[Wolves] Networking query

[Andy Wootton]

Kevanf1 wrote:

>... with this in mind I'm thinking of getting some gear and
>setting a few things up in readiness.  I know I will need a BB modem
>and preferably a combined router switch.  Now, can I use the
>router/switch as a switch while i'm still on dial up?  Or, with it
>being a BB router, will it refuse to play ball?  I know I can't share
>the ISP connection from the switch like a BB modem would so I would
>probably stick with the two separate 56k modems that are on two of the
>PC's.
>  
>
Kevan,

There is some very confusing terminology used by the manufacturers in 
this area. You can buy a 'Broadband modem', typically with a USB 
connection. It isn't actually a modem because there is no demodulation 
to be done. Both sides of the connection are digital. It is a 'USB to 
ADSL adapter' really.

The next step is something like my Netgear DG814 "DSL Modem Internet 
Gateway" which most people would call a 'broadband router'. This is an 
'Ethernet to ADSL adapter' crammed into the same plastic box as a 
10/100Mb switch, control of the 'route' from ADSL to the Ethernet ports, 
a basic NAT firewall and a DHCP server. It works perfectly well as a 
switch and DHCP server if you don't plug it into ADSL but costs possibly 
3 times as much. With 3 PCs you can live without DHCP. By the time you 
need broadband will the price have dropped by the amount you would pay 
now for a basic switch? The switch won't be wasted either. You can reuse 
it if you want a DMZ later.

You could plug a single 56K hardware modem into a Linux box and have 
that act as a router to the other 2 PCs. That is also the way to employ 
the misnamed 'broadband modem' but the disadvantage to both of these is 
that the Linux box has to be on whenever anyone wants to connect to the 
Net and the Linux box has some extra work to do routing and has to open 
and close the network connection (a dedicated Smoothwall box is one of 
the ways.) You should configure a firewall on Linux even if you don't go 
the Smoothwall way, as you have with your other PCs.

I assume you only have one phone line. Two dial-ins at the same time 
with possible 'loops' in IP routing are not desirable!

>Are there likely to be any pitfalls in this set up? 
>
Oh, yes. This is a fully-featured learning opportunity ;-)

Woo