[Gllug] Building a DSL router/access point

[Andy Farnsworth]

Phil,
  May I suggest you get an appliance like a Linksys router and load a 
custom firmware.  An appliance has several advantages, not the least of 
which is power savings.  You also have noise and cost which are good.  
The custom firmware available will give you the flexibility to do almost 
anything you want.  Buying an internal DSL modem is possible, but they 
tend to have problems and they are definitely expensive.  On the flip 
side, the advantage of the internal DSL modems is that with the right 
provider and multiple DSL lines, you can bond the lines into a single 
channel.  Of course if you are looking for a solution like that then 
price and noise are the least of your worries :-)

Andrew

Phil Reynolds wrote:
> I am looking to replace my current FreeBSD box, which only really serves
> the purposes of DHCP server and (rarely used) NAT router, and if
> possible my DSL router as well, with something running Debian GNU/Linux.
>
> I am therefore thinking along the lines of having a multi-port Ethernet
> card and an internal DSL modem if possible, but am not sure what is
> currently available and compatible. For the moment I intend to keep the
> existing motherboard which has several PCI slots.
>
> I would expect to be able to bridge the PPP session and one of the
> Ethernet ports together, with firewalling possible, on the public side
> of my connection - I have a /28 - and have two private networks, each
> with different settings provided by DHCP as they will be for different
> purposes.
>
> Apart from finding suitable hardware and any useful HOWTOs, I am
> wondering if I need to use (admittedly readily available) wireless
> access points on the private networks, if I wish them both to be
> accessible by wireless, or whether I could install cards in the router,
> bridged to the right network, thereby saving on power points. (Having
> only one accessible by wireless might be all that I need, but my
> thoughts at present concern having both accessible - I would want WPA on
> both of them, no doubt.)
>
> I would also like to provide QoS in order to improve the performance I
> get when using my connection for telephone calls. (I run asterisk on one
> of my systems.) Would the same router be able to handle this, and is
> there a HOWTO on the subject?
>
> Any advice on suitable hardware would be much appreciated.
>
> --
> Phil Reynolds
>  o  ____ mail: phil at tinsleyviaduct.com
> |L_ \  / Web: http://www.tinsleyviaduct.com/phil/
> (_)- \/  Waltham 66, Emley Moor 69, Droitwich 79, Windows 95
>   

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