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From: Robert Withrow <bwithrow@baynetworks.com>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: FAQ Troll -- Fbsd box as a ROHO router
Date: Wed, 04 Sep 1996 16:12:43 -0400
Organization: Bay Networks, Inc.
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CC: bwithrow
I know this is a faq, but there doesn't seem to be a comprehensive
answer anywhere that I have looked, so I'll troll here and
create a document... Send me mail if you can help.
The topic is using an offcast 386 box as a ROHO (Remote Office/Home
office) router. I am aware of the tradeoffs between using
a unix box versus using a ``real'' router, (heck, the company
I work for sells 'em) but in this case (ROHO) lets assume that
the tradeoff decision has been made in favor of the unix box
for the following reasons:
1) The marginal cost of the hardware is next to zero
since nearly all the components are just sitting there doing
nothing.
2) The marginal cost of the setup is next to zero because
there is a technonerd just sitting there doing nothing.
3) The box can proxy for WIN95 systems at the same time.
OK? The question is: how do I set this up? Here are the
following criteria/assumptions:
1) I want to have this box be headless, and sitting on a
shelf in the back room (there is no room for a keyboard
and monitor, and besides it is dark and scary back
there and I only want to go there once) with only
three connections:
a) The power plug,
b) The local LAN, and
c) The telco ISDN connection (Lets restrict this to ISDN).
2) I want to use a dynamic ISDN connection to an ISP.
3) I want to set-it and forget-it.
4) I want to proxy web and ftp traffic on this box for
the benefit of local WIN95 boxes.
5) I want to get maximum bandwidth out of the expensive
telco/ISP resource.
6) I have only one address the ISP routes. (Alternatively,
I have only N addresses where N is small).
7) I want to have basic firewalling, but nothing fancy,
since the link will be down most of the time anyway...
8) I have to buy the ISDN hardware.
9) Assume the link to the ISP will be up no more than
4 hours/day 5 days/week (80Hr/month), but when it is
up I want it to be *zippy*.
Some tradeoffs:
1) Do I use a special sync/serial card or just a bitsurfer and
16550 setup.
2) Do I do fancy routing (routed, gated) or just simple
static routing.
3) What software do I use for
1) Firewall
2) Routing
3) Proxying
I will actually build and connect this thing, and write up my
experiences and put the document somewhere on the freebsd pages
(The Freebsd people willing).
--
Robert Withrow -- (+1 508 436 8256)
BWithrow@BayNetworks.com (or witr@rwwa.com)