Multi-drop PPPoE (Re: [ale] Mindspring/Earthlink DSL and linux?)

[Jeff Hubbs]

Dow -
Coyote's stated minimum requirements are:
 
486DX/25Mhz (lesser processors can only be used if a coprocessor
is present)
12Mb RAM
1.44Mb Floppy Drive
VGA Display

I can tell you that I am working just fine with Coyote on an 8MB
486DX/33.  Your 386DX/40 (I'm guessing the DX means that the 386 has
the coprocessor built in just like the 486) might be at the absolute low
end of what's usable, as long as you get a good pair of supported NICs. 
I wouldn't worry about DHCP load, but DNS load might be something you wouldn't
want to do on that 386 as a Coyote-based firewall.
If the 386 works OK, I wouldn't junk it - that has "print server" and
"fax server" written all over it.  DNS/DHCP is another possibility. 
I dunno about a caching DNS for Internet use, though.
I tried disconnecting the PS fan on my firewall box but the temp inside
the PS went to 124F - hotter than I felt it ought to be - so I reconnected
it.
- Jeff
Dow Hurst wrote:
I also am watching this discussion as I just received
my
Mindspring/Earthlink DSL install kit.
I am thinking that since I have an old 386 I can bring up, that running
Coyote Linux thru the floppy would be cost effective.  How important
is
the CPU power of the router if that is the CPU's only purpose? 
I agree
that a small appliance that is fanless and small would contribute to
the
quality of the work environment.  That is an important side to
home
networking that can easily be forgotten until you have to put it all
together!
How does router performance relate to CPU power?  I have an old
486DX100
and an older 386DX40 as possible router machines.  The Alcatel/Zyxel
DSL
modem which I received doesn't do NAT but does have "device" filtering
but not "protocol" filtering capabilities.  I don't have any experience
with creating rulesets based on offset bits and octal masks for
filtering packets so I'll want to stick to protocol filtering under
netfilter or ipchains.  That means the router machine will actively
filter causing load on the CPU.
What happens to the CPU equation when you add services such as DHCP,
DNS, email, and so on?  Wouldn't the perceived performance in
the
network depend more on the number of clients using those services as
to
how the load on the CPU scaled?  Thanks,
Dow
Susan Liebeskind wrote:
>
> I'm watching this discussion with interest as I currently have Mindspring
> DSL and a Linux Gateway (RH 6.2, and I need to upgrade the kernel,
I know)
> and Roaring Penguin PPPoE.
>
>Â  ---
>
> I'd like to replace my Linux gateway box which is running on old
and
> failing hardware, and have thought long and hard about dumping the
PC in
> favor of the Linksys DSL router.  It would free up a huge amount
of space
> in the home office.
>
> But...am I correct in that you CANNOT do IP masquerading through
the
> Linksys DSL router?  One of the boxes at home is an old Solaris
box, and I
> don't want the hassles of trying to find a PPPoE client for Solaris.
> One of the recent postings suggested that every client connecting
through
> the DSL router must be running PPPoE, and that's not worth it to
me.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Susan
> ===========================================================================
> Susan Liebeskind (susan.liebeskind at gtri.gatech.edu)
> GTRI/ITTL/CSITD
> 347 Ferst St                                    
Fax   404-894-9081
> Atlanta, GAÂ  30332-0832Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
Phone 404-894-4266
>
>
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--
__________________________________________________________
Dow Hurst                  
Office: 770-499-3428
Systems Support Specialist  Fax:    770-423-6744
1000 Chastain Rd.
Chemistry Department SC428Â  Email:dhurst at kennesaw.edu
Kennesaw State University        
Dow.Hurst at mindspring.com
Kennesaw, GA 30144
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