I'm about to get adsl installed in my flat - shared with 6 mates. We all have computers and wish to use the adsl at the same time. I am getting a static ip, so ideally i would like to setup up a software firewall on a linux box i have just built - with redhat 6. (i.e. i want linux server to connect to adsl then other 7 computers in house to connect to it via a hub - all windows machines mostly xp).
My problem is this. Can i get a pci adsl modem that works reliably with linux (my motherboard in the box doesn't support usb)?
Should i swap to a combined router/adsl modem option and plug that directly into the hub?
Am i going to have problems with redhat 6 and compatiblity?
Is there a guide for setting up linux to act as my server somewhere about - i am a newbie when it comes to that.
Is it worth the extra hassle of setting up a linux box when the only advantage i can see is security? Would xp's/me/98s own security be enough...
cheers,
Dave.
This Question has been solved and asker verified All Experts Exchange premium technology solutions are available to subscription members.
Experts Exchange has been collecting answers to technology questions since 1996…3 million and counting! If you have a question, chances are we already have your answer.
If you can't find the exact answer you're looking for, ask our exclusive community of 50,000 experts. You’ll get a personalized answer from a trusted professional.
Thousands of free tech tips, tricks, how-to’s and tutorials are available in our peer reviewed articles section. See for yourself how smart our experts are, no login required.
Save solutions to your questions, answers you’ve discovered through searching plus helpful articles in your personal knowledgebase for easy future access.
Access the answers to your technology questions today.
30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.
Members of the expert community talk about why the experience at Experts Exchange is different than what you will find anywhere else.
Try it out and discover for yourself.
30-day free trial. Register in 60 seconds.
Join the community of experts here and help other tech pros by answering question in your area of expertise. You can earn FREE access to all Experts Exchange's premium features and resources.
i would think that win98 (even se) would be unstable if it was left on all the time...
Also win98 is a single user system, so not really designed to act as a server - and i thought running proxy servers like wingate were not very efficient?
the pc specs are 400mhz amd k6-2 3d, 320mb 100mhz ram, 4gig (relatively slow) harddisk. Wouldn't linux run more efficiently on this - xp and 2000 dont run well on this machine at all - its too slow - poor amd chip.
Linux would probaby run better. But then it all boils down to whether the Modem works in Linux or not. If not then the Standalone ADSL modem + router mightwell be a better solution. Or stick with the hardware you have and install Win2k.
I did say at least Win98SE. Win2K should run ok on the PC spec you give. Perhaps invest in a new HDD. There pretty cheap these days for say a 20Gig UDMA66 drive.
Proxy is not all bad. It caches data and allows for access control. Although the ADSL link is quick, I wouldn't have thought that a proxy would make it slow.
I used to have Cable internet connected to a NIC and then used WinGate to Proxy the connection between 3 PCs. I was able to get good speeds on all three PCs ie. file downloads of 120Kb/sec in IE.
TP - "twisted pair" (normal patch cable with RJ45 connectors); sorry for shorthand.
The standalone ADSL modem is normally the thing you get in Sweden, when you subscribe to a ADSL broadband service. A "black box" with phone line in in one end, and "TP" out in the other. This end connects to your single computer, or to a router doing NAT if you want to have more than one box on the internet (most subscriptions here are for one IP address only).
For freesco info: www.freesco.org
Regards
/RID
rid - so so freesco seems like a good idea - i could use a much older machine then...(though i think id like to add security also - does it allow a firewall - if so, how does all this fit on one disk...) - anyway point is i read the user manual requirements and it needs a supported modem. What kind of adsl modems are supported on this? where can i buy them online...
Talk to your ADSL supplier and see if they support a STANDALONE router vs. the internal one you are getting. Most have them but they are more expensive and usually they push the cheaper ones.
But DO NOT under any circumtances get a router that they will not support. If you ever have any problems they will blame the unsupported router immediately.
rid- are you sure about an adsl modem being supported as generic - i have found plenty of pci modems on the internet that are supported by the isp...but will they be supported by freesco...?
Do you mean i can just use a generic modem driver and then set it to use PPPoE interface - is this easy to do?
There is NO SUCH THING as a "generic" ADSL router. There are multiple schemes in use and even a single supplier may have different requirments at different locations in their service area.
Again, TALK TO YOUR ADSL SUPPLIER and tell them you want a standalone router instead of the internal model. Either get one from them or use one from a list of recommended models that they support. Do NOT get one that they don't support or you'll be asking for trouble.
The ADSL modem I use works with freesco. There are no modem specific modules loaded - the router interacts through the PPPoE "protocol". Naturally, the modem has to be supported by the ISP, as by the telco people (if you get your connection through the phone line), from *their* end. I was thinking of the modem - router connection.
Any PCI modem would almost certainly need drivers (windows) or modules loaded to run in the machine acting router. A standalone modem connects through an ethernet interface (NIC). Freesco supports numerous NIC:s in the basic version.
Of course your ISP may have other requirements, that are not motivated by purely technical reasons; they want you to use certain software etc etc, but I have no means of knowing if this is the case here.
As for ADSL ROUTERS, there are other considerations. I just thought I'd suggest a cheap, simple and flexible way of getting a small LAN connected to the internet. Depending on your ISP, you may have to take what you get. A PCI modem seems like the least flexible solution, as you'll most probably be forced to use MS software on the box in sits in.
Regards
/RID
Hi Guys
The Major problem with using PCI or USB modems in Linux, as far as I know, is the lack of support for PPP over ATM ( which they use). Ethernet modems such as The DLink 300 use PPP over Ethernet, whihc Roaring penguin does a great job of running. The advice give above mostly leans towards getting an adsl router instead. It could be a good option for you, but really its to be condsidered if you want to avoid having a linux gateway altogether.
