Author Topic: Home Network Book or Website suggestions (Read 202 times)

Sparks · « **on:** December 27, 2006, 03:08:41 PM »

I want to utilise the hardware I have and really do my netowrk here at home properly - for example I want to get a NAS box (maybe RAID) to put all my photos on, run a print server etc.
I have done some searching on the web but it seems all too ruddy complicated or not complicated enough

What I need is a simple resource to explain how to set up firewalls, router firewalls, file sharing, etc securely but easily.
We have two desktops, a laptop, two printers and shortly a NAS box to consider. One desktop and the laptop run wireless - the other desktop wired.
Any resource anyone can point me to would be apreciated.
Thanks
Sparks

Hawco · « **Reply #1 on:** December 27, 2006, 04:13:30 PM »

I'll have one of my geeks contact you, send me a pm with a valid email and I'll take care of it.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #2 on:** December 27, 2006, 04:14:13 PM »

Dunno if you have the expertise or knowledge, but I pretty much have a similar setup, and here is how I set mine up.

I set up a Linux box running Samba as the file server. Configured it to be the router/firewall and then used an HP JetDirect print server for my two printers.

It also allows me to do WEB site testing on my local LAN as I can turn on Apache on the Linux box as well.

A more direct answer to your question; I have no idea where you would find documentation to help you do what you want to do.

Sparks · « **Reply #3 on:** December 27, 2006, 04:45:33 PM »

Hawco - PM sent - thanks

Skuzzy, I maybe possibly could do it but I was hoping it wouldn't be that[/b] involved

On a specific level - I have a Cable Modem into a Linksys Router. All the PC's run ZoneAlarm and all the PC's are set to keep the Router address in the "Internet Zone" - no sharing etc. Is the router firewall good enough where I can change the firewall settings to allow sharing or is the Linux box the only safe way ?? I was hoping I could set everything up safely behind the router ??

Sparks

Skuzzy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 28, 2006, 07:11:37 AM »

One of the nicer things about Linux is, it will not propagate Netbios ports. This allows you to share on your LAN without any issue at all.

By default, Linux does not have any inbound ports as LISTENER's, unless you specifically configure them to be open (i.e. sendmail, Apache...or any other Internet related server type thingy).

And even if you decide to have a LISTENER running, you can specifically configure the rules to restrict access, down to a single IP address if you like.

Now, if you do not want Linux to respond to the ICMP ECHO message (pings, traceroutes....), then you will have to disable that. Easy enough to do.

If you want to run a LISTENER on your LAN, which allows connections from the Internet, you have to specifically configure a rule in the Linux box to allow it.

For me, it was a no-brainer. I have the knowledge to configure everything, and I also have a plethora of old computers laying around. I used an old 800Mhz P3 system with 256MB of RAM for my router/file server. Stuck two Ethernet cards in it. Configured a router, DHCP server/client, name service (BIND), Apache, MySQL, Sendmail, Samba, and POP3 to run on it.

I have another 800Mhz P3 running my Visual SourceSafe. I could have connected the printers to it, but I like to turn off that server when it is not needed.

My filter rulesets are such that I do not need any local firewalls on the computers. Oh, I also added SPAM filters to the email side, as well as virus checkers. These are my own doing.

People have asked me to write-up the configuration and setup for this stuff, but I just have not found the time to do so.

Hawco · « **Reply #5 on:** December 28, 2006, 05:20:09 PM »

Hi sparks
Check your email