Guest ~~Alan~~ Posted September 24, 2008 Posted September 24, 2008 I have some time on my hands in addition to an older system and some other things. I want to build a router that will also act as a server/firewall among other things. I am thinking of building an XP system and configuring ICS or Internet Connection Sharing. This will require two LAN adaptors, one of which will be connected directly to my cable modem (WAN) and the other will have a hub connected to it for my LAN. On this machine, I want to: 1. connect a printer to share to my LAN, and 2. connect some external USB disk drives for file sharing on the LAN. 3. install anti-virus software and not have to run it on my other systems. 4. configure this applicance to accept VPN connections and with a DDNS client, connect to my LAN from the internet. I know I will have to configure the LAN side as a DHCP Server Is this do-able and what do I need to watch out for? What kind of security should I consider on the WAN side. I want to make this thing as dumb as possible on the WAN side just like a home router and have a small file and printer server on the LAN side. ~alan
Guest WindPipe Posted September 24, 2008 Posted September 24, 2008 Re: Internet Connection Sharing Hello ~~Alan~~, please se in-line except number 4. "~~Alan~~" <a.shepro-NoSpam@gmail.com> wrote in message news:%23DWbfVoHJHA.3736@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >I have some time on my hands in addition to an older system and some other >things. I want to build a router that will also act as a server/firewall among >other things. > I am thinking of building an XP system and configuring ICS or Internet > Connection Sharing. This will require two LAN adaptors, one of which will be > connected directly to my cable modem (WAN) and the other will have a hub > connected to it for my LAN. You shouldn't really need to go down the ICS line. Plug the server PC and the cable modem into the router. Don't know the model (age) of your router, I am assuming it has a WAN plug for the web (as in your cable modem). > On this machine, I want to: > 1. connect a printer to share to my LAN, and Connect into the server, enable File and Print Sharing, share it. - OR- If your router and printer are capable (or it's not do difficult to do), you can plug the printer into the router (No need for the File and Print Sharing service). Either directly or via a Print Server (it needs to be a good print server, otherwise your locking the printer until your done before anyone else can access it). Better plug it into the server. > 2. connect some external USB disk drives for file sharing on the LAN. Plug it into a USB port on the server and apply sharing\security\permissions to it appropriately. For slightly better performance of the disc(s), optimise them for performance rather then quick removal, just an after thought it not that essential. > 3. install anti-virus software and not have to run it on my other systems. If your network is wired, you will require a firewall of some sort(s) at the server end. Hardware\software\both you can find lengthly discussions on that, even in this newsgroup. Assuming your router and cable model have one, it wouldn't be so wrong to have a software one on the server either. Anti-virus, install on all the PCs (and server) in the network, especially for emails, unless the server takes care of... Nuh! put antivirus on all the PCs, and the server. > 4. configure this applicance to accept VPN connections and with a DDNS client, > connect to my LAN from the internet. > > I know I will have to configure the LAN side as a DHCP Server > Is this do-able and what do I need to watch out for? Yes, it's been done before and many times. > What kind of security should I consider on the WAN side. Firewall > I want to make this thing as dumb as possible on the WAN side just like a home > router and have a small file and printer server on the LAN side. > > ~alan Hope that helps even a little. - WindPipe
Guest Patrick Keenan Posted September 24, 2008 Posted September 24, 2008 Re: Internet Connection Sharing "~~Alan~~" <a.shepro-NoSpam@gmail.com> wrote in message news:%23DWbfVoHJHA.3736@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >I have some time on my hands in addition to an older system and some other >things. I want to build a router that will also act as a server/firewall >among other things. > > I am thinking of building an XP system and configuring ICS or Internet > Connection Sharing. This will require two LAN adaptors, one of which will > be connected directly to my cable modem (WAN) and the other will have a > hub connected to it for my LAN. > > On this machine, I want to: > 1. connect a printer to share to my LAN, and > 2. connect some external USB disk drives for file sharing on the LAN. > 3. install anti-virus software and not have to run it on my other systems. > 4. configure this applicance to accept VPN connections and with a DDNS > client, connect to my LAN from the internet. > > I know I will have to configure the LAN side as a DHCP Server > > Is this do-able and what do I need to watch out for? What kind of > security should I consider on the WAN side. I want to make this thing as > dumb as possible on the WAN side just like a home router and have a small > file and printer server on the LAN side. > > ~alan I really would not rely on one XP system set as a router, being the entire antivirus protection scheme. You should install A/V software on all systems. In the first place, if people have physical access to the other systems, it's very, very easy for malware to be introduced by way of removable media, such as CD, ipod, USB key, etc, and the hosted A/V will not detect it until it's much too late. You might also consider using a Linux distribution for this instead, as it is more suited to this kind of task. It's actually rather easy to set up a Linux box for file storage and printer host for Windows systems. XP Pro has a hard limit of 10 connections, and you may very well suddenly find yourself out of connections, with only an OS upgrade to server as a fix. This won't be the case with Linux. HTH -pk
