I'm looking for an IP router ("gateway" in old fashioned IP networking
terminology) to do IP routing between two ethernet interfaces.

To illustrate, imagine I have one network which has IP addresses
10.1.3.0/24 and another network with range 10.1.4.0/24, and I want a
device that simply sits between these (occupying 10.1.3.1 and 10.1.4.1
as an example) and routes IP packets according to nothing other than
knowledge of these two networks.

A PC can do this easily, but I want a cheap hardware device because of
the circumstances it is to be used in.

I can get a device that does this BUT forces the use of NAT for 30 UK
pounds, but NAT is not suitable for my needs.  The world is full of
such NAT routers it seems.  My understanding of IP networking makes me
think that, if it occured to the manufactures to offer the option,
turning off the NAT and doing basic IP routing should be easy.

Do such devices exist without buying a very expensive general purpose
Cisco router, complete with IOS?

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Request for Question Clarification by maniac-ga on 28 Sep 2005 19:52 PDT

Hello Lanhamster,

How many ports do you need to route?

For example, the Linksys BEFSR41 appears to provide the capability to
disable NAT on a four port device - see
  ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pdf/befsr41V3_ug.pdf
and scroll down to page 21 where it describes:
 - how to disable NAT
 - the types dynamic routing available
 - how to set up static routes
If this is satisfactory, please let me know so I can produce a proper
answer. If not, please indicate the additional requirements you have
for this device.

Thanks.
  --Maniac

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Clarification of Question by lanhamster-ga on 29 Sep 2005 03:58 PDT

Thanks for the prompt response.  To answer your specific question, my
example required only one interface on each network.  The device you
describe has those two interfaces and also a built-in hub or switch,
which is simply a bonus.

Having read the sections of the manual, and other material about this
router, it's clear that NAT can be disabled.  It turns out we've even
got one of these little things in our company, and it can switch
between "router" and "gateway" mode.

This is exactly the type, functionality and price of product I was
looking for.  Thank you.

Hello Lanhamster,

Glad to help. I will expand on the answer already provided with a few
other alternatives and search phrases to find additional alternatives.

The solution I suggested was the Lansys BEFSR41, described at
  ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pdf/befsr41V3_ug.pdf

There is at least another Lansys product that should also fill the
need - see the BEFSX41 as well. This was suggested at
  http://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-1946652.php
(scroll down near the end of the messages shown)

For other suggestions, search with
  router "disable nat"
or
  router "disable nat" site:linksys.com
  "disable nat" site:linksys.com 
(replace linksys.com with the site of the vendor you are interested in)

Using that, I found products such as
  http://www.usr.com/support/8054/8054-ug/index.html
(a US Robotics wireless router - a router plus wireless)
  http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=354
It appears the DLink DFL-200 can do this as well based on the documentation

Not every vendor appears to have such capability in all their
products, but each one appears to have it in one or two products.

If the answer is unclear or you need additional references, please
make a clarification request.

Good luck with your work.
  --Maniac

The speed of response was great.  The specified router is being
installed in our equipment site tonight dunig scheduled downtime.