- Part 2: Computer and Networking Hardware for a Linux Firewall
- A Guide to Securing Your Home Computer System with a Linux Firewall
- Minimum Computer Needed
- Can a Notebook Computer Serve as a Firewall?
- Ethernet: The Fastest Connection and the Lowest Cost
- Wireless: The Most Elegant Solution
- Putting It All Together
Wireless: The Most Elegant Solution
Several wireless networking kits are now on the market, but Linux drivers are not available for all of them. You'll need to get a wireless network system that has Linux drivers. The Webgear Aviator has a complete home network kit for less than $200. The Linux drivers that can be obtained are found at http://world.std.com/~corey/raylink.html. Also, check out the "Wireless Resources for Linux" Web site.
The Home Phoneline Network Alliance's HomePNA 2 specification establishes a 10-Mbps network connection over your existing home telephone lines. One of the home networking kits now available is 3Com's HomeConnect Home Network Phoneline Kit. The PCI LAN cards with the kit are similar to 3Com's standard Ethernet cards.
Now that 3Com is developing its own Linux drivers, the company should be making a driver available for the HomePNA 3C410 card. The new 3Com drivers are not included with any Linux distribution, and they are only available by download them from 3Com. The company has released its drivers under the GNU Public License, the same Open Source license used by Linux. 3Com's Linux drivers are available only as source code and must be compiled as modules for your system. You'll have to search the site to find the driver that you need, and then follow 3Com's instructions for compiling the driver.