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successfully built linux firewall/router :)

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
I used Freesco and an old p166 VX combo for my Cable connection. Works great and with no noticeable slow downs. Even the web server works great. I was a little worried about my NICs, but they were detected just fine. I even got napster and icq to work.

Freesco is cool.



 
I'm gonna try the same thing on a old 486/100 and compare the speed to my linksys router. Hopefully they'll be comparable. What NIC's are you using?
 
I am using an SMC PCI nic (10mbps) and a Lan Star PCI nic (10/100), the Lan Star is really a Realtek. Both work no problems with Freesco. Using a pentium board may be a better choice, so that you can use PCI cards instead of ISA. You may want the extra muscle to host your own web site.
 
great!! i have been trying to do that with free sco for ages, could you help me!! pm me if you can be available to answer a few questions later today.
 
Glad to see more people using Freesco. I would have neve wasted money on a Router had I found Freesco fist. I have mine running off of a 850 meg HD now and was going to try out the web server. I first got to get it to crack RC5, hehe kinda cool to have a router crunchin numbers for the cause.

ArkAoss, what seems to be the trouble?

 
well, mainly i'm not sure about setting up, which should i use for it to be a nice firewall between my internals and the cable line? after wards how do I go about setting up each of the client systems to use it, how do i forward ports for napster, IRC, and news groups, and ftp, can i limit those to certain systems?
mainly im wondering what do i need to do to configure the clients so I can be sure i've got the tcpip settings right. i was going to try walking thru the setup thru pm's with some one last night, but no one was available, does any one think they might be available to help me walk thru it this afternoon???
 
IT is so easy to set up really, just go ahead and start setting it up and you should be able to figure it out. First read the manual on the web page. Then make your floppy, then set up your hard ware. Then boot it up and configure it.
 
Its pretty simple really. If your isp uses dhcp then set the first NIC that way. If all your nics are PCI then the set up is a snap. Choose the internal ip blocks you want. Get a crossover cable if using only 2 pc's. If you want a web server, you can set that up too. You can make it public or private. Once all that is done you can run the system and make sure it works. Then run the other pc and try to connect to the net. The cable modem cord may be in the wrong card. Make sure the router can establish a connection and gives you its ip. I prefer IE to netscape for this setup because it is easier. But netscape can be configured to work.

To get things like napster to work you must forward the proper port (port 6699 for napster) to your normal PC. This is easy under Freesco.

Remember I have virtually zero knowledge of linux and tcp/ip, yet I was able to set this up. But do make a print out of the manual at freesco and check the forums there also for help.


 
Using PCI cards must be much easier, for I'm trying to make a Freesco router work for days now cos the thing has only ISA slots... ISA is a pain in the @$$...

*sighs and heads back to work some more on the router*
 
Hey Iron Woode

Have you been able to recieve files sent by icq by someone outside your freesco environment. I have been using freesco since august and have set up 2 different boxes for different things and I can send files to other icq users, but can't recieve files if the icq user is outside the freesco box. Not a big deal just curious.
 
Artemedes:

I haven't tried that yet. Hmmm. I will try it this weekend to see. Probably won't know till Sunday.

Elledan:

sorry to hear about that. That was the reason i got an old used p166. PCI allows full duplex NICs where as ISA generally doesn't. With PCI nics there is no need to know memory configs or irqs. Just make sure Freesco detects the NICs. That was my biggest worry.
 
Bleep:

cool link! but it is a bit out of date. minor changes to freesco make this install easier than before. And why bother with a hub if only using 2 pcs? Just use a crossover cable.
 
Iron Woode, I'm testing the proxy-server today so wish me luck 🙂

If the test fails, then I'll just throw the damn 486 out of the window and get myself an old Pentium 😀
 
Okay, test failed: it stayed waiting at 'Waiting for DHCPOFFER'.

Now I'll just have to get myself an old Pentium mobo and proc... Man, I'm jealous that you've a proxy working 🙂
 
send that box my way, why throw it out?

and why are you throwing it out for having a DHCPOFFER error?

wouldn't that just mean there's no DHCP server on your subnet?
 
It doesn't give an error, it just keeps waiting. I've waited for about 6-7 minutes and then rebooted the PC.

I'll give it another try, but I still think that I'll better replace the current mobo and proc by a Pentium mobo and proc.

ISA just isn't worth it nowadays...
 
elledan:

it should work. It is possible the modem is connected to the wrong NIC. A number of others made it work using a 486. You could try the Freesco forum on their site for help. They seem to be a friendly bunch there.
 
I've triple-checked everything, so I don't think that I've connected the wrong NIC to the modem.

I'll post at the Freesco forum, thanks for the tip 🙂
 
ok i went thru the install, as in the walktru found elsewere in this thread, i think I have it right, i have a static IP from my cable company. it is @home, do i put that in as the name? i think i put in the wrong thing their, but everything seemed to pass ok, during boot up of the router, also how do i know which network card to connect the cable modem to? i know it says to at first connect only one, but i didn't see that till too late, also whilst configuring the client systems, how can I tell if I have the client right?
 
ArkAoss,
Sorry I have not been around much, I have been real busy with my job. I left you a detailed PM to try to help you along. I will check with you late Tues. and Wed. night when I get home. I then have to fly down to Dallas for a few days and will be back Sunday to help if you need it.
 
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