On Thursday 11 September 2003 1:10 pm, Currie Sylvanus wrote:

Hello list.

Can you please suggest how I should set about installing SuSE Pro 8.2 and setting it up so that I can share my ADSL connection (USB modem) with my son's WinXP Home laptop.

Can I use the Linksys router? Does this invlove setting up SuSE as a router/gateway (possibly over-riding certain dhcp settings on the Linksys)? Or should I just use a x-over cable between the to computers

Any pointers to straightforward how-tos or other documentation would be very gratefully received

PS please don't suggest replacing my USB modem with an ethernet one, as my budget will not stretch to that as yet

TIA -- Sylvanus A. Currie WMP Technical: Data Migration Barnwood

British Energy Generation Ltd., Barnett Way, Barnwood, Gloucestershire, GL4 3RS

Hi Currie Ok, you need to network the 2 machines, so you will have to have 2 ethernet NICs in any case. If you are up for the cheapskate job, a crossover cable is required, but no Linksys router is required at all. SuSE can act as a router and do it all although I have no experience of USB modems [and have no plans to plug this gap...]. Basically, you would need to set up routing on the XP machine to use the SuSE machine as gateway and set up routing on the SuSE machine to use the USB-ADSL interface for all internet traffic [outside the local subnet]. What the USB interface is called, I have no idea, but in Linux routing tables, you can set an interface as a destination, which is quite handy. I have no experience of ADSl as yet [but I do plan to plug this gap...], but if I understand it correctly, the USB-ADSL interface will be live all the time that the SuSE machine is on, so there will be no issue of how to kick the interface into life when outgoing traffic arrives. Some might disagree, but for this size of network, forget about DHCP - it is just another showstopper if it ain't configured right [at least until you have stuff working on static addressing]. If you don't have the Linksys router [model? type?] yet, then serious advice: spend the money on an ADSL-ethernet router-hub. The difference in price will be trivial [I have just bought one of these for £75.83 inc carriage and VAT] It will save you configuring SuSE and will save you running the SuSE machine to get the XP machine on line. And if you were to think of adding a 3rd machine to this setup you would need a hub anyway. Hope that helps regards Vince Littler ps kick the British Energy board's arses for me, they have not issued a hint of an apology for wiping out value for us shareholders. The company has definitely gone downhill since I left!