Get All of your LAN
on the Internet
Your network is up -- now for the big one. If
you live with other people, the way to persuade them to let you
network their computers with yours is to promise to set it up
so that one modem can be shared by everyone for Internet access.
No more fighting over the phone line!
Once you have networked your Windows computers, there
are many ways to put them all on the Internet, even though they
have private network IP addresses in the 10. or 192.168. ranges.
If your computer with the modem runs Windows NT, or
some kind of Unix/Linux, it supports “IP forwarding.”
You can set it up as the gateway to the Internet for your other
computers. However, this assumes you are stuck with
nothing better than Win95/98. For these operating systems,
you need to install gateway software.
If you have studied hacking, you have already probably
heard about Wingate, an Internet proxy server that allows you
to telnet into a computer running it, and from there telnet elsewhere
on the Internet. There are many other Internet gateway
programs (for private virtual networks these are called “proxy
servers”). Most of them are shareware which will allow
a trial period for you to use them. An excellent tutorial
on Win95/98 Internet gateway programs is at http://www.winfiles.com/howto/lansing.html.
To learn what shareware proxy servers are available, see http://www.winfiles.com/apps/98/servers-proxy.html.
In case you were wondering if you have to pay money
(eek!) for a proxy server that doesn’t expire in a few weeks,
never fear, there are several that never expire. However,
remember that you get what you pay for. If your free proxy
server has problems, don’t email me asking for help!
Also, if you want to include Unix type computers on your LAN,
you may find the Windows clients to be unable to handle the job.
