Hi, > 1. Whats the best distribution to use, I have had quite a bit of experience > with Linux but not for the last 4/5 years so I'm a bit out of touch.
I can see the flames coming... :-) For someone who hasn't been around Linux in awhile, I'd recommend a mainstream distro like Red Hat, Suse or Mandrake. They are easy to setup, and will work just fine on your hardware for a packet filtering firewall. If you are going to be using proxy servers (e.g. squid), you may need a little more horse power though. > 2. I'll need a network card for the box, any reccomendations for a > cheap(ish) card that will be easy to configure under linux I've had really good luck with 3-com 3c509B cards. You can usually pick used ones up dirt cheap ($5). Just make sure it's the 3c509B and not a 3c509. The "B" version has twice as much buffer space as the vanilla 3c509 for receiving packets. > 3. Until I get broadband I'll probably set it up so the Linux box dials my > normal ISP, I've only got a cheap winmodem any reccomendations for a good > modem to use with Linux I've always had good luck with U.S. Robotics. I recommend going with an external modem regardless of the brand you get. They're just so much easier and less of a headache in my opinion whether you're on Linux or Windows. Steve
