michael wrote:
I've had a look about but can't find a basic guide to setting up a home
network. There seems much discussion of 'deeper' stuff but I'm stymied for
setting up my first home Debian/Linux network.
I've a computer that did have Internet connection via ethernet to a modem
router. It's now connected to Internet by a USB modem.
I've a second computer with an ethernet card.
So all I want to do is connect the latter to the former such that both can
access the Internet...
All pointers to (simple) (online) (Debian specific) references most welcome!
Thanks, Michael
This is not so much a how-to as a list of general themes that you might
want to think about. There are plently of how-tos that get into the
details, but don't hesitate to ask if you get stuck on any detail.
First you will have to compile the appropriate drivers into your kernel.
I recommend reading through the driver options while running "make xconfig"
and paying special attention to the networking options, like ethernet
bridging, filtering and forwarding. You will probably end up enabling nearly
all the networking options.
Then you will need the user space firewall software. I've had good results
with the graphical apps called guidedog and guarddog, for firewall/bridging
functions respectively. The are fancier ones but for home use I think those
are fine, and also very easy to use. (Reading the docs for these will help
give you a basic understanding of how your gateway will work.)
After installing the firewall software, turn off all unused ports. In
addition, carefully go through your init sequence and turn off unused
servers and daemons. On my firewall I also remove the unused server
packages and all other unused software, and access the box only through
a serial port, for security. (This latter option has to be enabled in
your kernel).
If you are concerned about power, then you might also remove unused
peripherals and extra memory, and underclock the processor. It takes
very little processing power to function as a firewall. Consider using
a fan-less heatsink for reliability reasons.
Since the firewall serves a vital function, I make my more fail-safe by
using a second drive, kept up to date using rsync, as a mirror of the
root drive which I can always use if the root drive fails. A secondary
purpose is for use in case I suspect that the machine has been compromised.
Finally, you may want to install some system monitoring software like
tiger, and some network monitoring tools like snort. When you see all
the benefits of having a custom firewall, I predict you will never go
back to an off-the-shelf router.
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