how to share internet connection in fedora

[Ric Moore]

On Thu, 2007-11-29 at 06:34 -0800, Paul Shaffer wrote:
> I know.  It was not nice on purpose.  because I believe some people
> around here are not nice in the way they respond to very simple
> inquiries.  OK Ric, I'll play along with you too, just for grins 'n
> giggles.  Give us an example of how you would NOT use iptables to
> share an Internet connection "using Fedora OS."

That's easy, the same way I ran an 8 line BBS using a Dickens Terminal
server. I assigned local IP addresses to the 8 modems and 8 terminals we
also had and gave them all names in hosts. They all pointed to my
server, with a static IP address to the net as their telnet gateway
automatically. Everything worked just fine, in text mode. The users
could telnet and FTP to their heart's content. 14.4 was considered high
speed and 28.8 externals were over $200 apiece. We ran a MUD and gave
everyone command line access for free. It only blew up a couple of
times. I learned to keep good backups. :) In that fashion, setting it up
was a breeze. I've set up small home networks in the same fashion using
a hub. Gonna do that again this weekend. Of course, nowadays it does pay
some to heed security issues. Out here in the toolies using a modem, all
I have to do is watch the modem lights for suspicious activity.  

In Greensboro, when I had a nice fat Business DSL connection, I had a
router connected to the DSL modem and just about anyone could bring
their laptop over, plug in along side mine and hit the net without
touching my machine. How the OP was connected and with what was not
mentioned. It could have been just that simple. Just plug 'em in. 
 
> You may wish to re-read the OP's question.  It was extremely simple
> and straightforward.  There are many very talented highly qualified
> people on this list who sometimes get hamstrung by those very
> attributes when they read too much into a simple question.  And
> sometimes in Bill's case for example, I also believe they do it on
> purpose to belittle the poster or puff their own chest.  That's not
> nice either, IMHO.  That's all.

I read what the OP wrote, no prob. He just didn't mention anything
regarding his hardware, just that he wanted to share the internet among
his various computers. I would hazard a guess that a router or a hub
would come in handy first. No mention. Plus the cables to connect them.
I had no clue what he had, from what he wrote. No mention of interface
to the web or among the machines and if any of it worked at all. Suppose
he didn't know to configure his ethernet cards? Maybe he has a Linux
server and Windows client machines? We don't know from the little info
given. That's the beef and I've posted forgetting to include the juicy
bits, and got called on it, as I should have been. He got called on it
too. Bill didn't "label" the OP as stupid or idiotic. But you did label
Bill. That's where some panties got caught up in a snit. You could have
called him on being less than thoughtful without the name-calling. I
think you'll agree that would have been more appropriate. 

To my thinking, before you do the iptables bit, it would be handy to set
up either ip addresses to be addressed or DHCP or something just to
establish the  connections among his machines and have them just ping to
each other for starts.   

Check out my linux user number, I've been at this awhile. I've Founded
and Co-Founded 4 computer clubs in my life. I've done technical support
in the Chemical Industry for 25 years. Since I've dealt with
non-technical folks in a technical niche, I've had to dumb it down
alot! 

But, I've had to educate my clients as well, so we have a common mode of
comprehension level when discussing their problems. I made pretty good
coin at it, you just have to love your customers and have expectations
of them as well. The OP did not convey his true situation to a group
list that isn't being paid to be as patient. A seal barks for fish in
the circus. So, it's also incumbent for the question "asker" to provide
enough information so that we seals can bark on cue. :) 

So long, and thanks for all the fish, Ric

-- 
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"There are two Great Sins in the world...
..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity.
Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad.
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