OT: need assistance setting up linux/XP/ADSL/home network

[mikeb]

Sry for the off-topic post ... I'm looking for email assistance in setting up my home network. I've just added a linux (Mandrake) box to a XP/ADSL config, and would like to get file sharing happening across the linux and XP boxes, along with sharing of my ADSL connection (I've got both boxes plugged into an old 10MBps hub, which also connects to the ADSL modem).

If someone (with appropriate experience and reasonable communication skills) can contact me via PM it would be great. I can't offer any $$$, but can offer a few picks from my schematics collection, in return for assistance. BTW, I'm technically cluey but am inexperienced with linux.

I'll post here when I've got someone helping me out.

TIA

Mike

[Lonestarjohnny]

Hi Mike,
I f you don't get any taker's by in the morning my Buddy will be here in the shop installing another PC for 1 of my sever's, he's a whiz on Linux, i've got a PC scope & Spectrum Analyzer that both run on Linux.
I'll check back in with you tomorrow,
JD

[austin]

Mike, i have a linux/xp box and a separate xp only box.  i'm using a pppoe dsl router, so i can't help you with sharing your internet connection between them, but to share files you probably want to go with samba.

if it isn't already installed,  you can use mandrake's urpmi utility to automatically install it.

Add a user with smbpasswd -a <your user name>

start up samba with samba start
or samba restart

Make sure you shut off your firewall on xp if you have one, then check network neighborhood for your samba shares.  I think i might have had to edit my smb.conf file also.  If it isn't working, let me know and i can send you the config i had.

Hope that was helpful...

[Peter Snowberg]

For sharring the connection I would suggest a low cost firewall/router/hub like a Linksys BEFSR41. It's a really decent firewall and it has a 4 port 10/100mb switch built in.

Best of luck,
-Peter

[mikeb]

Hi

Thanks for the responses. I'm aware of hardware solutions, but can't afford it; I'm also at least vaguely aware of most 'things' I need to get this working, but need *explicit* help and instructions. For example, my ppp0 connection is up on my linux box, but I can't ping out, nor can I access any websites; variously, pinging between machines works and doesn't work, ADSL connection with XP is always working, I had the linux ADSL connection working for 5 minutes last night then it stopped ... and so it goes on.

If it all gets too hard (i.e. I can't get it happening quickly-spare time is precious) I'll save up for the hardware solution.

Cheers

Mike

[Lonestarjohnny]

The Linksys makes it simple, but i know there are other ways.
JD

[The Tone God]

I can't help out with the PPPoE or GNU/linux since I use BSD but I can help out with the filesharing. I know BSD is pretty easy to get going for PPPoE like FreeBSD and especially OpenBSD.

If you want to share files with windoze you'll want to use samba. It takes alittle more then what has been mentioned to get going. Its really simple to setup if you don't want to do authentication and domain logging. You can just do a general open file share. Probably the best way to set it up fast if your not good with editing conf files is to use SWAT which is samba's web based administartion tool. I belive its packaged with samba.

All you really need for samba to share a file system is the wrokgroup name, a netbios name, a share name, the path to the share on your system, set the permissions for the share for both samba and system, set the security level to 'share', then start samba by running smbd and nmbd. If you make any config changes remember to restart smbd and nmbd with something like a sighup and wait a few momments for the browser election to complete.

Another really handy tool is Webmin which is a web based adminstration tool for *nix systems. Really good for beginners.

Andrew

[Peter Snowberg]

One thing that might make things easier is to add a second ethernet card to your linux machine for routing purposes. Connect the DSL modem to it's own port so that it can have the world it wants (PPPoE & DHCP I assume) while the machines talk with their own local connection with more regular TCP/IP.

Tapping into a connection between a PPPoE modem and a DHCP configured client to that modem is like trying to hit a moving target as PPPoE juggles it's IP address after inactivity or after a predetermined length of time.

I always set up small networks with static IP to make future troubleshooting and configuration easier.

