Connect two networks with one hidden

Question

I tried find out the answer for myself but I'm not 100% sure if it's the best way.

I work for a large company, and my group also has our own separate test network. It's just a completely separate network with about 30 devices on it (not just PC's). No DCHP server, only a few switches and the devices themselves. I'm not allowed to connect these test devices to the company network which is fair enough.

But whenever I need to connect to the test network, I need to unplug my computer from the company network and connect to the test network. I'd rather have both connections at the same time so I can work on both networks. But while keeping the test network separate and secure from the company network.

Is there a best way to achieve this?

Thanks.

Answer 1

This is a common scenario. One way that this is done is with a firewall. You can place a firewall so that the test network/lab is on the outside of the firewall. That way, you can connect to the lab from the production network, but the lab cannot connect to the production network.

Using a second NIC in your PC may also work, depending on the level of security necessary. The PC could be considered compromised because it has simultaneous connections to both networks.

If the lab must have an airgap, then you are stuck with what you are doing, although that would not work in some companies because you may then be using an unsafe host when you connect back to the production network. You would actually need a separate computer for the lab.