router

I am trying to find out the cheapest way to setup a good connection for all my homepc's to a cabel-internet connection.

My ISP tells me it is not allowed.

my computers now connect thrue a windowsXPpro-corp computer wich connects to the internet..

this works but is f* slow for all pc's, especialy the ones connecting thrue it..

I was sugested to buy a cable/*dsl-router but some one came up with a dedicated (p166) linux router..

Anyone know a good (small) linux distro for the job??

thx...

I don't know about the Linux setup but at work I have a LinkSys Cable/DSL hooked up to a cable modem and tied into the uplink of a Intel 24-port hub. We are currently running 12 machines off of 1 internet account and have not had any real slowdowns. Also, I use the same router at home with four Win98 machines (4 port router). No problem. Don't listen to your ISP. They will all tell you that story.
Hope this helps.

Go to clarkconnect.org It's free, it's based on redhat linux without the bugs. It's a NAT, a firewall, they even have dynamic DNS for those of you on DHCP. It's about a 100 MB install and it runs on virtually anything. (I currnetly am running in it on an old pentium 133 with 32MB RAM, and it smokes) Nothing to buy ( granted you need an extra PC, but....)

Thanks.......





I got a p166 mb for free, a 10mbit networkcard (ISA) is always free.

I Just need an internel (4port 100mbit) hub...

How much is that...

A old hd is np

this thing won't even need a monitor.. (uses ssh)

so.... Great :rolleyes:

Thanks all...

I use a linux machine as a gateway with IPMasquerading and IPForwarding enabled.

If you're going with a hub, don't waste your money on a 100 Mb one. A hub matches speed with the slowest PC on the network. Thus, your hub will match speeds with your 10 Mb router, and broadcast everything at that speed, so you will end up with the exact same performance as if you had bought a 10 Mb hub. If you want 100 Mb on your network, you have 2 options:

1. Get a new PCI NIC for your soon-to-be router.
2. Get a 100 Mb switch. This will support 100 Mb on every NIC that will handle it, but communications to your router will still be at 10 Mb.

What are the other machines on your network running? 98?
if so, did you make the registry changes you need to make? The defauktRecWindow has to be at least 1024, TTL = 128. you have to add a couple of Dword entrys, like BlackHoleDetect and a couple of others I can post full inst. if you need them for you 9x machines
What are you using to share the connection, ms internet connection sharing? is the xp mach multi-homed?

even on the 166, you need two nics to make it a router, no matter what os you use unless you plan to just use it as a proxy. if you put a hub on the inside interface, the router speed will not affect the speed of the internel network.

The first pc, from the internet is a winXP pro corp amd1000 with a 10-100Mbit realtek to the cable-modem...
From that (5 users) PC i connect thrue the othewr nic, a 4port 10Mbit hub (internal)...
the other pc's are another XP pro corp, and my sisters winME pc.....

I use microsoft internet shareing... the msxpFirewall is swiched off....

My Pc's are not the fastest in the world but they used to work well.

I use BBIagent since a couple of days, it's a free linux based Firewall / NAT / proxy / DNS / router it fits on a 1.44 MB floppy, doesn't need a HDD or monitor. Runs on a 80386 with 8MB RAM and is very fast.
The only prob / bug I have is that it disconnects sometime without reason. (Vorlin and I are searching to find the cause)

here's some nfo on it:

http://www.linux.org/apps/AppId_7658.html

BBIagent homesite:

http://www.bbiagent.net/

for my indoor file shareing (MP3, ISO and MPEG) i'd like to use 100Mbit..

Since all pc's have 10-100Mbit nics

My only problem is the fact that my internal hub is 10 Mbit...

But when I install some linux on a second-hand box...

with one 10 Mbit ISA for the internet-connection and a 100Mbit internal hub (wich I still have to buy) will the connections to the hub (all being 100 Mbit) stil run on the other card's 10Mbit speed or will I be able to share files over the indoor network @ 100 Mbit???

Or do I need to set up the router as a fully 10Mbit one with a (will have to buy) 10-100Mbit swich for the internal network???

So the question realy is...

Do I go with an internal 100Mbit hub or a 100Mbit swich???
I think the internal thing is cheaper......

If you want performance than you have to go for the 100Mbit Switch.

It has no point to use 100Mbit for Internet traffic cause your connection to your ISP probably isn't that fast. But the 10 NIC's cost almost the same as the 10/100 NIC's so...

My suggestion:

cheap Linux box with two cards:
10 Mbit NIC for Internet WAN (connects with xDSL / Cable modem, WAN backbone)
10/100 Mbit NIC for LAN (connects to 100Mbit Switch)
and with 'BBIagent Linux NET4' you don't need a HDD.

If you do have to purchase a switch, you can also buy a switch / router in one box:

like this one:

- D-Link Home Ethernet Cable/DSL Modem Gateway and 4-port Switch (it can use 100BASE-TX Ethernet on your LAN)
http://www.dlink.com/products/broadband/di704/

If you want more ports and features:

- DI-707 Internet Gateway/Firewall 7-port Switch
http://www.dlink.com/products/broadband/di707/

__ Some other brands __


*** SMC ***
http://www.smc.com
- Barricade 4-Port 10/100Mbps Broadband Router

- Barricade™ 8 Port 10/100 Mbps Broadband Router



*** LinkSys ***

- BEFSR41 - EtherFast® Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port Switch
http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...rid=23&prid=20

- BEFSR81 - EtherFast® Cable/DSL Router with 8-Port Switch
http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=155&grid=23