Best of luck,
-Peter

[cd]

What's the make/model of your hub?  If it's designed to be connected to an ADSL modem (WAN specific capability) it should have some sort of built in protection (i.e. not specifically a firewall, but it should reject all incoming requests at least.)

If all else fails, just setup an FTP server on the Linux box and move files with that.

[mikeb]

Thanks again for all responses - I've decided to leave it be for the moment until I can afford a wireless router. The hub I have is old (the 10MBps should have given that away! - it predates Quake 1), and while I have ability to faff about with config files for hours, I don't have the time to do it. The wireless router seems like a good solution, just will have to wait a week or two.

Cheers

Mike

[travissk]

With wireless, you gain the ability to be, well, wireless, but you also expose your network a lot more than you do with a wired ethernet network. People outside your home can try to log on, as well as easily "packet sniff" your network. For programs that aren't secure, this means being able to reconstruct your network traffic.

I'm not sure if you use it, but AOL Instant Messenger is one example of such a program. It transmits all its data in the clear, and by using a legit  (for network admins) and freely available program, students can sit in a lecture hall and watch as everyone's AIM conversations go by, provided students are in there with wireless. I don't have a wireless connection, but some fellow Teaching Assistants have been known to try to keep tabs on who makes what comments while lecture is going on . Sorry, getting off the point there... essentially, wireless communications aren't 100% safe. Neither are wired hubs and routers (switches are somewhat better against this "packet sniffing"), but for that to be compromised, they have to get inside your house.

A wired network will be cheaper but messier... if you do want wireless, then your router probably supports ethernet plugs as well, so consider that option. I'm sure you guys get sort of screwed over there in AU, but here you can get a wired router for around $20 if the sales are on. Our router at home blew out a couple weeks ago; I opened it up and tested the analog components, couldn't find anything wrong, so I just went out and bought a new one. Wireless routers are a bit more, but you should be able to get a cheap wired one on ebay if anyone will ship internationally.

Linux stuff: yes, you will want to run Samba. I've configured this for my church, and it sounds like a few people here have dealt with it as well. There are also a lot of pages on the internet that deal with setting it up. It's not horribly difficult, but it could be easier - definitely something you can do if you know how to use a mouse and a keyboard

As for the hardware side of things, is your hub marked as a router? If it's not, you're not going to be able to plug the modem into it and have two computers access the internet. Routers add functionality to hubs; they're specifically designed to facilitate internet connection sharing. They do Network Address Translation (NAT) and other stuff that is essential to do what you want.

So you have two options:
1) Buy a router, either wired or wireless.
2) Do what Peter suggested, and plug your ADSL modem into a computer with a second ethernet card. This computer will handle

Personally, I would say do whatever you want based on price and layout of your house (i.e. is the hub located near the modem, or is the modem outlet all the way across the house?), but in all honesty if the price difference isn't too bad and the hub could be placed near the modem, then buying a router will probably be better for you in the long run. It has a built-in firewall and is easy to configure from any computer in the house. That can be done with a computer as well, but keep in mind that to access the internet, that other computer will need to remain on all the time. That might or might not be a problem.

Good luck!

[cd]

As long as your wireless card and access point support WPA, the newer security standard (in 802.11g) I wouldn't worry too much.  Unsecured networks (or those that use WEP) are easy to crack/spoof/etc.  WPA, while not perfect, is a much tougher nut to crack than WEP.

[mikeb]

I'm living in a rented house so a wired network is out as I can't drill holes through the walls (without the landlord getting upset!); I'm not worried about security as my city is quite low density, and I can setup my network so it is secure from logon attempts. As for AOL etc - this is Australia, and AOL is evil. As regards leaving the computer on all the time - I know, but it's cool! I've been building, programming and using PCs for going on 23 years now. It's pretty amazing what can be achieved, and for so little money, these days.

Mike

[travissk]

Ok, sounds like all the bases are covered then, and wireless is the only way to go - good luck when the time comes