IP Address Solutions

February 7, 2008 7:35 AM

Need some sort of one-click IP address solution/configuration for laptops that move between offices. Please see the rest inside.

I split my time between a jobsite trailer and an office, as does everyone I work with. We all have laptops we take with us from place to place. At the trailer, we just had a T1 installed, and it requires each of us to have a specific IP address, subnet mask, gateway, etc, that we have to punch in manually (they can't be auto-detected). At the office, however, we need to configure our network settings to auto-detect.

Now, I don't have a problem manually entering the info when I'm at the trailer, but I work with a lot of low-tech construction guys and they can never remember how to open their network settings and what to punch in where. Is there some way to make this a 1-click operation, like, an icon on their desktop they can click when they're at the trailer so it'll fill in those addresses automatically?

Some are running Windows 2000, one is running XP.

Thanks.

posted by notmydesk to computers & internet (5 comments total)

At the trailer, why don't you get a router (a "Broadband router" from Best Buy should work just fine) and then set it up? It'll partition out IP addresses and stuff.

Alternately, there are tools you can use to do this.

But I'd do the router thing because it also provides a decent firewall against someone trying to attack your guys' computers via the T-1 line, which is a quite real risk with machines that aren't updated regularly.
posted by SpecialK at 7:45 AM on February 7, 2008

http://www.mobilenetswitch.com/
posted by fusinski at 7:52 AM on February 7, 2008

In XP, you can set an 'alternate TCP/IP configuration', which is used when it can't obtain an IP address automatically.

Do Start->Control Panel->Network Connections, and right-click on 'Local Area Connection', and then select Properties from the context menu. Then, select 'Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)' in the list and click the Properties button. In the General tab, select the 'Obtain an IP address automatically' and 'Obtain DNS server address automatically' radio buttons. In the 'Alternate Configuration' tab, enter the settings you use at the trailer, and then hit OK a bunch of times to save your changes.

Now, when you're at the office it'll grab the IP address automatically, and when you're at the trailer it'll use the alternate settings.
posted by Emanuel at 8:27 AM on February 7, 2008

If you cant get a DHCP server going then your best bet is to write a very simple batch file that contains the netsh command to set the IP, mask, and gateway. Its pretty much a one line .bat file you can put on their desktops and they can just double-click it.

Info on how to use netsh here.
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:34 AM on February 7, 2008

Add a DHCP server to the trailer. Just any firewall should have this, and there's no reason you should be connecting your laptops to the open Internet like you are now.
posted by rhizome at 10:49 AM on February 7, 2008