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List:       suse-linux-uk-schools
Subject:    Multi-site ADSL setup - comments wanted
From:       Gary Stainburn <gary.stainburn () ringways ! co ! uk>
Date:       2001-04-20 15:12:09
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Hi all,

I've been asked to look at the existing setup for a local adult 
education authority (sorry don't know correct terminology/TLA's).

Currently they have 5 centres which each have a Planet gateway.  This 
gateway consists of a closed headless Linux box connected to an ISDN 
router.  It performs caching and mail server functionality and is 
administered via a web browser.  
It does not do NAT/masq as each PC as a public IP address.  They only 
have a limited number of IP, so each site has a finite network size.

This setup works quite well, but the phone bills are quite 
extortionate.  I have looked at conventional kilostream connection, but 
the cost of this is comparable with the current phone bills.

I have therefore had a look at ADSL, as BT's Openworld is available to 
most of the sites.  The Openworld 500 Business is only £150 install + 
£70/qtr and appears as a 4 port eithernet hub.  It gives 512K 
downstream and 256k upstream.

On the end of this I would then put  a Linux box with squid, Masq, 
ipchains, etc., and hang the network off the back of it.

The only problem I can see is that the ADSL connection is dynamic IP, 
which means that the site could possibly move without warning.  This 
will of course stuff any inbound traffic such as email.

To get round this, I thought about co-hosting a box somewhere and use 
that as the mail gateway.

After all that waffle, I have only a few simple questions.

1) Has anyone had experience with BT openworld? does the service 
perform as quoted? Is the Dynamic IP *really* dynamic, or are they just 
saying that?

2) Can anyone see any gaping holes in this setup?

3) Assuming that dynamic means dynamic, does anyone have suggestions on 
how I can deliver the mail.  Ideally, I would like to push the mail 
using standard smtp if possible rather than using fetchmail etc.

4)  As technical info is not very forthcoming from BT, can anyone 
explain how, if the link is presented as  a 4-port ethernet hub, does 
it manage dynamic IP?  Is it done at the router stange and then NAT'd 
before it appears on the hub?

5) Can anyone come up with a better setup?

Cheers,

-- 
Gary Stainburn
 
This email does not contain private or confidential material as it
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and undisclosed purposes - Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, 2000 
    

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