Network Setup

[Kickass]

Ok call in the network boys, i need a solution

I have decided to take my dually of the internet primary because i simply have to reeboot as i break it so much, making all other computer users in the house suffer, which aint fair.

Anyway i have my mums old 400mhz computer with 150mb ram loaded with XP etc, very small sleak case (i want to mod of course) that i propose to use as a dedicated server.

This would mean running the rig under windows xp with 1 monitor a poo keyboard and poo mouse and JUST windows & modem installed.

Ok, the issues i have are the gaming pings and internet speed etc. When i play a game and my brother downlaods who gets priority etc, will i lag?
Will the slow computer make me lag, because its slow? another thing is would it be a good idea to run seti@home on there to keep it out of idle stage, and therefore causing it to crash (lets feel sorry for it coz its crap) or yet again will this make my game pings higher.

[furious trout]

Well it all depends really, i take it you have a broadband connection of some kind.
Assuming this is the case i'll try to answer your questions. downloading and gaming online will almost certainly slow the whole network down - having said that i've done it and it's certainly still usable for both sides ^_^(depending on how much bandwith the downloading client is set to use<_<),

Really it would be a lot easier to get hold aof a broadband router and use that to split your connection, takes all of those issues out of the equation really - and they're not that expensive. that's my preferred option FWIW

[Kickass]

Thanks for opinion mate,

I have a USB modem that connects to 512k broadband. I rarely download games unless its overnight so it would make little issues to that, however i was planning on using a bandwidth program that shares bandwidth evenly (well i was thinking 35 - 65 but oh well lol :D

I started modding the little computer earliar and attacked it with the hoover, rounded all the IDE's and grouped up all the cables :) Just needs a window and a cold cathode mod now :) then when i have got my new monitors ill have a spare one to work on. I'll show ya the pics :mellow:

[Starbuck3733T]

With XPs built-in NAT, you have no way of doing QoS (quality of service) that you'd need to do to give priority to your gaming, or priority to your machine. If you really want to do that on a PC (which you can definitly do) you'd be needing linux and iptables. Lots of good stuff on how to get basic NAT working, I've never attempted QoS since i Haven't needed it with 4Mbit broadband.

[furious trout]

If you really want to do that on a PC (which you can definitly do) you'd be needing linux and iptables. Indeed you do i can reccommend smoothwall (http://www.smoothwall.org) for that (plus it's a great firewall)
it's not a massive download and it's realtively easy to configure, there's good community support for it too so i'd give that some serious thought :)

[Kickass]

Thanks guys

I have redhat 9 i could use that or suse 8.2 pro. I was thinking it but would it run correctly and is it easy to set up? - linux server with windows clients intresting

[toby]

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=601687933&action=c2VsZWN0X3Byb2R1Y3Rfb3ZlcnZpZXc=&product_uid=48449

nice adsl modem and router in one, cheap andit works well too

[Kickass]

1. Dont have any money :h34r:

2. Routers sucks and there inbuilt firewalls are a pain for gaming / hosting etc.

3. Routers Smell

4. I want more bandwidth than my bro.

Lol no routers for me just intrested in the linux side of networking, if anyone knows.

[furious trout]

Thanks guys

I have redhat 9 i could use that or suse 8.2 pro. I was thinking it but would it run correctly and is it easy to set up? - linux server with windows clients intresting
Well if you're not familiar with Linux i'd go for smoothwall, it's free and pretty easy to configure. Whereas Red hat and suse will be a totally different kettle of fish :h34r:

but i reckon Toby's hit the nail on the head, modem and router in one go - no effort required :lol:

[Kickass]

Yeh but hey i'm not lazy lol, just a cheapskate. i have allways fancied running linux, everyone encourages me, i'm just wondering now that if i go ahead, will people help me out? do alot of people know here, yes it may get tedious but i'd apreciate it if you guys help me learn..

Whats ya say then... ?

[Da_Rude_Baboon]

I 3rd the router option. Why go for a software soloution when u can go hardware? :blink:

Downloading doesnt really effect your connection as much as everyone thinks, yes your pings go up but not by enough to cause you troubles. If your downloading via peer to peer however then either turn off your upload speed or throttle it right back as uploads will set your pings through the roof. :mad:

As an example i have 512k and i ussually connect to my clan server with a 34-40 ping. If i'm downloading the ping will go up to 60ish, which you can cope with. If i'm uploading at say 30kbps then my ping will go up to 400+ :o

[Kickass]

lol....

