[plug] switch + adsl router

[James Bromberger]

On Tue, Jun 04, 2002 at 08:45:40AM +0800, Robert Davies wrote:
> Switch + ADSL router namely D-Link 504, good or bad Idea?
> ADSL Ethernet modem or Router what is difference if any?

What are you trying to achive?
	* Singple 'real' IP, plus optional private network masqueraded 
	  behind a gateway (NAT).
	* Multiple 'real' IP addresses
	* Both of the above

If you are getting a product where only one IP is routed to you, as most 
ADSL products do, then you need:
	* normal DSL modem, gateway machine with 2 NICs and an OS with 
	  masquerade (NAT) abailities.

If you are having multiple IPs, then you have three options:
	* normal DSL modem, gateway machine (acting as a router) with 
	  two or three NICs: one to route to the modem, one to route your 
	  local public IPs, and one to NAT to your private internal IPs
	* normal DSL modem, gateway machine (acting as a router) with 
	  two NICs, routing LIVE IPs to your public network, and a 
	  second machine acting as a gatway doing NAT
	* Router DSL Modem, doing the job of the gateway machine above

I do option 3 above: Alcatel Pro modem does routing of multiple 'real' 
IPs onto a 'local' public network (ie, feed into a hub or switch). 
One of the hosts on this network does NAT for the private network behind it. 

> D-Link network switches, modem and routers good or bad, alternatives if
> any?

Dlink is good for unmanaged gear. Cheap, affordable, and pretty reliable. 
If you want to be able to manage it, then Bay or Cisco (=> $$$).
 
> I have a couple of machines scattered throughout house and office to
> connect to ADSL, I thought this a cheaper alternative to my original plan
> of switch plus ethernet ADSL Modem or router, through a old 486 gateway +
> firewall. There are hubs already in plan for M$ and Mac machines.

Reliability or flexibility is the choice to make; I like having dedicated 
hardware that does one job well.

-- 
 James Bromberger <james_AT_rcpt.to> www.james.rcpt.to
 Remainder moved to http://www.james.rcpt.to/james/sig.html
 The Australian Linux Technical Conference 2003: http://conf.linux.org.au/
    (This sig was edited by mtearle)
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