Re: Linksys BEFSX41 firewall/router & Linux?

From: leslie (LESLIE@JRLVAX.HOUSTON.RR.COM)
Date: 04/25/03 

From: LESLIE@JRLVAX.HOUSTON.RR.COM (leslie)
Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 06:29:01 GMT

John Brock (jbrock@panix.com) wrote:
: I have just signed up for Verizon DSL (cross fingers, whisper
: prayer...), but I don't want a broadband connection without a good
: firewall. I currently run Windows NT and OS/2 (yes, I am a dinosaur),
: and I plan to run Linux as well, so a hardware firewall would seem
: to make the most sense.
:

Yup.

: From what I gather there should be no trouble using the Linksys
: BEFSX41 firewall/router with Linux or other non-MS OSes, since the
: interface is web based. Still, Linksys only claims compatibility
: with Windows, so I thought I would check and see if others were
: using it with Linux, and if there were any showstopping problems.
: Any comments? And is there anything better (within a reasonable
: price range) that I should be looking at instead?
:

Any system with a web browser should be able to configure a Linksys
router.

I have two PCs and a VAXStation on my LAN:

  Toshiba PCX 2000 cable modem

  Linksys BEFSR41 Router with 4-port switch : 192.168.1.1

  VAXStation 4000 model 96 : 192.168.1.96
  Windows 98SE PC running a LPD package : 192.168.1.90
  Windows 98SE PC DHCP client, usually : 192.168.1.100

: Also, the spec *** says that the BEFSX41 supports PPPoE, which
: is what I believe Verizon uses. Does this relieve the OS of any
: responsibility for supporting PPPoE?

Yes.

: I would rather not have to install any special PPPoE software on
: my PC, and would prefer to connect to the router via vanilla TCP/IP.
: If I get the BEFSX41 can I do this?

Yes.

: And can I avoid installing Verizon's software on my PC and use
: the router to configure the DSL modem? (Does that even make sense?
: I'm still not real clear on all this; I just want my DSL connection
: to be as OS agnostic as possible).

If you call Verizon for support, Verizon may insist that you connect
one PC with their software directly to the DSL modem.

--Jerry Leslie (my opinions are strictly my own)
  Note: leslie@jrlvax.houston.rr.com is invalid for email