Another basic networking question.

[Simon Slater]

On Wed, 2009-04-01 at 20:37 -0700, Nifty Fedora Mitch wrote:
> This is a 'bigger than a breadbox' topic....
> Download some of the router documents that Cisco has on line
> so you can understand what you want to do.  All the foundation
> stuff can be done in Linux and mostly the language is the
> same even when the user interface differs.
> 
> Simplistic explanation....
> A firewall will block or redirrect specific traffic comming in.
> A gateway will direct, block or filter traffic going out.
> 
> Stick to IPv4 the public info on the net is richer.
> 
> To start block all traffic then open exactly one thing at
> a time.   
> 
> Me, I like having an inexpensive Linksys or Netgear box as the first
> resource that touches the Internet.   If I am consulting I specify
> a small Cisco router...   At home mine are all second hand used
> cast off.  I use them in NAT mode and have a DHCP address space as
> well
> as fixed addresses for my stable linux boxes.    I never power up a
> new
> box (Linux or WindowZ) except behind a NAT box and the first thing I
> do is an update to the OS and configure stuff.
> 
Thanks Tom,
	I'll check out Cisco's docs.  At the moment I'm using a Linksys AG300.
It will do the basics of what I want with firewall and NAT, but I would
like to learn how to make Fedora do it as our SOHO network grows.  I've
primarily used Fedora for getting work done over the years, now I want
to get under the bonnet and start tinkering.  This Linux Networking
Cookbook that arrived yesterday is very useful, but I just need a few
gaps filling in along the way.  There's another linux network security
book coming in a couple of weeks, so I can build on things some more.

Thanks again.
-- 
Regards,
Simon Slater
Registered Linux User #463789. Be counted at: http://counter.li.org/