On 15/01/05 16:22 +0530, Vickram Crishna wrote:
Please advise:
Network settings enables the same hardware device to be configured in different ways, so for instance I can apparently set it to detect network settings automatically (so it takes the settings from the ISP's server using DHCP, just as I already do now) and also manually set it to a local address (say for instance 10.0.0.1, 127.0.0.1 or 192.168.0.1). These can be identified as eth0 and eth1, both referring to the same network card.
Actually, eth<n> identifies different physical devices. ethn:<foo> identifies the same physical device, but with different aliases.
I would not recommend using the same physical interface both internally and externally. Trying to do so can cause extremely hard to diagnose network problems.
My questions are based on: if both settings are activated simultaneously, can I use this feature to connect to the Net on one and connect to a local network with the other?
Theoretically, you can.
If the machine is connected to the Net using a hub, can I then use the machine to act as a local mail server (ie, pick up my mail from my various POP addresses and hold them for local distribution when the other local machine(s) are switched on)? I presume such mail servers (qmail, etc) can also be configured to trash spam and viruses, just as clients do. And what about browsing?
If your network works, the rest of your requirements will be satisifed pretty trivially.
Is this what is meant by proxy? Can the box also act as a firewall and virus trap for browsing, using a suitable app?
I would really recommend using two physical interfaces, and two physically separate networks for your home/office LAN and the ISP network.
That cheap ethernet card will save you much time and headache.
Given a proper multihomed system, you can use it as a firewall including packet filtering, a local mail server with virus/spam filtering, a web proxy including filtering (squid and squidguard with the antivirus patch) and anything else you like.
Devdas Bhagat