Yeah the router is the easy option but ima go with the server on linux

My pings to clan-serv are reported at 24 - 30 & then @ 50 nova pings (BHD i play) When i download mebbes 200 then uploading talkign 500 - 1000 :unsure:

[Knipex]

I tried going the Linux route (complete newb to Linux) after 3 weeks of headache and problems I bought a router. Saved me 2" of hairline, double the price of the router in paracamol, ulcers, loss of gaming time, not to mention all the years of my life I would have lost to stress.

Dont get me wrong I say go for it and I admire you for your hunger to learn. Me I got older, lazier and I think wiser... Why throw weeks of your life at it when a little cash will make life so much easier :D

[furious trout]

Yeh but hey i'm not lazy lol, just a cheapskate. i have allways fancied running linux, everyone encourages me, i'm just wondering now that if i go ahead, will people help me out? do alot of people know here, yes it may get tedious but i'd apreciate it if you guys help me learn..

Whats ya say then... ?
Well if you're determined to go for linux fair enough, i'd have to defer to someone else on that score, i've been meaning to play around with it for the last 2 years, i've even had Red Hat installed, but i never seem to have the time to sit down and really get in about it - sorry:unsure:

The best advice i can give you is google (http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=linux+router+setup&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&meta=)is your friend, you should be able to find just about anything you need to know on there, let us know how you get on - i'll be watching.......:p

[Starbuck3733T]

Hardware firewalls = not the suck. I game through my DI-614+, it has UPNP and gaming mode (not sure what that means) but UPNP is a good thing for streaming and conference softwares.

Or if you want a 'REAL' hardware firewall/NAT router (these routers aren't really routers, they're just NAT boxes): you get a cisco PIX (http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/vpndevc/ps2030/ps2119/index.html) :D

[Kickass]

Thanks for encouragment guys.

I was left with no option earliar, after formating my hard drive, then realising that my mate had the modem driver cd, it suddenly occured to me i was f**cked. So well i rememberd that i had the modem installed on that 400mhz pc so i booted it up and now its chugging along very nicely (yes 'chugging' bloody noisy hard disks)

I will format it one day and stick redhat on, try to get the hang of linux, the school technician used to work for linux suse so he knows quite a bit, can bug him hehehe. I will keep ya posted how things go.

[Edd]

Ah, I'm running my network through a 400Mhz (398 actually :D) Dell Dimension machine on a 56k modem :p
Works perfectly fine as a file-sharing machine and internet gateway, running Windows XP would you believe! (It has got almost 400MB of RAM though)

It's also connected to a Hercules GTXP (right mixed bag here) which goes through the floor to a Marantz amplifier ... and amazingly can do everything at once even though its still so slow.
I will be upgrading it (hopefully sooner rather than later) but its proof that it can easily be done - and would probably work even better with a Linux install.

[Kickass]

I have it chugging XP pro, its infact a cyrix 300 with 2.1gb hd & 150mb ram. Windows 'works' but is slow if you get what i mean. I will install linux once i have less things of my hand like less breaking of things etc..

The server been running 2 days now and i can bearly notice ping differences, i suppose its just like being an extra hop away from a remote server?

Hopefuly saying big capital letters 'HOPEFULY' my monitors will arrive tommorow, but more likely thursday, then i'll be able to give the server its own monitor :D

Sold two hard drives today £25 incl for 40gb & £20 incl for 30gb. So now i acctually have enough money to pay the bills ;)

Happy networking for me :h34r:

[Fibbles]

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=601687933&action=c2VsZWN0X3Byb2R1Y3Rfb3ZlcnZpZXc=&product_uid=48449

nice adsl modem and router in one, cheap andit works well too
I want the Netgear one with the cable modem and router and firewall in one.

Now, here's my question. The cheapo generic software I got with my no name router had a thingy for setting up a key, you know, a password so no one can use the wireless connection w/out knowing the pass. Where is a good place that will generate a key for me so I can use it with windows, cause the software sucks and likes to crash the computer?

[Greeny]

http://www.warewolflabs.com/portfolio/programming/wepskg/wepskg.html

[Fibbles]

http://www.warewolflabs.com/portfolio/programming/wepskg/wepskg.html
Thanks, it looks super easy too. I'm a networking n00ber, kind of like a Goober w/out chocolate or the peanut inside.

[Greeny]

Your most welcome.

I suggest you do some reading on wireless security protocol or rather lack thereof. Seems rather easy to bypass anyway.
:D

[furious trout]

I want the Netgear one with the cable modem and router and firewall in one.

Got one of them - it's great :p

[Kickass]

Wow, my post has been hijacked :blink:

[Starbuck3733T]

128 bit key:
DEADBEEFBADF00DDEADBEEFBAD

its the only useful thing you can spell in hex. WEP blows goats - too easily comprimised. if you want proper security, MAC address limit for wired and wireless cards, and run VPN.