linux gateway and router = redundant?

[E Frank Ball]

On Fri, Mar 15, 2002 at 06:37:05PM -0800, augie wrote:
} the consensus on this topic seems to be, and i agree, that a linux gateway 
} ontop of the router would be a good thing on many levels, so while i won't be 
} going to compusa to pick up a switch; i will be going to computer recyclery 
} to look for a gateway candidate.
} 
} anyone have suggestions for minimum hardware requirements?

I have two machines so I can use one while I work on the other and then
do a quick swap.  One is a Pentium 60, the other is a 486/66, both with
32MB of RAM.  I run a firewall, ipmasquarading, a mailserver, webserver,
ssh server, and ntp.  No sweat.  I still have lots of clock cycles left
over for seti at home (I just finished 1000 work units).

I'd think a 486/50 with 24 MB of RAM would be plenty.  A 486/33 with 16
MB would probably do it too, but loading a system can be tricky if you
don't have enough RAM.  386s are so slow that loading a system on them
is truely painful, and they usually have hardly any RAM, but people do
use them as firewall routers.

-- 

   E Frank Ball                frankb at efball.com