Gigabit Network

[hotel77]

Let me explain my setup first, and then i'll ask the question. I currently use a Gigabit Switch, connected to an Older PC (10/100) running m0n0wall as my router/firewall. I'm wanting to create a linux file server with a gigabit connection.

If my 2 client PCs and the file server have gigabit connections, connected to the gigabit switch, does the firewall, which is only connected at 10/100 act as the bottleneck?

I'm just curious if the LAN transfers pass through the firewall, in addition to WAN. I know there's an option to enable LAN firewall rules and such in m0n0wall, and I don't have them enabled. The question is, does m0n0wall simply let it pass through at 10/100, or does the data in the transfer not even pass through the firewall?

 

[tho]

LAN transfers do not pass through the firewall. It will ARP for the MAC of the other local PC/Server provided they are on the same network(same subnet). ARP messages are broadcast messages.

Provided you have setup as described above. Ping from your local PC to your linux server.Then issue on you windows box:

arp -a

Once, your windows box has the MAC address of your linux machine, it will encapsulates IP packets into an Ethernet frame and passes on.

Though, some firewall have proxy ARP, which is a mechanism to answer for ARP messages, if there are no replies.

 

[hotel77]

Thanks for your reply. I will try that as soon as I figure this Debian thing out