Home network - big question!

[Everard Edwards]

I have two PC's at home.  One running Linux and one with dual boot Linux/Windows (I'm trying to move my partner to Linux but she seems to always find latent bugs in programs she runs and so isn't totally willing!).  I'd like to network them using 2 NICs and a crossover cable (can't afford a hub right now....).  I've been using Linux for about 3 years and am heppy with a text editor - don't necessarily need fancy GUI's to confgure, but have no practical networking experience.  Can anyone suggest a good guide/howto?  Any hints/tips?
  I'd like to set up Samba (never done it before) so that the dual boot machine can access the web (dial -up - should I use diald?  or is there another way for this machine to initiate a connection) and printers through the Linux only machine - and possibly programs/drive space on this machine - but that can come later.  I'd also like to be able to do this both from windows and Linux - preffereably with all connections between machines being automatic at boot.
  More specifically, what IP addresses should I use - will they cause problems with an IP being assigned when accessing my ISP - how do I specify these?  What do I do about hostnames/host allow etc?  Are there pitfalls with Samba - is this the way I should go?  Will my network be secure (the only outside access should be via dial-up)? etc etc.
  Everard


  
  

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Dr E.J. Edwards
Environmental Biology Group
RSBS
The Australian National University
GPO Box 475
Canberra
ACT 2601
Australia

ph: +61 (0)2 6125 3547
fax: +61 (0)2 6125 4919
email: eedwards at rsbs.anu.edu.au
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