[CLUE-Tech] linux & broadband

[Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier]

Hi Himanshu,

> The hardware I have available is: 5 machines with 1 running windows and the rest 4 linux, a 5-port hub and network cards. So, I think I have all the necessary hardware to implement a network. Now, I am using att's @home service and I think the IP address they assign is semi-static for it seems to change every time they reconfigure their servers. Would this be a problem once I set up my network? I am sure once I understand the part dealing with configuring the network, I can run a cron twice a day to reconfigure if it detects a change in the IP address. I use MS Outlook for my email ( i know you guys hate anything to do with MS, but that is what I have available), would there be any problems I may run into in accessing my email on the windows machine, once I make my windows machine as the slave?  

You've got a lot of questions in there, but I thought I'd answer one or two 
points that I've got personal experience with...

I've got @Home as well, and it is pretty much a "semi-static" IP address. From
what the techs told me, if you're using their Windows software it's supposed
to change every 7 days or something like that. (I haven't used it, but that's
what they told me...) I just use regular DHCP on the first Ethernet interface 
and that works fine. You shouldn't need to set up cron at all -- my firewall
has been up for 77 days and the IP address hasn't changed. It would have
been longer, but my power went out whilst I was away seeing a movie or something
and the UPS didn't last quite long enough... 

I don't want to be a Microsoft-basher, but I implore you to consider switching
email clients. I've been hammered with files from victims of the SirCam 
infestation, and I just hate to see anyone using Outlook. You don't have
to move off of Windows if you're not ready - there are several other email
clients for Windows. AFAIK, Eudora is still a pretty good email client, and
there's always Netscape. 

It might take a while, but I'm sure you'll get everything set up satisfactorily
in good time, however you decide to configure it. 

Take care,

Zonker
--
Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier -=- jbrockmeier at earthlink.net
http://www.DissociatedPress.net/
Free Dmitry Skylarov! http://www.freeskylarov.org/
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