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Topology
Topology is important.  It's good to know how things are connected before talking about them.

Everything is connected to an 8-port hub via UTP CAT-5 cable.  The gateway machine isconnected to my ISP via an ADSL link down my telephone line.  I've been able to download from my ISP at 168k/s (top speed before the download finished; and it was still increasing in speed).

The gateway box has two network cards.  This may sound strange to some, but it allows me to run ipfilter.  This is also known as a "dual homed host".  Over in the FreeBSD handbook there is a good introduction to this topic.  ed0 is for the outside world and is connected to my ISP over my telephone line.  But this isn't a modem.   This is an ADSL connection which is high speed and permanent.  I don't have to dial up, it's always there when I want it, and it's fast.  Very fast.

A note to all crackers: all IP addresses and machine names on this website have been changed.

topology.gif (5771 bytes)

The idea for this diagram was blatently borrowed from http://www.dub.net/geekhouse/network/.