dsl as a home server

Forum: User Feedback
Topic: dsl as a home server
started by: underdog5004

Posted by underdog5004 on July 24 2006,04:21

Ok, I searched the forum(s) (I checked others as well) and I just can't understand what I need to use dsl (or ubuntu(I know, wrong forum)) on an old machine as a sort of router. Samba, Monkey, Apache, ssh, I've no idea. The machine(s) I want to use are either a

233Mhz 256Mb RAM 6Gb HDD

-or-

1.3Ghz 128Mb RAM 6Gb HDD

I'm sure that the HDD size isn't really important...I could probably just use an old 165Mb one. I want to install 3-4 ethernet cards into the box, then connect my (scattered) computers to the router box. I'm sure this is possible. How do I do it?

-Matthew

EDIT: I'm going to use DSL v.2.4. Should I upgrade to v. 3.0 for the sshfs capability?

Posted by skaos on July 24 2006,09:16

I don't know about samba, apache etc., but for the router part I think you have to set up the iptables firewall:
< http://linuxgazette.net/103/odonovan.html >
< http://linuxgazette.net/108/odonovan.html >

Posted by flatcat on July 24 2006,12:04

Yes, I would advise 3 since it has sftp etc. which is more secure.

Not sure why you need 3/4 NICs though? Most router/firewalls use 2 (an external and internal one) but there's no reason why you cannot use as many as you like.

Maybe for redundancy or something.

Posted by underdog5004 on July 25 2006,02:20

Hmm, I think you misunderstood what I want. I want to create a private network that is isolated from the internet. I think that what I want is closer in function to a network switch than a router.

-Matthew

Posted by kerry on July 25 2006,02:56

hmm, sounds like a terminal server.LOL. you could proably just use samba for a home network, to share fles, access files,etc..
personally i would just go with a router, the hoops your going to jump through to turn your computer into one is going to give you headaches for .....

Posted by 300c_pilot on July 25 2006,05:21

Check out coyote linux's disk router, boots from a floppy and will setup for as many nicks as you want. You can run a dmz, seperate class c networks whatever you want. But if you are employing a machine as a router, use a seperate one for samba, apache or whatever. An old machine has limited throughput and you want your internet as fast as possible.

Posted by brianw on July 25 2006,14:41

there is also freesco at www.freesco.org. It boots from floppy, can also be installed to fat partition, can also be installed to ext2 (but that takes extra packages). out of the box it can have multiple nics, can be run on 386 and up, uses 2.0.29 (may be 39 now) kernel. Has firewalling port forwarding, dns server, print server, sshd, ftpd, etc...

My setup is a 486/33 32Mram and I have:
Samba server setup (extra package to install),
print server (can only be set up on parallel no usb given kernel version).
dhcp server.
ftp server.
httpd.
modem for internet dialup.
1 nic connected to a hub/switch.
multiple computers connected to the switch (currently 2 windows 98 and my DSL laptop) and I can throw other machines on and off as required for testing, etc...

also just installed another modem and looking at turning it into an answering machine as well.

If you go with multiple nics (whatever OS you use) you will need crossover cables to connect. If you go with one nic and a switch (under $10 now) you can use straight cables all the way around.

There is also smoothwall which is similar to freesco but offers alot more functionality, boots from CD, (but requires a faster machine to run, not sure exactly but worth a look).

Posted by green on July 25 2006,14:47

Smoothwall has my vote. I use it on a 233Mhz box with 128Mb ram and 1Gb HDD. Works flawlessly.

Posted by AwPhuch on July 26 2006,02:11

Umm...you can also use iptables.dsl and rc.firewall.dsl

Just modify the config file and boom!

Instant firewall w/ multiple subnets, you can even open ports, forward, do whatever, if you make a change to the config file..a simple ./rc.firewall restart is all it needs to blow out the old firewall and activate the new firewall

Just read the manual!

< http://lfw.sourceforge.net/config.html >

Brian
AwPhuch

Posted by underdog5004 on July 28 2006,00:18

Thank you all. I'm gonna mess around with iptables.dsl and rc.firewall.dsl, since I don't have to mess around with yet another linux distro...if that doesn't work, I'll go from there. Thank you to everyone who cared enough to leave a suggestion.

-Matthew

Posted by jd38011 on Feb. 27 2007,06:38

Pardon my noobness but this may be a good place to ask this question. As I understand it, a router is used to route traffic from a network to a client machine, (or more than one?). It may or may not (?) incorporate a firewall. A server serves up files from itself to one or more client machines. Right so far?

So using a router for an internet-isolated home network would route/serve files to and from itself? And the difference is . . . ? (Boy, it really shows how little I know about the two, huh?)

Posted by mikshaw on Feb. 27 2007,12:32

jd: The thread was concerning the use of DSL or other Linux _as a router_, which would put it in the position to replace something like a linksys or cisco box including software to route, monitor, and filter traffic to other machines. The server itself would still require additional software.

A server can be used with or without a router, but it is fairly pointless if you don't have some type of useable network set up. Without the networking capability provided by a router or similar connection, the server would be accessible only to the machine on which it runs.

You might think of the differences in relation to cable television. The router is similar to your cable company, the server is similar to the individual TV stations, and your TV is the client.