Hi @ all, I have got some problems setting up a "virtuall" network. Desktop1 (eth0:1) 192.168.168.5 | (eth0) 192.168.5.25 | | (eth1) 192.168.5.1 Server1 (eth1:1) 192.168.168.3 Server1 (eth0:1) 192.168.168.1 | (eth0) xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx | |-----LAN ---- GW zzz.zzz.zzz.zzz -------- INTERNET | | | (eth1) yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy Server2 (eth1:1) 192.168.168.2 Server2 (eth0:1) 192.168.168.4 | (eth0) 192.168.1.1 | | (eth0) 192.168.1.2 Desktop2 (eth0:1) 192.168.168.6 I have to astablish a direkt connection from Desktop1 to Desktop2 and the other way round. World be best if tunneled over ssh but not really needed As you can see I've assigned a virtuall IP to every NIC I use. Between Server1 and Server2 there is a LAN but the IPs from eth0 of Server1 and eth1 of Server2 are public. So I decided to use some privat IP addresses here too so the Gateway blocks dem. The communication between Desktop1 and Server2 is working well if I use the normal way which means connect to server1 MASQ , connect to server2 but I don't reach Desktop2. Most of the time this is wanted. But sometimes I like to build a cluster from Desktop1 and Desktop2 so i have to have direkt ssh access, smb access and some further ports and services. Portforwarding isn't really usefull I think because I need a couple of ports. Now, lets see what I have: Desktop 1/2 kernel 2.4.16 + ipchains (no iptables at the moment) Server 1/2 kernel 2.2.20 + ipchains At the moment I can ping 192.168.168.4 and 192.168.168.2 from Desktop2 and 192.168.168.3 192.168.168.1 from Desktop1. Server1 kann ping Server2 over the public and the privat adress But I really don't get a connection between Desktop1 and Desktop2 I think something with the routing is broken maybe because both NICs of the Servers are in the same subnet but how could i manage the problem without putting the to NICs into the same subnet? I hope it's clear to you what I like to do so could please anyone give me a hint what I miss or have to do? The only thing that has to work the direkt connection between Desktop1 and 2 Thanks D. Lord PS.: Hope this is not too OT :-) and sorry for my poor english -- GMX - Die Kommunikationsplattform im Internet. http://www.gmx.net