Windows Filesharing behind a Linux DHCP server

[GettoPhilosopher]

My college campus just implemented Cisco's Clean Access system. To save my windows box from all the red tape, I used a known workaround: I set up a Linux DHCP server (Fedora Core 4); CA does not recognize the Windows pc behind the Linux box, and I don't have to install CA to use my Windows box anymore. Yay!

However, I am having one problem: My friends cannot see my MS box on the network.
How would I get Windows filesharing to work properly behind the Linux DHCP server? What ports do I have to forward, and what do I have to do to make the Windows machine discoverable/pingable? Finally, would that defeat the whole purpose of setting up the server and allow Clean Access to recognize my Windows machine?

[Schotty]

port forwarding or vpn. I would say hamachi would be your best bet for your clients.

[GettoPhilosopher]

I do not want to use a VPN or Hamachi, as it defeats the whole point: I need my friends to be able to easily access my shared files, sans VPN configuration, sans Hamachi connections. I need my friends to be able to just click Run> *insert computer name here*, not to install and configure Hamachi or set up a VPN connection.

I tried port forwarding by inputting the following commands:
iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -p udp --dport 137:138 -i eth0 -j DNAT --to *insert IP address here*
iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -p tcp --dport 139 -i eth0 -j DNAT --to *insert IP address here*

However, my computer still does not appear on the network, nor can you ping it, nor can you connect to it.

Help?

[Compunuts]

Your point of running Linux server is to hide your Windows box, so that your Windows box won't be visible on the Network of your Uni.

There are possible ways to do the sharing although it may somewhat complicate things. What you can do is run Samba sever on your Linux box, mount your Windows share on the samba server and in turn let your friends' mount your Linux's Samba share on their box.

If you want to know what port to forward to, you can check out /etc/services file. That should tell you what ports are reserved for what service. Also, instead of using iptables in raw form, you can install something like Firestarter firewall and let it handle all the coding while you work on the GUI of it. It makes it much simpler to do things.

[Schotty]

I do not want to use a VPN or Hamachi, as it defeats the whole point: I need my friends to be able to easily access my shared files, sans VPN configuration, sans Hamachi connections.

The VPN is what makes it possible. By using a gateway such as NAT, you require a VPN or port forwarding. However since you are on DHCP, that can complicate things more than what installation of hamachi would be. In essence port forwarding is made practically impossible when the host is on a DHCP lease.

Possible (overkill I think) workarounds:

1. Setup your own DHCP lan for them to connect to. WLAN routers will do the job.
2. Use FTP
3. Use SFTP
4. Setup a secure website that grabs the files off your computer

These are your choices. The first one, hamachi, is as simple as it gets.