Someone else already described the sensible, Ethernet-based approach. If you
want to go even cheaper though (at the price of a slower connection), you
can use the serial ports in the two machines to set up a PPP link.
I don't know NT at all, but assuming it is the same in this respect as
Win95, you'll use the dial-up networking tool there to configure a PPP link.
On the Linux side, you'll set up a line in /etc/inittab that watches the
serial port and runs a script to initiate a PPP connection.
The only cash cost for this would be a serial cable of the null-modem
variety (or a regular cable and an adaptor) -- around here, that would costa
about $10US.
Setting this up is a bit of work, and I haven't really told you how to do
it. First place to look (on the Linux side) is the PPP HowTo. But it
probably won't tell you enough. If this possibility is of real interest to
you, let me know and I'll dig out the instructions I wrote some months ago
for how to do the Linux part of it. (BTW, this approach is probably what you
were thinking of when you talked about connecting the 2 through their
modems. This same approach, with only a tiny variation, would serve to
connect 2 computers over a phone line, providing a PPP modem link.)
At 03:47 PM 1/28/99 +0000, Pankil Richards wrote:
>Hello. I would like some help/tips/pointers on setting up a very small
>and >>>inexpensive<<< network for my home.
>
>I am very new to the world of Linux (RH version 5.2)--I've only been
>using it since this past December. So far it's been dual-booting with
>Win 98. I also have a printer attached to this PC. My second PC has
>Win NT. Both have modems. The PC's are approx. 20-30 feet apart. What
>I would like to do is network them both to share the printer and dialup
>access to the net. I've looked through the FAQ's and How-To's etc. but
>they seemed a bit advanced.
>
>These are some the question's I have so far:
>
>1) What kind of connection would I need, i.e., NIC cards, cabling
>type/length, compatibility with Linux and NT? Can I connect the two
>PC's through their modems?
>2) Would I need Windows installed on both, or can I have the server run
>Linux and the client run Win NT?
>3) How much would it cost? (I'm in Canada, so when you quote could you
>indicate whether it's US $$$ or not.)
>
>I'm sure I'll have more q's.
[rest deleted]
------------------------------------"Never tell me the odds!"---
Ray Olszewski -- Han Solo
762 Garland Drive
Palo Alto, CA 94303-3603
650.321.3561 voice 650.322.1209 fax [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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