openBSD as a router (that the right word?)

[cameron]

seems there are quite a few openBSD wizards here, so i've got a/some question(s). *first of all, here's what I want to do. *i've got a cable connection that i use, and my parents are getting a new computer. *they want to share my cable connection. *since there will be an extra computer now (133), i would like to avoid buying a router to split the connection. *can i install openBSD (i have 2.7, is that good enough?) on the 133 and drop two NICs in it? *plug one NIC into the cable modem, and one into a hub...then plug my computer and my parents new computer into the hub? *i did something similar once to share a dialup connection, but it wasn't with openBSD. *i also have a kvm switch, so if i have to mess with it much it won't be a huge pain, though i'd rather not. *should i just install openBSD and follow the top half of the PET? *is there anything else i should do, or know about? *i'm not a networking whiz, so i'm not positive this is what to do (maybe i should just buy the $80 router). *if the router is a better idea, say so. *i'd rather get out cheap, though, and just install the version of openBSD i have on an otherwise unused computer. *if it matters, they will probably use linux (as do i) since, amazingly, kshisensho is their "killer app," not word or excel * *they could always change their minds, though, and use windows *:-[

You want a gateway. I would suggest getting OpenBSD 3.0 as versions prior to 2.9 had some instability issues that were hardware-related. Since you have cable, doing a ftp install would be the best thing for you.. And if you just want to do NAT, without firewall rules you would do:

- Installation
- edit /etc/sysctl.conf (net.ip.forwarding=1)
- edit /etc/rc.conf (PF=YES)
- edit /etc/nat.conf
- do the sysctl command line (it's in the PET, can't remember on top of my head)
- pfctl -N /etc/nat.conf
- pfctl -e

And that's it. Not too hard, was it?

Good luck.

[cameron]

nope. that was really easy. i take it i can do an ftp install from any os? windows is on that computer now. or is it a matter of downloading a floppy to boot, then ftp-install the os? as you can see, i've never done an ftp install. don't worry, i don't expect a full explanation, i can RTFM just curious if i need to do anything BEFORE i try to ftp install?

[CP]

I'm at the same stage as you, from what I can see you just download a boot floppy and then the rest is got from ftp. Read the installation guide on their site though, just to make sure. And it will tell you what disk image to get.

You boot the install floppy, and it will at one point assk you for installation media (cdrom, nfs, http, ftp, etc): you select ftp. It will give you a list of URL's.

[Compunuts]

Ah, not to throw stones in here but I've got P133 with Debian minimal as my Gateway/router for my Cable connection and I'm a happy cow .....

8)Debian8)