What you want to do is, for the most part, a pretty straightforward use of
Linux. We've done that here, using a '486 server formerly to share a modem
connection, now to share a DSL connection, in the way you describe. Others
have told you most of what you need to get started on this, so I'll add only
a few clarifications ....
1. The server needs two interfaces, but this may or may not entail 2 NICs
(Ethernet cards). If your connection to the Internet is dialup, your second
interface will be a serial port and a modem, using (probably) pppd and
diald. For these purposes, you do want to make sure your '486 is new enough
that it uses a 16550A or new UART in its serial port -- 16450s are too slow,
and 16550's (without the A) have a bug. Also, if you have an internal modem
in the '486, make sure it is a real modem, not an HSP modem ("Winmodem")
that won't work with Linux.
2. Your idea of sharing some directories on the server among all the clients
is a good one, but it has some limitations. Ethernet is fast, but not as
fast as built-in drive data transfers, so you'll pay some speed penalty when
loading large apps (X and gimp certainly qualify as large. as Netscape is
even bigger). Also, you don't say how big your server's hard disk is; a
half-gig won't cut it for this purpose (though it will be ample, even
generous, for router/firewall uses). In case it wasn't mentioned by another,
I believe there is a NFS HowTo that will get you started on this
directory-sharing stuff. If you want to do this with Windows clients, you'll
also want to look at the SMB HowTo for an explanation of how to use Samba.
3. Also take a look at the XTerminal sites for good examples of a somewhat
different approach. THey use a powerful server and limited clients, actually
running the apps remotely on the server. URLs are
http://www.solucorp.qc.ca/xterminals/
http://www.silvervalley.k12.ca.us/chobbs/xterms/
http://www.menet.umn.edu/~kaszeta/unix/xterminal/index.html
4. There are specialized Linux distributions that focus on the
router/firewall functions, and you might find it educational to look at one.
The best known is Linux Router Project (LRP), with information available at:
http://www.linuxrouter.org [the "official" LRP site,
but not very up to date]
http://lrp.c0wz.com/ [an "unofficial" site with more
up-to-date information and links to current work]
5. About UTP vs thinnet (= 10BaseT vs 10Base2) -- be sure to do the cost
comparisons carefully. These days, the cheapest NICs I'm able to find don't
include 10Base2 ports, and the thinnet cables themselves are, at least
locally, a good bit more expensive per foot than the Cat5 cables used by
10BaseT. Also, Cat5 will be reusable with 100 Mb Ethernet, while thinnet
cables won't be. If your network involves running wire through walls, Cat5
is a lot easier to pull and terminate than RG59 (or is it RG58? - I forget)
coaxial cable. Again speaking locally, small hubs are very cheap. So while I
won't say that Paul is definitely wrong in his enthusiasm for thinnet, I do
suggest you compare costs carefully before assuming you can save money that way.
At 04:24 PM 12/29/99 +0200, you wrote:
>I recently bought a new p2 and now have my old 486 sitting in a dark corner
>of my house with nothing to do, so I decided I would get it up and running
>and teach myself networking @ the same time, but I have _no_ idea where to
>start.
[rest deleted]
------------------------------------"Never tell me the odds!"---
Ray Olszewski -- Han Solo
Palo Alto, CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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