[TriLUG] Slightly OT: AOL Cable Broadband & Linux

[John Franklin]

On Mon, Jan 06, 2003 at 12:42:50PM -0500, Andrew Perrin wrote:
> My in-laws are moving into a new house in Carrboro, and they've asked me
> to help with computer stuff. Their criteria are:
> - Keep their AOL addresses;
> - Let both of them be online at once;
> - Have three computers on two floors share the internet connection, files,
> 	and the printer

Does the printer have it's own print server, or is it sufficient for the
printer to hang off one box and be shared by Windows?  Ditto the file
service.  Are they looking for a home-NAS solution or do they just want
to mount each other's drives?

> My additional criterion is: 
> - Do (some) administrative tasks remotely
>
> What I would like to do is very much like what I have at home: a cable
> modem into a cheap linux computer acting as a router with IPTables, with
> a WAP providing wireless access to the three other computers, probably all
> windows running VNC servers.
> 
> Question for y'all: has anyone used AOL's cable broadband service w/
> linux? Any pitfalls I should beware of? 
> 
> Also: my plan is to use the linux box for the local routing both because
> it's cool and because it will allow for some remote administration. Is
> that stupid, i.e., should I just buy an out-of-the-box broadband router?

Points to consider:

* Power cost:  Hashed out elsewhere.  It's a valid, albeit not overly
compelling point.  More so on a fixed income.

* Real estate: Do they have space they can dedicate to such a box?  My
parents have similar home network requirements, but an AirPort
basestation and a Netgear 10/100 hub on top of a bookshelf is all they
really have space for.

* Noise: drives churning, fans blowing sometimes grinding.

* Honest need: Do they *really* need a dedicated Linux box?  Being AOL
users, do they really know or care what a Linux box can bring them?

* Brownie Points: Carborro isn't all that remote.  If they have some
issue that requires more than power-cycling the broadband appliance then
go over with your spouse for dinner.  You'll earn points with your
spouse, you'll earn points with your in-laws and odds are dinner won't
be left over chicken.

jf
-- 
John Franklin
franklin at elfie.org
ICBM: 35°43'56"N 78°53'27"W