Route two networks over 1 cat 5 link?

[ICT_GUY]

I have two linked netgear smart switches that are linked via one uplink cable.

 

I have two networks on different ip ranges (admin & curriculum) the switches are currently connected to the curriculum network.

 

What I need to happen is to route admin traffic from a port on the first switch to a port on the second via the one uplink cable.

 

I am just not quite sure how I set this up, but I am sure it should work. (I also have a feeling this is just as easy as telling the switch which port is on the different ip-range)

 

Advice please.

[powdarrmonkey]

With VLAN tagging and a trunk, I think. Never done it though.

[ICT_GUY]

With VLAN tagging and a trunk, I think. Never done it though.

 

The switches do support this,

[Jamman960]

You can go about it in two ways,

 

1. Just connect the switches - the switches don't need to know about IP addresses(they only operate at layer 1/2 and don't deal with IP addresses(Layer 3) at all), as long as nothing is routing packets between the networks it'll just work.

2. Use VLAN's. setup curric ports as VLAN 1 and Admin as VLAN 2 then configure your uplink port as a trunk, it will then be able to pass traffic from VLAN 1 to any port that is a member of VLAN 1 and so on.

 

By using VLAN's you would maintain layer 2 segmentation - packets would not cross between VLANS unless they go via a router at which point you could apply ACL's to prevent certain data going from one to the other.