How would you accomplish this...

[DarrylLicke]

Okay, I have dreams of a setup like this:

-linux firewall built from low cost MB, processor, etc (or Linksys router if that fits the solution)
-a laptop for surfing and wordprocessing
-power station that while it has access to the internet...can't be seen from outside the firewall (this will be a test machine and coding machine...or may not exist at all)
-file server of sorts that will house MP3s but is also INSIDE the firewall and can't be accessed or seen from outside the firewall.

How would a person accomplish this? I have a feeling this is a real basic question but I'm more of a programmer than a network specialist.

 

[SpunkyJones]

You just need a SOHO router, (linksys, netgear, etc)

 

[Tazanator]

well I go from DSL to a router doing NAT/firewalling to a switch and I port forward from the router to the Game server, the FTP server and the remote box. (3 seperate computers) all 9 computers (7 desktop and 2 wireless) access the internet but only the 3 with forwarding are visable.

 

[bigfatdonny]

I just setup a linux based firewall running Smoothwall Express. It's a great solution. You can download the disk image, which is only about 60MB, and burn it off. The disk will be bootable, and will install their stripped-down version of linux and their software. It's got a nice built in firewall, IDS, DHCP Server, NAT, pretty traffic graphs, built-in VPN server, and best of all, it's free. I especially like the built-in, transparent proxy.

I'm running it on a 166Mhz Pentium-S with 40MB of EDO RAM and a 500MB disk drive. I got that, with an AT keyboard from a guy at a flea market for $20. Works great, and it's very secure.

--bigfatdonny

 

[DnetMHZ]

Originally posted by: SpunkyJones
You just need a SOHO router, (linksys, netgear, etc)

yup, what you described is not complicated at all.