DSL

[godaigo]

Well before I ask this I have to admit I'm being kinda lazy and I haven't done more than play around with this a little bit. But here goes. I'm trying to hook up a Mac, a box with Mandrake Linux, and a box with Win2k into a LAN using only a 4-port Netgear hub. The internet connection is DSL. Ok the problem I have, and again I haven't tried running the linux box as a server yet (again lazy, but I figure this is probably what I'll have to do) is not getting them connected to the internet, but getting them to talk to each other. The main question I have is this: is there an EASY way to do this? (i.e. something I just completely overlooked).  

I figure if no one reply's to this I'll consider it a kick in the butt and stop being lazy! Mostly I'm posting this because after a brief flurry of activity the board got really quite again! Cheers....

[Metgod]

Well what have you tried exactly ?
Are they connected to the Internet yet ?

Not sure if this will help but (and sorry for the lack of organization or writing but I'm really not in the mood for making it perfect) ...

One easy way is to use a gateway (internet gateway) that does NAT.  You configure the router (most have a web based interface.. I haven't found many that allow you to do it by text unfortunately). as the main connection (that is, as if it was by itself..). Or you could use your linux box as this yes (a bit different than below of course).

Basically something like (assumig your ip is static)....

storing the name servers
the default gateway
the subnet mask..
the ip of the router is your actual ip

then you configure your puters with, say :

gateway = 192.168.1.1 (or whatever the ip of the router is.. the internal ip)
the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0
the name servers are what they normally are
ip = internal ip of each individual puter.. in the 192.168.x.x range


If your ip is not static, you'll very likely have the option to configure it just slightly different.

Well I think you get the idea.
Hope that helps some.

If not, let us know and I'm sure someone can help.

Cheers,
Metty

[godaigo]

Hey Metty, thanks for the reply! I had considered that the easy way to do this was just to spend the $50 bucks and get a router, but thought that I would try and play around with the hub, you know? Basically the company said it couldn't be done, so it makes me want to figure this out. Maybe they're right, but you never know! The computers are all connected to the internet, I just can't log onto the internet with all of them at the same time. The more that I think about it though I probably do have to do something different. If I'm thinking about this right, my original idea was to have something like a client side setting enabled that would allow them to talk, but that doesn't seem really realistic does it? Anyway, I'll keep playing, but maybe I'll just break down and buy the router. Still I wonder if some sort of script would work, at least with the Linux and OS X boxes.... hmmm any idea's for that from anyone, feasibility etc.? And thanks for the response Metty!

[Metgod]

Yeah.. it's the easiest way. I know what you mean though.

Of course, I dont know your network setup, but in BSD, there is the natd (nat daemon), and I can say if you look for something similar (or one of the ip tools already built in your distro) for linux you won't have to look too far. There are all sorts of different things you could do in relation to NAT, etc. If your linux box has two NICs then you could use one going into the hub and one going into your connection (which in essence will get what you want and would work just like the router more or less). I think if you play with it you can get it, but indeed the router is probably the easiest way.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Metty

[godaigo]

Thanks again Metty, I might just take your advice and try to use the linux box as the router, more fun to configure, etc. I don't know I'll have to see though. If I don't get motivated though, maybe I'll just have to take the easy way out and spend! Cheers....

[Tazinator]

Quick question. What OS is on the Mac? 10 or Classic?

[godaigo]

It's OS 10 so I could just go through the command line I assume although I haven't done that yet....

[Uneek]

Why not just get yourself an old 486 and boot PicoBSD from floppy to it... What is PicoBSD you ask?  http://thewall.sourceforge.net/

[godaigo]

That looks pretty cool... I assume they're referencing the pico editing program?   I'll have to see if I can get some surplus pc's somewhere and give this a try. Not to mention it would be good to give BSD a shot again. I played with it for a while a couple years ago (I think I posted on it) but gave up while I was working with linux. Thanks again Uneek!

[wilnix]

Another alternative to picobsd is closedbsd.

Wilnix