Thread View: uk.comp.os.linux
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Started by Aquarius
Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:24
Cable modem on hub
Author: Aquarius
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:24
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:24
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I'm thinking of moving to the Blueyonder cablemodem service. First, does anybody have any recommendations either for or against? There's a HOWTO which explains just how easy it is to get it to work, which is rather handy. Additionally, I've got a home LAN; can I just plug the cablemodem into the hub, or do I need two NICs in the gateway machine? I'm told that the first is OK from a technical perspective but bad from a security perspective, but I didn't really understand the explanation... Aq. -- AFE dg++>+ ka+++>++ d+++ m+++>++ ot++ b++ tq- i! c- l++ afec++ a? f+>- fsN the AFECode, at http://www.kryogenix.org/afe/afecode.shtml
Re: Cable modem on hub
Author: "Roger Hamlett"
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 09:47
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 09:47
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"Aquarius" <aquarius@kryogenix.org> wrote in message news:99s7hg$jph$1@giles.kryogenix.org... > I'm thinking of moving to the Blueyonder cablemodem service. First, > does anybody have any recommendations either for or against? There's a > HOWTO which explains just how easy it is to get it to work, which is > rather handy. > > Additionally, I've got a home LAN; can I just plug the cablemodem into > the hub, or do I need two NICs in the gateway machine? I'm told that > the first is OK from a technical perspective but bad from a security > perspective, but I didn't really understand the explanation... Use two cards. Remember that the modem is just that. It connects the network wire attached to it, to the network provided by the cable supplier. Now if you attach the modem directly to your hub, then effectively, the suppliers network is connected directly to yours. Security will then depend entirely on the cable provider... If you use two cards, then you can set up the linux machine, to limit the actual ports transferred to the 'local' network, and which machines are allowed to connect etc.. You can deny certain types of external traffic, reducing the risks significantly. The modems are usually provided with a cable designed to directly connect to a card, and given the cost of a simple 10base-T card, this is the easier, and better solution. Best Wishes
Re: Cable modem on hub
Author: John Ineson
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 18:49
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 18:49
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On Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:24:01 GMT, Aquarius <aquarius@kryogenix.org> wrote: >Additionally, I've got a home LAN; can I just plug the cablemodem into >the hub, Yes, although you may need to connect it with a xover cable. My CM socket is wired "backwards", so that you can connect it to a PC using a straight patch cable - I assume this is the norm. >or do I need two NICs in the gateway machine? I'm told that >the first is OK from a technical perspective but bad from a security >perspective, but I didn't really understand the explanation... No major difference. The latter will prevent any packets destined for the gateway from being sniffed, but that's all. Assuming you're using ethernet, traffic to and from any other machines will be sniffable either way. A stronger argument is congestion - if you plug the CM into the hub, every outgoing packet goes host->network->gateway->network->CM as opposed to host->network->gateway->CM (same for incoming, but in the opposite direction). IOW, you are doubling up on traffic (although you'll still have plenty of spare bandwidth, even with 10Mbit ethernet). We started with the former configuration and now use the latter - noticed no significant difference. So while the direct connection is nicer, I'd say use whichever is convenient. -- John G Ineson
Re: Cable modem on hub
Author: binit@lostcause.
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 21:29
Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 21:29
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On Wed, 28 Mar 2001 08:24:01 GMT, Aquarius <aquarius@kryogenix.org> wrote: >I'm thinking of moving to the Blueyonder cablemodem service. First, >does anybody have any recommendations either for or against? I've been on Blueyonder since January. Service was bad for the first few weeks but seems to have settled down now. It sometimes slows down in the evening but a lot of that is not blueyonder specific. The news server is the only part that I am dissatisfied with; it is often impossibly slow and a recent upgrade by blueyonder has not been a great improvement. Installation is very straightforward, there is no need to install any software on your machine, just setup dhcpcd. (It is not essential to have a windows box for the install, provided you can handle the network configuration, but, having said that, if the installer has trouble setting up the line or is simply a jobsworth it might be easier to have a windows box online for half an hour.) > >Additionally, I've got a home LAN; can I just plug the cablemodem into >the hub, or do I need two NICs in the gateway machine? I'm told that >the first is OK from a technical perspective but bad from a security >perspective, but I didn't really understand the explanation... Two NICs is simpler, keeps your network isulated from the big bad world and NICs are not an expensive item. I have a linux firewall here based on a 1989 vintage 386 with two 3com509 cards (�5 each at a computer fair) A firewall is recomended, my logs are showing an increasing amount of scanning activity. -- David Clark, London WC1 <http://www.ordior.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/>
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