10.xxx.xxx.xxx and we have 4 offices around the country each with their own router etc.

Our VPNs are set up so that they need to tunnel here to access files/web/etc etc. which works pretty well.

Here's my problem... my MAC is on the 10.xxx.xxx.xxx network but I cannot run an ssh session to anywhere else. I cannot "see" their routers and or their 192.xxx.xxx.xxx subnets.

I have been looking all over the internet for solutions - but, like everything else including LINUX, everyone assumes you are a guru or a very experienced user. Although I am pretty good with systems and networking, I cannot find any useful info on how I would set up my MAC to access these networks.

I have read about VPN set up and VLANs but no-one really explains how or what to do to make this work. They just display a web page and say - fill in these boxes - ok - WITH WHAT??

I have tried editing host files too - but just cannot open a ssh session to any other network.

I am hoping that you can supply some detailed info on subnet access from MAC. I would appreciate any help you can give me.

Thank you.

 

[MacsWork]

You have a 152.x and 10.x network on the same LAN?

¿Por Que?

Are you controlling this through VLANs at the switch level? Or do you have multiple routers on the LAN?

When you say that people expect you to be a guru or experienced user it might be because you describe your networks as if they are elaborate. Ergo, you know what you are doing.

You might be making things more difficult than they need to be. More info diagraming your network(s) would really be needed. What is segmenting your networks etc? How are the remote locations connected?

 

[machazlet]

Thank you for response Macswork..

Sorry if I was not clear. What I meant by "guru" part was more directed at the OS than the networking issue. I am not that well versed on the MAC OS, at least not yet, and the problem I am having is understanding where and how some things are handled on it.

We have multiple networks VLANed through one switch which sits behind our firewall/router. We also have a couple offices with the same set up and we are connected with each other over VPN's.

I need to be able to use access our other network and their equipment over an ssh session which I cannot do right now.

The instructions I see on the Internet are to either edit the host file or files or set up a VLAN on the MAC - but seem to geared towards someone much more proficient with this OS.

I was hoping someone would point me to a "manual for dummies" so to speak.

It's working with the MAC this I need the help on.

Thank you again.

 

[MacsWork]

Can you ping the IP you want to ssh to on the Mac?

Macs will not work with NetBIOS names so if you are trying to ssh with a computer name it should be the FQDN that DNS refers to.

server.domain.local for example.

Can you confirm that the Mac can at least ping the IP or FQDN. If not, where does a traceroute stop?

 

[machazlet]

Yes - I can ping the devices I need to access - which are our open source routers/firewalls. I am on the 10.xxx with our workstations while everything else is on the networks I am trying to reach.

Traceroutes ends at the IP address I am trying to access - no routes. MAC displays * to my understanding of the MAC that means no route to host.

 

[machazlet]

Oh - and - yes - I do know about MAC and NetBios Names - I always use an IP Address.

 

[MacsWork]

So I guess the next question is,...

What are the error messages?

 

[machazlet]

I wish there were error messages - I'd have something to go on.... In a terminal window - I run this command ssh <username>@<my Router/firewall> ip address the cursor moves to next line and just sits there !! no "network unreachable " or anything else that would tell me what's not happening. I hace to Control <C> to stop it.

If I run that from a PUTTY session on a windows machine - no problem or even a LINUX distro.

Those are not my machines so I can't use them on a daily basis.

I was just hoping that there was something in MACs that I can use - I read the VLAN setups but there is where I need the help- What exactly do I set up there? It mentions TAGs but no explanations.

 

[MacsWork]

VLAN tags are used to prioritize traffic. The higher the tag the higher the priority. It's mostly a QoS feature.

Try using the -l switch to specify the user. It might not like the user@ option.

It might also not like other default negotiations. Review the ssh man page to attempt other ssh switches.

Just like having to always switch to binary mode or ascii mode when certain FTP servers won't work downloading files.

I have had issue ssh-ing to some devices that require certificate authentication, namely Zix email encryption servers.

Do you know the model of the router you are attempting to connect to and the version of its OS or firmware?

 

[machazlet]

MacWorks - I inherited this network and all the issues that came with - just getting the the sorted out is like trying to finish someone's NY Times Crossword Puzzle !.

I took a good long look at our firewall rules - line by line which is handled by a router appliance we have. I spotted among the many lines that the network my MAC is on was ruled but had a typo in the notation. I changed that from /26 to /24 - I can now ssh into the networks I need !!!1

It's always the little bugs that gets you - bad LAN cable - typo in a config file.

Well I am sorry if I spun you guys around a bit and I thank you for working this issue through with me.

 

[MacsWork]

Nice work, subnets are important.

 

[sfam198]

That's quite an interesting network you have there. I guess since you say you inherited it then you had no say in the way it was set up. Definitely not the way I would have done it. Glad you got it figured it out though. It's always the little things, and you spend hours trying to figure out the complex things.