On 1/11/07, Jorge Almeida <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2007, Boyd Stephen Smith Jr. wrote:
>
> Well, I knew you'd need a ADSL modem. Some of these (IIRC ours even) can
> be configured to handle all the pppoe-ness and simply provide an ethernet
> connection. Depending on your service plan, you'll then simply run a DHCP
> client or statically configure your IP.
So, the computer must have the IP (static or dynamic) assigned by the
provider? Or the ethernet interface in the router has that IP and the
computer a private one?
And how about firewalling? I currently use Shorewall (with cable modem).
Would the configuration be the same? (What I mean is: for the computer
connected to a ADSL router, what is the "outside world"? The same that
the router "sees"? Or is firewalling meaningful only at the router level
and not at the computer level?)
>
> This proved to be flaky on our model of modem, with the pppoe packages for
> linux more gracefully handling things.
>
That's something that's worth thinking about. Rather than upgrading a
linux system, one is stuck with whatever comes in the box. And what is
the OS inside? Some embedded linux, or something fishy?
(And is this a reason to worry?)
>> OK, that would be usefull, whether I use a router or not.
>
> The pppoe software is on a box that only my roommate has shell access to.
> I'll talk to him when he gets home and see if he'll dump those configs for
> you.
>
Generally, at least In new zealand, users will opt for a USB/LAN
attached external ADSL device, which runs @ about 30 watts, usually
has both USB and LAN connectors, and has a generally usefull
interface.
In my experience, these modems run embedded linux installations
running in about 8meg of ram/flash on a MIPS chip not much better than
a P75, if at all better.
Generally, these devices provide full DHCP, DNS,NTP, Port/Host based
routing/firewalling etc, and all users are NAT'ed behind it.
I have never honestly seen anyone using a PCI ADSL card, as in my
understanding finding a card that worked properly was a problem, as
well as many of them being "soft modems", ie: offloading your
processor to make it work in a very HCF-Dialup-Soft-WinModem-esque way
( ie: i was under the impression it was a nightmare to set up )
To the user of these devices, it appears on the network in both cases
as just being another computer. In the case of the USB connector, at
least in linux, it appears to act as if you had plugged in a USB
network card which connects to that same computer.
Generally, the modem handles all the potentially difficult nasties of
gettting the PPP stuff underway, and you cant even tell what your
external IP is unless you query the modems web interface. To the user,
you can just be 192.168.1.50, and the modem can be 192.168.1.1, and
the modem being the default gateway, and all the rest is handled by
NAT magic.
That said, i have one reason why I myself would like a box i crafted
myself with a PCI modem in it, and thats primarily so i can implement
routing, traffic monitoring and the like more configurably, and in my
experience, some modems are often 'poxy' and can crash occasionally as
a result of using bittorrent. ( I have the modem set to send its
syslog errors to my linux boxes syslog and its full of MASQUERADE: No
route: Rusty's brain broke! )
But most people IMO ( ESPECIALLY windows users ) should have an
external ADSL unit. For those poor windows suckers at least then you
-know- you have a reliable hardware firewall which isn't going to have
a blatently wide-open hole in it which requires you running all sorts
of crappy software which slows down your machine ;)
Make your decision wisely :)
--
Kent
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