[dba-Tech] Modems

Windows 2000 and XP include a mini firewall. If they are activated you
can get local/internet communication problems. 
Like not seeing other computers on your network.

I don't know if you use IPX/SPX for netware server Access, but it is
posbile and most likely you also use IP for Netware Access. In case of
the last, you are in trouble. You can never use any firewall on the
local computers.

I would strongly de-advice connecting your internet modem directly to
your LAN hub so all pc have a direct connection to the internet. Unless
you are certain the cable is also a router that has some firewall
protection in it (closure of ports).

If not, I would strongly advice to install a harware mini
firewall/router (like netgear or SMC or whatever) in between your hub
and the cable modem. This is pretty easy to do.

Or put a second nic in your server and activate the proxy server
(firewall) of Netware. All pc connect via the netware server to the
internet. This is my preferation but more complex.
This can be faster because it has a cache and it collects often visited
website page in forehand.
Only the server has a public ip, thus (more) securing the local
computers.
You no longer need any software firewall on the computers.
You ALWAYS need a virusscanner on computers, server included.


Erwin

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven W. Erbach [mailto:serbach at new.rr.com] 
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 3:01 AM
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] Modems


Erwin,

I appreciate your response.

>> Did you checked that the pc has no firewall activated. Sometimes 
>> people
forget to disable the firewall on a pc when that pc was first connected
directly to the internet and connecting it afterwards to a local area
network that has it's on router/firewall. <<

Well, our Novell network is about as simple as can be: file server, 2
Windows 2000 Pro workstations, a Windows XP Home workstation (my sons'),
and once in a while there's a Windows 98 workstation logged in...and
very occasionally a Windows 95 laptop. There is no router nor hardware
firewall on the LAN.

There are a number of things confusing me about this problem. I had
installed the Sygate personal firewall on the XP Home w/s a couple of
weeks ago, before the problems began with not getting an Internet
connection. I had also installed the 15 day eval edition of Norton
AntiVirus in case Blaster wanted to get on board. Then my oldest son
restored the XP w/s to a point a few weeks ago to see if maybe a game
installation had munged things up. That restore got rid of Sygate...but
left the Norton AV eval intact!?!?

Also, that Windows 98 workstation has had problems logging onto the
Internet, too. I don't mind that so much since it's not a w/s that we
use a lot. But yesterday it started to connect just fine to the
Internet! Right now it's connected to the Microsoft web site and is
checking for Windows 98 updates!

>> I also would advice you to use the proxy server from your server.
I cant recall the name of it (its included in Netware). However, this
will make your environment more complex, but more secure and somewhat
faster (due to active and intelligent proxy). <<

Is that really necessary? And when you say "faster", I'm already
connected by a cable modem that consistently gives me 1200 kbps download
speed. I don't want to sound like I'm whining. I have a good horseback
knowledge of Novell, but I've never dinked with anything relating to
proxies. I haven't read about them, I don't know what to do to configure
it on my server. This doesn't seem to me to be a reasonable
option...especially considering that everything was working fine 3-4
weeks ago and had been working fine for over a year. Why should I now
consider setting up a proxy server?

>> Please also note that your cable modem/router (built in DHCP server) 
>> can
be limited to a certain number of clients. You can avoid this by using
the proxy in your server. <<

That seems like a positive thing, but I talked to my cable modem
supplier sometime back and the tech support guy indicated that there
wasn't any limit on the number of workstations I could hook up on our
home office network.

It looks to me like I'll have to devote some hard study to these issues.
Nothing I've read here or found in my searches has given me any hints
about what is happening. I know that there are several things happening
here but my usual laying-on-of-hands hasn't worked. Time for more skull
sweat, I guess.

Thanks again for your reply.

Steve Erbach
Scientific Marketing
Neenah, WI

"Eventually, socialists run out of other people's money."
-- Lady Margaret Thatcher


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