Windows Linux Tips: Internet for your LAN

Many companies have local networks, and it is becoming even more popular in homes, where 2 or 3 systems are linked together using ethernet wires. Most providers only offer 1 IP address per connection, 

which means that you can't put all of the systems on the Internet at the same time, unless you use a special gateway.

Linux comes with something called IP-Masquerade. With it, you can assign LAN IPs, which are IPs that

can't go on the Internet directly, and then use the Linux system as a gateway. All you need to implement this

is a Linux system with 2 ethernet cards, and an Internet connection. 

The Linux system has IP-Masquerade enabled, and the LAN systems will have access to the Internet using the Linux gateway as a transparant proxy server.

You can find more on the subject by reading the IP-Masq HOWTO and other networking documentation at

http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs. You also need to make sure your Internet provider accepts this kind

of network on their connection.

"Windows Linux Tips: Internet for your LAN"

Reference : techpraveen.com