computer as router

[thePh@r@oh]

are there any advantages to using a low to midrange comp as a router i.e. a 400mhz box as a router as apposed to a router by linksys or belkin or whatever?

[vass0922]

more control

With a Linksys you're pretty much required (AFAIK) to using the IP space 192.168.1.x and you're only allowed ONE network. With a PC acting as the router you can have several networks (assuming you have a NIC for each network)

In short for a normal house.. not really... except maybe putting a solid firewall on that router as well which is always a good thing.

[MrPurple]

It all depends on the circumstances.
I mean its alot easier to set up the PC with a strong firewall, as oppose to a residential gatware (a router from Linksys, etc)
But for the extra configuration you get with a PC you pay for having to put two NIC cards in it, have to worry about crashes, and the noise and heat generated by it. not to mention the noise.

[thePh@r@oh]

well i doubt there would be much heat from this system its an intel celeron @ about 400mhz so it wont get hot and shouldnt be loud.

[Mickwish]

Well, for me there were a few advantages for my home LAN. One was I had lots of bits lying about, so it cost me nothing except my time. Another is I can have a DMZ network to put web/mail/ftp servers on, and keep the potential nasties outa my LAN. And I can tweak the router so it behaves as I want it, with more customisation that I'd get from a hardware router (eg firewall rules, logging, intrusion detection, internet filtering).

Oh, and to top it all off, I get to learn more about how networks, firewall, routers and other stuff works!

Neato, IMO.

I use IPCop, BTW.

Cheers
Mick

i asked this a while back, i wish i could find the thread but the main idea is there wont be preformance issue.

with most routers you get a built in 4 port switch

with a computer as a router, you need two network cards then put it to hub or switch to share out to other computers.

with routers you can log into it from the webbrowers (smoothwall, clarkconnect, and ircop you can log in with a web browser also.)

with software routers you usually have more control and options to do certain items. unlike home desgined routers

basically its all comes down to what will meet your network needs and what you will be doing.