Jim Cheetham wrote: > On Fri, Jan 2, 2009 at 8:23 AM, Bernard Frankpitt > <frankp...@slingshot.co.nz> wrote: > >> In the end I went for the cable modem option: It is the option offered by >> my Telstra, and I already have a cable connected to my house. >> ... >> When you go to a broadband connection, the ISP controls both sides of the >> link since they provide you with a stand-alone modem that usually connects >> to you computer via a TCP/IP link over Ethernet. That is a much easier set >> of protocols to design to. In addition, it is easy to put a firewall router >> between the modem and your machines to give you additional security. >> > > Just be aware that with Telstra, by default you get a real external IP > address bound directly to your computer; if you are not running a > pretty aggressive firewall you will now be processing all attack > traffic directly on your machine. Of course, the majority of this will > be stuff that subverts Windows machines, but some if it will be valid > attacks against other services too. > > Attaching a Windows computer directly to Telstra's service is severely > negligent. :-) > > The Telecom ADSL solution, where there is a NAT layer between you and > the Internet run on a separate piece of hardware, is actually nicer > from that perspective. > > I strongly recommend a separate machine of some description between > you and the Telstra connection. Just what that is, depends on what you > want to do with your new connection ... > > -jim > Ironically your essentially on a Public LAN with your neighbours since your in a 255.255.255.0 (share bandwidth as well) netmask,I used my linux computer to route for my flat mates and I even had connection activity from within the subnet probably a worm (This mite be even more fun than an unsecured wireless network :P)
and also your Choice in ISP was probably the only one you could choose Since your phone line is Telstra and they don't supply DSL over it and a help full tip, remember to throttle your P2P upload bandwidth, my friend accidentally clocked up a +$40 (or was that 40GB, can't remember) bill with his 2Mbit/s upload speed