My advice is to use your linux box as a firewall ( you can't beat a linux firewall ) and also use it as a gateway to a etherenet modem. If you have a processor with a bit of grunt and a large-ish hard dick for this box, maybe you should use it as aproxy server also, but all you have to do is make it a proxy server for port 80 only. This means that all your gaming traffic will be straight through. I would expect an increase in ping times of perhaps 2-5 Ms running through a box like this.
Routers on the otherhand are straight forward, quiet, and can have a firewall onboard. The can be configured from any browser on your network, and don't usually cost a whole lot more than theier ehternet modem cousins.
Hello Neil_McIntyre. Did you intend to propose your comment as an answer? While the comment is valid, it does contain pieces of information that has already come forth and it doesn't describe the only possible solution - it merely adds a few points to the discussion.
The author needs to reject the proposed answer, to get the thread back on the list of open questions, if they feel they need more "fresh" input to the thread.
Regards
/RID
Hello Neil_McIntyre, first I would like you to only post comments, they can be accepted by the question asker, it is considered rude to post Proposed Answers.
Also, you must never use another's comments in yours, either in full or in part.
ComTech
Community Support
Administrator @ EE
Answer rejected by ComTech
jhance - my isp seems ok about most adsl hardware (www.zenadsl.co.uk) as long as it conforms to certain standards - which all of the modems i have looked at seem to do.
rid - I havn't seen these standalone modems about on the sites i have checked - could you direct me to somewhere i could get one so i could take a look.
Also when you say i need drivers(windows) to run the pci modem do you mean that it is unlikely that i will find drivers for freesco...
thanks for the help so far...
"rid - I havn't seen these standalone modems about on the sites i have checked ..."
I haven't investigated this market at all. I got a standalone modem along with my subscription (for a fee, of course). It's an Alcatel and connects to phone line trough a filter and to the computer's NIC via ordinary patch cable.
I suppose there may be modules somewhere for PCI modem handling in freesco, but I wouldn't hold my breath while searching and I'm not even sure the freesco crowd considered internal broadband modems. I honestly don't know at all how they work... perhaps they emulate a NIC on the "computer" side, in which case there is a good chance they *will* be accepted, as any other PCI NIC.
(This approach seems to be the most logical way to build such a contraption. If it is so, the computer side interface of such a modem would in fact be an ethernet card. If that part of the modem is built around a well-known chipset, you shouldn't really have many problems with freesco or any other Linux flavour.)
Regards
/RID
I didn't gather that your ISP supports "most ADSL hardware" from the information on the link. In fact, there seem to be only two:
"We supply a range of carefully selected equipment to support our 'always-on' ZenADSL broadband services. The Alcatel SpeedTouch USB modem and SpeedTouch 510 4-port hub|router represent the most reliable, effective and affordably priced connection hardware choices you can make. "
The SpeedTouch 510, however, seems to fit the requirements of such a stand alone router. See:
http://www.speedtouchdsl.c
I'm sure that this will cost you more than the SpeedTouch USB modem, but it will not be operating system dependent and so it will work fine with Linux or whatever.
my isp say the adsl hardware must be G.DMT and PPPoA compatible - this would appear to cover quite a large range of adsl hardware. - the pci modem i was looking at falls into this category.
a router such as this speedtouch one is quite expensive and seems like a waste of money if i have a box to use as a server.
My main problem it would seem would be finding a pci modem that works ok with linux -freesco or redhat6 (which i have a copy of)... does this seem likely or should i give this idea up and just try and find a cheap router...
If i were to buy a router, can i still set up my linux box as the server for the network - i.e. set up a firewall etc on it?
Well i think i've decided what to do.
I have found someone who can supply me with drivers for a specific pci adsl modem for linux.
He says:
I currently use the AccessRunner card on a Redhat 7.1 system with a 2.4.18-3 kernel, 2.4.2 pppd and a patched AccessRunner driver.
Because this question has been a bit random so far I will give the points to the one who answers this last question the best:
What version of linux (that is freely available) would be best to get hold of - or should i just patch the redhat 6 that i have already? Is there a guide i can download somewhere that explains how to set up my linux box as my server - i am a newbie to this.
Thanks for the help so far...
internal pci modem is usually a poor choice. For one the machine with the modem must be always on, or no one else has internet access.
External modem, siemens or alcatel, is a much better choice. The firmware must be compatable with the ISP.
For the router you can use a linux box, or buy one of the $50 little boxes.
topic cleanup time - sorry, another question i totally forgot about when i didnt really get an answer.
decided to accept jhances answer in the end, as although it isn';t the answer i actually used (i set up my linux box), it is the most useful one for others searching through EE. By far the best option for a home network is to get some form of standalone router. (which i believe is what rid was talking about when he spoke about standalong modems).
Thanks for the help people!
dc.
Business Accounts
Answer for Membership
by: MrWhipsterPosted on 2002-08-30 at 05:28:42ID: 7251216
I would say that if the ADSL doesn't support Linux, go with a Windows box. Then run ZoneAlarm (http://www.zonealarm.com)
On this box put a network card in and connect it to the hub where all the other PCs will also connect. Bobs your Uncle, it should all work.
Buy a PCI USB card. These are pretty cheap to buy these days. Also, upgrade to at least Win98SE on this PC.
Hope this helps you.
I am waiting to get ADSL, but the telco (BT) has no plans to upgrade my local exchange. Have to use ISDN until they do.