Re: Creating a Test Network

From: FocusHacks (focushacks_at_gmail.com)
Date: 10/19/05

  • Next message: Brian Smith: "Re: internet banking security"
    Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 01:37:55 -0500
    To: "nietsec@gmail.com" <nietsec@gmail.com>
    
    

    I don't use VMWare, most of my test network systems are too slow to run it.

    On my main home network, all the machines are behind a NetScreen
    firewall that I picked up for cheap on eBay. They're all addressed
    internally and NATted to the outside world. For a test network, it's
    sometimes best to leave the machines (virtual or otherwise)
    quarantined from the Internet entirely.

    If you do wish to run services to the outside world, make sure that
    your ISP allows it. Some ISP's don't block common ports for FTP, HTTP
    and the like, however, on the flip side, many of those same ISP's put
    it quite painly in the contract that customers are not to run public
    services unless you have a business account or pay some other premium.

    I map various ports from my firewall to the internal network. Port 22
    goes to my Sun Ultra 5 running OpenBSD so that I can get a shell on my
    home network (and tunnel traffic with SSH tunneling). My wife runs a
    MUD, so one port is mapped to her MUD server so that outside users can
    get into it.

    My test network is simply a 5-port 10/100 switch, a "dumb" Wireless
    access point, and a few systems that I move on and off the network as
    needed. At any given time, I probably have a dozen machines powered
    down and put away, and 9 or 10 machines (live on the NAT and
    quarantined on the test network) powered up.

    To directly answer your two questions:

    1) With NAT (that being provided by pretty much any modern
    router/firewall including wireless routers), you can put multiple
    machines out on the Internet at the same time, only passing traffic to
    them from the outside that you want, using only one IP address from
    your provider.

    2) Depending on how powerful your PC's are, you could run one virtual
    machine with VMware on each PC, giving you 3 real host systems and 3
    virtual systems. VMWare runs on Linux and Windows. I'd run whichever
    you're most comfortable using for the host OS, and then try your hand
    at a smattering of Windows, Linux, and BSD's between the virtual
    machines. Keep in mind you can always make more than one virtual
    image on each, so you can take down and setup new virtual environments
    on each.

    More importantly though, is what you want to accomplish by setting up
    your test network. Do you want to play with infrastructure type
    protocols by setting up your own DNS, DHCP, and routing environment?
    Do you simply want to learn how to use, configure and network
    different operating systems? Do you want to code exploits and test
    for vulnerabilities in a safe, quarantined network?

    Your goals should help you establish your test environment.

    On 19 Oct 2005 00:46:40 -0000, nietsec@gmail.com <nietsec@gmail.com> wrote:
    > Hey guys !!!
    >
    > I want to ask some questions regarding a test network for experiments...I have 3 systems.I have VMWare 4.5 .Various OS's.etc etc ..I have not taken CCNA exam ..so please dont mind to answer my silly questions
    >
    > 1.Can I can use Internet Connection sharing for 2 machines ? Or should i have to take 3 different IP's from ISP.
    >
    > 2.How many OS's Should i install on 3 systems.
    >
    > please help me
    >
    >

    --
    http://www.FocusHacks.com - The Ford Focus Modification Site!
    

  • Next message: Brian Smith: "Re: internet banking security"

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