[Gllug] simple network setup

[gllug at uncertainty.org.uk]

On Sat, Jan 19, 2002 at 09:24:16PM +0000, john gennard wrote:
> I'm trying to setup a very small home network, and badly
> need some help. I've read a great deal, thought I 
> understood most of the basics and now find I don't know
> where to start.
> 

sounds like you are trying to learn far more than you need to ...

and it all seems far more confusing reading about it than when you
actualy get to the stage of trying things out.


> The idea is to network two boxes each running Debian
> Potato {kernels 2.2.19), and presently  accessing the net 
> by dialup modem then adding a third box as a firewall 
> with SmoothWall 0.99 installed. Also a neighbour has
> offered to give me access to his network specifically
> to use his permanent ADSL connection whilst he's a
> work.

most of the complexity will be handled for you - the Smoothwall box
contains router, firewall, DHCP(client & server) and much more besides. 


> 
> I've dealt with the physical aspects and have a 5 port
> hub, cabling and Realtek NIC 8139 Cards installed. This
> works (I borrowed a Win disk and accessed files and a
> printer etc and am now back to Debian).
> 

Great - if you have a LAN working all you need to do is add the router
and set it as the default route for you network.

> In contacting my ISP, I use two nameserver addresses
> for most purposes and a third for SMTP. I seem to be 
> allocated dynamic addresses.  
> After mainly understanding network addresses, dotted
> quad allocations and so on, it now seems I don't need
> any of this - DHCP will do it for me in my position.
> 

yep - Smoothwall will use DHCP to figure out the ip address it has for
its external facing network interface (modem in this case)

AND it has a DHCP server that will allocate an IP address to the
machines on you LAN - (amd set the default route for them)

In addition to the Smootwall runs a proxy server, caching nameserver
(and some other things I forget about - maybe a mail server ?)

what this means is that the machines on the LAN can look to the
Smoothwall box for DNS and proxy services - so they don't care if you
are connected to the net by your dial-up isp or your nieghbors ADSL
line.


> I think I should be able to install SmoothWall, if
> I've understood the write-ups, but I'm d----d if I
> know what to configure in the kernels (I'm cross-
> eyed working through the help notes!).I do want
> to recompile as I need to arrange scsi emulation
> in order to use a CDRW. 

Now I'm unsure what you are asking here, I presume you are talking about
recompling the kernel of one of the LAN machines NOT Smoothwall !

Smoothwall is a doddle to install - but you can only really use it the
way the Smoothwall team intend (see list archive for references to
Richard Morell !)

I can't remember exactly which kernel options you need for ide-scsi
bridge   

but I think enable 
SCSI 
SCSI-CDROM

ahh ! ide-scsi - it's in ATA/IDE/MFM/RLL support 
--> IDE,ATA, and ATAPI block devices 
----> SCSi emulation support

the CD-writing howto on linux doc is pretty good for working this one
out


> 
> If someone has the time, I would appreciate knowing
> what to compile into the kernel for my simple needs
> (I only need green and red in SmoothWall). Also, I
> can find the NIC cards referred to as 8139too.c
> under drivers in the kernel directory, but not as
> an option when compiling - are they some sort of
> clone?


you want to enable the 'RealTek RTL-8139 Fast Ethernet Adapter support'

I recomend running make xconfig as it makes the help text very easily
available.
> 
> Then after kernel recompile, how do I configure 
> each box? What programs to run and files to edit?

well I don't know the specifics of debian but once you have Smoothwall
running set the ethernet cards of your client machines to use DHCP

set their DNS servers to the Smoothwall box (probly this can be done by
DHCP also)

configure then to use any of the proxy services that you want to use as
offered by SmoothWall

> Also, to which box should the modem be physically
> attached (I presume I'll not need two now)?
> 

this should be the Smoothwall box

   
> Assistance would be appreciated greatly. I've
> started with computers at least 60 years too late
> and so have missed the basic grounding and get
> confused by the all embracing nature of the
> profusion of literature. (Naturally, when I get
> something sorted out and appreciate what happens,
> I can't understand what the confusion was about).
>

well - I hope this helps :)

I suggest you stop reading for a bit, if you are planning to install
Smoothwall - start off by setting it up these things usually come clear
when you actaully make them work.
 

-- 

Sean

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