Intro to Home Networking NHF

1. Introduction

This documentation should definitely work on Redhat 6.x machines, but I believe that it will work on almost any Linux Distribution if the person has some knowledge already about their distribution (ie. where the config files are). Please understand that I've only been working with Linux in general since the middle of the Summer (of 2000), therefore I have only been around Redhat Linux so far. I am in the process of obtaining ISO's for Mandrake, Slackware, and Debian Linux because they seem to be the other major distributions. During the Winter (of 2000) I will be making a machine that will boot all of these, and I will add in anything different (if there is) accordingly. If someone wants to take what I have written, and apply it to *any* other Distribution besides Redhat, and email it to me, or at least give me credit for whatever they use in this document, please, feel free to.

1.1 Read this before you continue

Before I waste anyone's time, I am assuming the following (if you don't have all these requirements met, do them before proceeding):

1. All the physical networking gear, with green link lights on both Network Cards and Hubs.

2. You have just installed Redhat 6.x on your system. If not, go here (http://www.linuxiso.org/redhat.html) and here (http://www.ibiblio.org/mdw/HOWTO/Installation-HOWTO/index.html).

3. You have setup your modem, and configured to an ISP (hopefully using WvDial). If not, go here (http://www.ibiblio.org/mdw/HOWTO/ISP-Hookup-HOWTO.html).

4. Linux and Windows acknowledges your cards. If not, go here (http://www.ibiblio.org/mdw/HOWTO/Ethernet-HOWTO.html) and here (http://www.ibiblio.org/mdw/HOWTO/Net-HOWTO/index.html). You might also consider buying new cards if you just *cannot* get the ones you have working. Some are just not linux compatible.

If you are *not* planning to have a super high-traffic network, I recommend the following for starters:

10mpbs hubs - I have found 8-port hubs for USD$26.00 dollars a piece, or 4-port hubs for USD$15.00

10/100mpbs network cards - I have found Encore 10/100 Fast NIC's just because they are (as of 11/1/2000) USD$8.00 a piece, and Linux (and Windows) auto-detects them flawlessly. (as a side note: 10/100 is 'more than enough' for 10mbps hubs, but I haven't been able to find 10mbps network cards under 8 dollars a piece that work flawlessly in Linux.)

As for wiring, I recommend you going down to your local computer store and buying it, after you have measured out how much you want. Tell them you are setting up a home network using an ethernet toplogy, and would like CAT5 cable, they should be able to help you from there.

1.2 Programs you will need

Once you have met these conditions, we first need to make sure we have all the programs, so here are the links to all the programs we will be using:

DHCPd (112k) (The server side.. http://rpmfind.net/linux/RPM/contrib/libc6/i386////dhcpd-2.0b1pl0-1.i386.html)

http://www.internet.junkbuster.com/ijb20.tar.Z

PMFirewall (59k) (Current is 1.1.4 upon writing this.. http://www.pmfirewall.com/PMFirewall/#download)

Portsentry (43k) (Current is 1.0 upon writing this.. http://www.psionic.com/abacus/portsentry/)

1.3 Brief explanation of what we are about to do

Configure our Redhat Server to have a STATIC address (within our network) with a class C IP address.
Install and configure DHCPd.
Enable packet forwarding.
Install and configure PMFirewall.
Install and configure InternetJunkbuster.
Install and configure Portsentry
Configuring dynamic dns, 24/7 connectivity, and setup programs at boot-time

Next Previous Contents