[tlug] Networking Confusion

[Jim <jep200404@example.com>]

David Riggs wrote:

> And to answer Jim's second reply:
> 
>  >When you say that you "have a YahooBB adsl connection and a four
>  >port router", are your DSL modem and four port router separate
>  >boxes, or are the DSL modem and four port router combined in one box?
> 
> I had to buy a little 3000 yen router to plug into the ADSL modem, so 
> yes it is a separate box.

Good. 

Most routers are also DHCP servers (that assign your 192.168.0.x 
addresses), and most routers will _not_ reassign DHCP lease addresses 
just because the DSL link went up or down. However, if you turn power 
off to the router, then one expects the router to scramble the DHCP 
addresses. When you loose the DSL link, are you turning off the router? 

> And I have to use DHCP to get my internet connectivity beyond the 
> router, right?

No. 

You are typically under no obligation to use DHCP to configure 
your computers for them to get Internet access. Nonetheless it is 
common to use DHCP, because it can greatly ease network configuration 
and administration. You can mix static IP and DHCP client boxes on 
the same LAN. 

For using NFS, you might want to nail down the IP addresses of the 
boxes, by specifying in the router (DHCP server) the IP addresses for the 
MAC addresses, by using static IP, or by coordinating a DNS server 
with the DHCP server. The last option is too complex for you. 
You'll probably choose static IP. 

> To answer the earlier request to do my homework, I have tried to read 
> five different book sections about setting up this kind of thing: from 
> _Running Linux_ to _Linux Administration Handbook_, and am still pretty 
> befuddled. I was hoping for a simplified step by step cookbook. 

I often have better success finding simple step by step instructions 
by including the word "tutorial" when searching. 

> ... file sharing with AppleTalk.

Uh oh? Why are you talking about AppleTalk instead of TCP/IP? 
Screw AppleTalk. Per Wikipedia [1]: 

   AppleTalk is a suite of protocols developed by Apple Computer 
   for computer networking. It was included in the original 
   Macintosh (1984) and is now deprecated by Apple in favor of 
   TCP/IP networking.

> At least for two Linux boxes on a router, I thought it might be simpler 
> than the books I was struggling with seemed to indicate.

You have two issues: 

1. NFS
2. Printing. 

First, get NFS happy between your two Linux boxes. 
Second,  get NFS happy between your Apple box and your Linux boxes. 
Then worry about printing. 

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appletalk