Why does windows 2k server offer routing services?

[imported_goku]

I was wondering a couple of things, why does windows 2k server or at least adv server have routing services and what/why does it have the features it has? I'm more interested in what W2k adv server has than regular 'server' edition. I understand Active Directory, serving, Domain, media serving, etc. but what about it's routing functions? Is the reason why it has router capability is because it supports VPN hosting?

So what features does W2k adv server have basically speaking? (I found it on MS website but I think asking someone who has used it outlining what it has and what it can do and neat features etc. would be better)

So W2k adv server does VPN/modem dialing in and can act as an ethernet router as well, right?


I'm asking this because...

I have a network, fairly large for a home user and I was wondering if I should dump my linksys router and just use one of the many computers and turn it into a router. I tried using the coyote linux for a firewall which worked for a while but ended up not working so maybe I should just combine the firewall and routing functions+VPN functions+Modem Dialing in functions into one system, make sense right? Or should I divide those functions up?

Would like to know how I'd benefit from having Dual/Quad NIC ethernet cards (why 4 ports? Linking up multiple domains?) One thing I do know as to why you'd install 2000 server edition on a file server is the ability to have unlimited? connections to the computer.

But I was wondering, couldn't you just have one system with Windows 2000 server edition and then have multiple systems possibly linked privately to that one server so that when one makes a request for a file, it's talking to the computer with "server edition" on it while the others have a lesser version of windows on it which are forming a cluster? How does one do data redundancy within a network? Data clusters where the data is split amongst three systems? Or there is it only a cluster of systems where each system has 3 300GB HDDs each and the data is simply copied over to the other two systems.


I have all these questions because I have a windows 2000 adv server book and while it does explain a lot, there are a ton more questions I've got to ask. So please answer what you can, its ok if you can't answer all of my questions.


BAH so many questions, so little time!!!!!!!!!

 

[RebateMonger]

Microsoft TechNet "Routing and Remote Access"

Routing and Remote Access is a network service in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server that provides the following services:

? Dial-up remote access server

? Virtual private network (VPN) remote access server

? Internet Protocol (IP) router for connecting subnets of a private network

? Network address translator (NAT) for connecting a private network to the Internet

? Dial-up and VPN site-to-site demand-dial router

Generally, if you are using Routing, you'll want at least two NICs. Multi-port NICs are for the convenience of adding many Ethernet ports while using fewer card slots. Basically, for each subnet you connect to, you'll want a separate NIC.

Windows Server works fine as a replacement for a hardware router. However, I'd enable some sort of software firewall. Certainly, keep Server 2000 fully updated, since any flaws are immediately expoited by hackers. As a broad rule, folks who are still using Server 2000 often don't keep up with their patches, and hackers love that.