[ale] 98, Linux, and my dial up (was backup setup)

[Greg]

Windows 98 can be set up to dial on a modem whenever a network connection is
not present.  You cannot give it an IP address and then dial up and have
your ISP give it an IP.  You have to use either static or dynamic IP
addressing, unless you go in  and change it manually or have a script set it
up.  You cannot use an either/or set up that mixes dynamic and static IP
addressing - it is only one or the other.

One scenario is to buy a mechanical switch box for telephones and move the
switch between the Linux box, the Windows98 box and a telephone (or
whatever).  I use this whenever I have to fax stuff via modem.  They are
around a dozen dollars or so, but will confine you to using only 1 box to
dialup at a time.  I am guessing that you want to have all your PC's on a
connection at the same time.  This entails a network of some sort or a
shared connection.  The cheapest way is like this:

I would suggest putting a NIC into the Linux box and another into the
Windows98 box and have the Linux box dial up to your ISP via modem and share
the connection with your Windows98 box - by using your Linux box as a
router/bridge/gateway/firewall/whatever.  The cost here is for 2 old NICs -
about $2.00 in a bargain bin somewhere and a crossover cable (est $7.00).
Total cost is est. $11.00. You will have to do some configuring on your
Linux box with regards to networking, but it is trivial and this list can
help you.  It is what just about everyone on the list with a network is
doing now.

I would suggest using zonealarms (free version) as a firewall on the Windows
box, as well as an anti-virus program.  adsubtract will also help get rid of
adware type stuff and save on your bandwidth too.

The set-up looks like this:

ISP --> modem || Linux box || NIC --> crossover cable --> NIC || Windows 98
box

Greg



> -----Original Message-----
> From: ale-admin at ale.org [mailto:ale-admin at ale.org]On Behalf Of Preston
> Boyington
> Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 1:44 PM
> To: ale at ale.org
> Subject: [ale] 98, linux, and my dial up (was backup setup)
>
>
> Hello Geoffrey,
>
> Wednesday, February 19, 2003, 10:59:13 AM, you wrote:
> <snipped>
>
> G> Preston, are you planning providing internet access via the
> linux box or
> G> have the win98 box dial out direct?
>
> Currently each dials out independently.  What happens is the 98
> machine doesn't like it when I give it an IP address.  Apparently this
> locks dial up networking as the ISP gives it one when the machine
> connects and confusion ensues.  That said the machines are not
> currently "talking" over my soon-to-be network.
>
> Ideally, I would like to set things up so if a network connection was
> not already present the machine would dial.  By which I mean if the 98
> box was connected the linux box would just use it as a proxy and vice
> versa.  Don't know how to do that yet (am assuming it could be done).
>
> Best scenario would be setting a linux box up to do a dial on demand
> and use it for my mail/news/internet... just haven't progressed that
> far, yet.  I really don't mind reading and researching to do things
> (don't want to be a constant pain to the list), but don't really know
> where to start.
>
> --
> Best regards,
>  Preston
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
>

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