Guest Patrick Keenan Posted September 24, 2008 Posted September 24, 2008 Re: Internet Connection Sharing "WindPipe" <wind_pipe@msnews.grp> wrote in message news:ugE5t0oHJHA.3548@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > > Hello ~~Alan~~, please se in-line except number 4. > > "~~Alan~~" <a.shepro-NoSpam@gmail.com> wrote in message > news:%23DWbfVoHJHA.3736@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >>I have some time on my hands in addition to an older system and some other >>things. I want to build a router that will also act as a server/firewall >>among other things. > >> I am thinking of building an XP system and configuring ICS or Internet >> Connection Sharing. This will require two LAN adaptors, one of which >> will be connected directly to my cable modem (WAN) and the other will >> have a hub connected to it for my LAN. > > You shouldn't really need to go down the ICS line. Plug the server PC and > the cable modem into the router. Don't know the model (age) of your > router, I am assuming it has a WAN plug for the web (as in your cable > modem). As I read it, the OP doesn't want to use, perhaps doesn't have, a commerical router. He essentially wants to *make a router* out of an XP box. I'm not sure this is a good or practical idea (Linux may be a better choice), but that's what I think he's asking. -pk <snippage>
Guest Patrick Keenan Posted September 24, 2008 Posted September 24, 2008 Re: Internet Connection Sharing "~~Alan~~" <a.shepro-NoSpam@gmail.com> wrote in message news:%23DWbfVoHJHA.3736@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >I have some time on my hands in addition to an older system and some other >things. I want to build a router that will also act as a server/firewall >among other things. > > I am thinking of building an XP system and configuring ICS or Internet > Connection Sharing. This will require two LAN adaptors, one of which will > be connected directly to my cable modem (WAN) and the other will have a > hub connected to it for my LAN. > > On this machine, I want to: > 1. connect a printer to share to my LAN, and > 2. connect some external USB disk drives for file sharing on the LAN. > 3. install anti-virus software and not have to run it on my other systems. > 4. configure this applicance to accept VPN connections and with a DDNS > client, connect to my LAN from the internet. > > I know I will have to configure the LAN side as a DHCP Server > > Is this do-able and what do I need to watch out for? What kind of > security should I consider on the WAN side. I want to make this thing as > dumb as possible on the WAN side just like a home router and have a small > file and printer server on the LAN side. > > ~alan Google "use XP as router" to find some links on how to set up IP forwarding in XP Pro to make it work sort-of as a router (there's a registry key). This kind of thing is what I call a science project, rather than going directly to a working solution. It's valid as that, there is no guarantee it's valid as a solution. If you want server functions, you should use a server OS. HTH -pk
Guest WindPipe Posted September 24, 2008 Posted September 24, 2008 Re: Internet Connection Sharing DOH! Just made an ASS-of-U-and-MPTION...! Your correct if that's what he was asking for, I have never seen an XP box as such, but have seen quite a few RedHat and Solaris systems configured as such. ~~Alan~~, get a router for a simple Windows solution. Not saying Linux is hard, like Windows, you just need to know it. - WindPipe "Patrick Keenan" <test@dev.null> wrote in message news:uJCNJMpHJHA.1088@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > > "WindPipe" <wind_pipe@msnews.grp> wrote in message > news:ugE5t0oHJHA.3548@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >> >> Hello ~~Alan~~, please se in-line except number 4. >> >> "~~Alan~~" <a.shepro-NoSpam@gmail.com> wrote in message >> news:%23DWbfVoHJHA.3736@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >>>I have some time on my hands in addition to an older system and some other >>>things. I want to build a router that will also act as a server/firewall among >>>other things. >> >>> I am thinking of building an XP system and configuring ICS or Internet >>> Connection Sharing. This will require two LAN adaptors, one of which will be >>> connected directly to my cable modem (WAN) and the other will have a hub >>> connected to it for my LAN. >> >> You shouldn't really need to go down the ICS line. Plug the server PC and the >> cable modem into the router. Don't know the model (age) of your router, I am >> assuming it has a WAN plug for the web (as in your cable modem). > > As I read it, the OP doesn't want to use, perhaps doesn't have, a commerical > router. > > He essentially wants to *make a router* out of an XP box. > > I'm not sure this is a good or practical idea (Linux may be a better choice), > but that's what I think he's asking. > > -pk > <snippage>
Guest ~~Alan~~ Posted September 25, 2008 Posted September 25, 2008 Re: Internet Connection Sharing I have a router, lots of routers as a matter of fact. As i wrote, I also have a lot of time on my hands and I was just wondering what was involved. Linux might be a way for me to go. I have not played much with Linux for quite a while now. I suppose this would be a good exercise. Thanks for the advice. ~alan "~~Alan~~" <a.shepro-NoSpam@gmail.com> wrote in message news:%23DWbfVoHJHA.3736@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... >I have some time on my hands in addition to an older system and some other >things. I want to build a router that will also act as a server/firewall >among other things. > > I am thinking of building an XP system and configuring ICS or Internet > Connection Sharing. This will require two LAN adaptors, one of which will > be connected directly to my cable modem (WAN) and the other will have a > hub connected to it for my LAN. > > On this machine, I want to: > 1. connect a printer to share to my LAN, and > 2. connect some external USB disk drives for file sharing on the LAN. > 3. install anti-virus software and not have to run it on my other systems. > 4. configure this applicance to accept VPN connections and with a DDNS > client, connect to my LAN from the internet. > > I know I will have to configure the LAN side as a DHCP Server > > Is this do-able and what do I need to watch out for? What kind of > security should I consider on the WAN side. I want to make this thing as > dumb as possible on the WAN side just like a home router and have a small > file and printer server on the LAN side. > > ~alan > > > >
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