I want to ping an ip address on the www (10.9.8.100, we'll say). But! my internal network is set up with the same ip scheme/subnet (e.g. my computer is 10.9.8.1).

So when I put into the command prompt:
ping 10.9.8.100

it tries to ping 10.9.8.100 on the local network. How do I force it to check the internet?! Do I have to some how rout it or something?

Thanks,
-darrylHow is your network setup? How are you GETTING you addresses? Are you running a DHCP server or is your router handling things?

I have a dhcp server.
I have a dns server.
I have a router/modem/firewall device.

I have full PERMISSIONS for all of the devices (i.e. I am the administrator), and have the ability to kill the firewall for short periods of time to try things.

All on the same ip scheme (10.9.8.x). These are not public IP addresses, they are assigned within my local area network. Thing is, to change them would require an immense amount of work (there are 50-odd devices configured).

ALSO: forgot to note the fact that I AM able to ping normal www addresses (either via name or ip address), that should clear up confusion about me not being connected, firewall blocking ping requests, etc...I would suggset you change your addresses to a 192.168.0.XXX IP

but the problem with what you have is what you have already found out. Pinging or even surfing to IPs that match your subnet don't work right.

You can try a static IP on one of your machines and than be sure to change your default gateway. Also change your DNS settings on that machine to a server outside your network. This should work but you need to keep changing stuff back and forth everytime you want to ping something outside your network...
changing stuff back and forth is fine with me as long as it is only on 1 (or 2) machine(s).

there must be a way!

I tried routing a ping out through my gateway, and then out into the wilds of the internet... but having no clue as to what I was doing I didn't really get anywhere...

Is there something along these lines that might be possible?Question I have is if the destination address is public or private. Most ISPs will not route private IP space.

Say you had a VPN setup to another office that has the same subnet...

There isn't really a GOOD way to override the local (directly connected) subnet. The computer will always thinks this is on the local network and will not send the data to your router/gateway. You can try to enter a host route (/32) into the devices to try and redirect the path - this would be your only chance. Even if this works, your adding a static route on every device (some devices MAY have no way to support this). Best option would be to re-IP once side.

L2 VPN (bridging the broadcast domain) would be the only way to allow the 2 subnets to talk together without re-addressing the L3 on one side.I ran into the same problem myself in the past. No easy way around it:

http://www.chicagotech.net/Q&A/vpn20.htm
http://www.chicagotech.net/Q&A/vpn49.htm
http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1221986&page=1

As Wyatt said, change the IP scope on one side or the other...