What is the easiest way to turn my linux box into a router?

[KingNothing]

Just got a free Gateway P133 with 96MB of RAM and a 6GB hard drive. Right now Red Hat 7.3 is installing...the foomatic printer database. Hmmm. That's nice. Farther back I selected the "Workstation" installation option, if that's important. I installed all the software packages it offered me.

1) Do I need to buy a NIC for each port in my router, or can I plug a hub/switch into one NIC and do it that way?
2) Does it matter if I mix PCI and ISA NICs, assuming I have to buy separate NICs?
3) Does RedHat come with built-in support for doing this or are there programs I can download to make this easier?

 

[osage]

This is a nice little router that runs from floppy and your ram. BBI Agent. I have been using the ver prior to what is listed at the link for a while now. I like it pretty well, simple,effective. The new ver supports quite a few more nics, and adds some features.

You need 2 nics for the router box, can be PCI or ISA, and yes you can mix them. A hub or switch plugged into the LAN nic in the router is all you need.

As for the RedHat ?..... prob does.

 

[n0cmonkey]

1. No, a hub or switch will work fine.
2. No.
3. As long as you load the iptables stuff everything should be fine.
4. Wrong forum.

 

[KingNothing]

Looks good, but if use this can I use my computer for anything else? I'm totally new to Linux so I'd like to be able to play with the machine and just let it do its routing thing in the background.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: KingNothing
Looks good, but if use this can I use my computer for anything else? I'm totally new to Linux so I'd like to be able to play with the machine and just let it do its routing thing in the background.

Yes, you can use it for other things, although its not recommended. Dont load X on there though, that would be a pain.

 

[xirtam]

1. No, a hub or switch will work fine.
2. No.
3. As long as you load the iptables stuff everything should be fine.
4. Wrong forum.

1. Right.
2. Mixing ISA and PCI wouldn't cause a problem, but you shouldn't have to.
3. Easier? I think it's easier than configuring a Cisco router by telnetting to S0, but what do I know about ease? I'm a geek.
4. Jerk.

 

[KingNothing]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: KingNothing
Looks good, but if use this can I use my computer for anything else? I'm totally new to Linux so I'd like to be able to play with the machine and just let it do its routing thing in the background.

Yes, you can use it for other things, although its not recommended. Dont load X on there though, that would be a pain.

Why is it not recommended? Does routing place that big of a load on the computer? You mean X-windows? I'd be lost without that at this point.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: KingNothing

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

Originally posted by: KingNothing
Looks good, but if use this can I use my computer for anything else? I'm totally new to Linux so I'd like to be able to play with the machine and just let it do its routing thing in the background.

Yes, you can use it for other things, although its not recommended. Dont load X on there though, that would be a pain.

Why is it not recommended? Does routing place that big of a load on the computer?

It depends on the connection. But you lose a lot of the seurity and possibly some stability depending on what you are doing on the machine. Like I said, not recommended, but probably wont cause too much of a problem.

You mean X-windows? I'd be lost without that at this point.

KDE and Gnome will be horribly slow with the old hardware. CLI is where the power is, dont forget to learn it.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: xirtam

1. No, a hub or switch will work fine.
2. No.
3. As long as you load the iptables stuff everything should be fine.
4. Wrong forum.

1. Right.
2. Mixing ISA and PCI wouldn't cause a problem, but you shouldn't have to.
3. Easier? I think it's easier than configuring a Cisco router by telnetting to S0, but what do I know about ease? I'm a geek.
4. Jerk.

I answered the questions didnt I? I be an ass about it and I get called names, Im nicer about it and I get called names. Exactly how should we help out users by informing them of small mistakes?

 

[xirtam]

Exactly how should we help out users by informing them of small mistakes?

By calling them names.

You mean X-windows? I'd be lost without that at this point.

Technically, it is just X, or the X-windowing subsystem. And if you would be lost without it, good luck on router configuration. The GUI in linux is meant to enhance or improve aesthetically, but it does so at a functionality cost, a cost that many users prefer to do without. It is for this reason that they prefer not to use MS Windows, in which the GUI is mandatory bloatware.

So if you are going to use a linux box as a router, you do not need a GUI, and if you would be lost without one, learn linux first before worrying about router configuration.

 

[KingNothing]

Originally posted by: xirtam

Exactly how should we help out users by informing them of small mistakes?

By calling them names.

You mean X-windows? I'd be lost without that at this point.

Technically, it is just X, or the X-windowing subsystem. And if you would be lost without it, good luck on router configuration. The GUI in linux is meant to enhance or improve aesthetically, but it does so at a functionality cost, a cost that many users prefer to do without. It is for this reason that they prefer not to use MS Windows, in which the GUI is mandatory bloatware.

So if you are going to use a linux box as a router, you do not need a GUI, and if you would be lost without one, learn linux first before worrying about router configuration.

Ideally I'd like to get it working as a router without having to learn too much, and then learn afterwards.

 

[Narse]

Originally posted by: xirtam

Exactly how should we help out users by informing them of small mistakes?

By calling them names.

You mean X-windows? I'd be lost without that at this point.

Technically, it is just X, or the X-windowing subsystem. And if you would be lost without it, good luck on router configuration. The GUI in linux is meant to enhance or improve aesthetically, but it does so at a functionality cost, a cost that many users prefer to do without. It is for this reason that they prefer not to use MS Windows, in which the GUI is mandatory bloatware.

So if you are going to use a linux box as a router, you do not need a GUI, and if you would be lost without one, learn linux first before worrying about router configuration.

In that case I would just stick to cisco, at least I know that

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: KingNothing

Originally posted by: xirtam

Exactly how should we help out users by informing them of small mistakes?

By calling them names.

You mean X-windows? I'd be lost without that at this point.

Technically, it is just X, or the X-windowing subsystem. And if you would be lost without it, good luck on router configuration. The GUI in linux is meant to enhance or improve aesthetically, but it does so at a functionality cost, a cost that many users prefer to do without. It is for this reason that they prefer not to use MS Windows, in which the GUI is mandatory bloatware.

So if you are going to use a linux box as a router, you do not need a GUI, and if you would be lost without one, learn linux first before worrying about router configuration.

Ideally I'd like to get it working as a router without having to learn too much, and then learn afterwards.

One of the books that helped me out the most was "Building Linux and OpenBSD Firewalls." Ok, so I only read half the book (the OpenBSD section ), but it was a great help. Its a little outdated, but most of the stuff in Linux (IPTables) is fairly backwards compatible.