Can I Turn This Into A Server?

[Storm]

me and my roommate want to build our own server so we can share an internet connection without having to be dependant on the other havin the computer left on.

now i have an old computer AMD 200MHz, 2.5GB HDD, 64 MB ram

my question is: can i turn this into a stable server???? and what will i be needing??

i dont know if its of any relevance, but my comp has XP Corp and my roommate has XP Home...............



yeah i know................ n00b alert :P

[lynx]

Originally posted by Storm@29 January 2004 - 12:52
my question is: can i turn this into a stable server???? and what will i be needing??
Linux.

If you go for a minimal configuration, linux should install quite nicely on a low-power machine such as that.

You certainly won't be able to successfully install and run any Windows based server.

[4play]

try looking that this (http://doggerdog.bravepages.com/freesco/) might be a bit of a hand.

seems a micro distro would be a good for ya.

[Spicker]

cant u just buy a router? :unsure: :01:

[4play]

he could always buy a router but where is the fun in that.

it will be cheaper and alot more configurable to use linux as a router.
espeacially since he probably has most of the hardware laying around already.

[lynx]

You don't get penguins with a hardware router. :lol:

[_John_Lennon_]

Could always use it as a file server as well, just add a S ATA hard drive and controller card.

It would cost money of course, but a firewall does me little good in my current setup, dont know if it would for you.

Also, 64MB of ram is begging for linux, seeing as how something like XP needs alteast 128MB, though we all know that its really closer to 512.

[Storm]

Originally posted by jaigandhi5@29 January 2004 - 17:30
cant u just buy a router? :unsure: :01:
yeah...... but the trouble is that our mean ISP doesnt allow us to share internet, and i heard using a router makes it tracable if your running a multiple computers on a ADSL line...........

and uhmmm........ lynx, linux sounds cool, but im not that good with computers........ are there any preconfigured linux instalation packets for this???

[3RA1N1AC]

just about any PC (and even other computer-type electronics, like game consoles) can be used as servers. just depends on how much stress you intend to put on the server. you just need to be reasonable about how much work you expect it to do.

you've specifically asked your ISP if you're allowed to use a router to split your connection? i don't see why they would have a problem with it, since you're still getting the exact same amount of bandwidth (no matter how many ways you slice it), and that's what you're paying for...

[4play]

somebody else posted about closedbsd (http://www.closedbsd.org/index.html) which is a unix variant looks pretty easy to setup and fits on a floppy.

or you could follow the guide to setup fresco which i posted earlier that seems pretty easy to follow.

[Storm]

Originally posted by 3RA1N1AC@29 January 2004 - 22:31
just about any PC (and even other computer-type electronics, like game consoles) can be used as servers. just depends on how much stress you intend to put on the server. you just need to be reasonable about how much work you expect it to do.

you've specifically asked your ISP if you're allowed to use a router to split your connection? i don't see why they would have a problem with it, since you're still getting the exact same amount of bandwidth (no matter how many ways you slice it), and that's what you're paying for...
not really, 2 ppl means 2x as much downloading, which means 2x as much data costs for the ISP

@ 4play: thnx


next question (i know im gonna get yelled at for this): what hardware do i need????

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by Storm@29 January 2004 - 21:09
not really, 2 ppl means 2x as much downloading, which means 2x as much data costs for the ISP

@ 4play: thnx


next question (i know im gonna get yelled at for this): what hardware do i need????
Actually Brainiac is correct. Your ISP gives you a fixed amount of bandwidth, and a router splits that bandwidth between your PCs. You are sharing the connection between any PCs connected to the router, but that doesn't make your internet connection any faster.

You don't need any special hardware to run a server, you just need a big-ass internet connection and internet-server software. A hardware firewall might be a good investment though.

[h1]

Sure. With servers, stability matters more than speed.

You should get a micro distro like 4play said.

Hardware: like Lamsey said, fat pipe connection, hardware router, sleek 4TB NAS... j/p :P

For web server software, I recommend Apache, which is pretty good and easy to set up.

[Storm]

@ lamsey: thats the thing, we dont have a limited bandwith, just a FUP (fair use policy)...... downside is we cant split it..........

what do hardware firewalls cost (approximately)??? and is it really a worth it over a normal firewall????

[james_bond_rulez]

Originally posted by Storm@29 January 2004 - 04:52
me and my roommate want to build our own server so we can share an internet connection without having to be dependant on the other havin the computer left on.

now i have an old computer AMD 200MHz, 2.5GB HDD, 64 MB ram

my question is: can i turn this into a stable server???? and what will i be needing??

i dont know if its of any relevance, but my comp has XP Corp and my roommate has XP Home...............



yeah i know................ n00b alert  :P
u can run ur computer as a router with windows os

just install a wireless card on ur machine and install sygate office network (u need a crack, but find it urself :lol: )

run it as a proxy gateway

http://smb.sygate.com/products/son/son_ov.htm

"Information:
This program delivers an Internet access management solution that provides shared Internet access, network bridging, VPN Routing, security and bandwidth optimization to maximize the use of your Internet connection. Sygate Office Network turns any PC into an Internet gateway with enterprise-level management functions, while protecting the computers on your network. "

good luck

[james_bond_rulez]

Originally posted by Storm@29 January 2004 - 14:07
@ lamsey: thats the thing, we dont have a limited bandwith, just a FUP (fair use policy)...... downside is we cant split it..........

what do hardware firewalls cost (approximately)??? and is it really a worth it over a normal firewall????
if u do what i told u correctly u wont have to spend a dime

except if u dont want to share the connection wirelessly then u'll need a hub to connect all 3 computers together.

a hub just connects the computers together, a router shares the internet with multiple computers

[B_U_B_B_A]

thers a linux version called smoothwall which is just for running a pc as a hardware firewall and router

edit: here is a link (http://www.smoothwall.org/)

[4play]

i was recommended ipcop (http://www.ipcop.org/cgi-bin/twiki/view/IPCop/WebHome) over smoothwall by one of my lecturers.