Wondering about doing something strange with networking
I am contemplating the possibilities with the plug computer, as an
always on, router/firewall/web server for my house.
Unfortunately, although I could potentially use the usb port as an
additional networking interface, there is only one built in network
interface.
Now, I know from the past that from a linux point of view that shouldn't
matter, since I can easily have interface eth0 AND eth0:0 ...
However, when it gets to actually cabling the thing up, I am getting
confused between physical paths and logical paths.
I'll try some simple ascii art to draw the proposed setup
---------- -------------
| Ethernet |========================| Cable Modem |
| Switch | -------------
| | -------------
| |========================|Plug Computer|
| | -------------
| | -------------
| |========================| WAP |
| | -------------
| | -------------
| |========================|Linux Desktop|
---------- -------------
In essence we have a number of devices hanging off an ethernet switch
My ISP requires I have a dhclient request a lease, through the cable
modem. So I need a logical link from eth0 on the plug computer through
to the cable modem
The remainder of the devices - although ideally should use dhcp, could
be configured with static addresses (and therefore also routes) to
regard eth0:0 on the plug computer as a gateway (the plug computer would
use 192.168.0.1 as its eth0:0 interface IP address, the dhcp allocated
address on eth0 would not be in that range).
I think, in this scenario, the switch would soon learn not to send arp
messages saying who has 192.168.0.x address to the cable modem,
(although I am not sure it would matter if it did).
What I am less certain about is how I can cater for Wireless clients
coming in over the WAP, who do really need dhcp allocated addresses. My
guess is that they would be requesting leases via some broadcasting
mechanism, and that there is no way for the ethernet switch to prevent
them going to the cable modem (and thence to my isp) and the dhcp server
at my isp responding.
Is what I am trying to consider impossible?
--
Alan Chandler
http://www.chandlerfamily.org.uk
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