Re: How to make my iSeries at home available to outside programmers

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard" <rvoss@drvtech.com>
To: <midrange-l@midrange.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 3:04 PM
Subject: How to make my iSeries at home available to outside programmers


> My question is - What is the easiest way for me to give access to my
> iSeries to people outside of my home network?
>
> Warning - I don't have a lot of experience in networking computers and
> using IP addresses.
> Someone has told me that since my Network uses a Cable Modem I would
> have to get a ?Internet IP Address? and Point it to my Home Network.
> That did not mean much to me (Due to my lack of experience, I need more
> details then that)


Yeah, that doesn't make much sense to me either, if you have a cable modem,
you have an IP address.

Without network experience, it could be hard or easy. The first question is
how do your current machines share the cable modem? Are they each assigned a
different IP from your ISP (Cable provider)? If so, and you want to continue
that way? If so, do you have another address? For example, I am on comcast,
so if I want another address, it costs $6 per month.

That is the easiest way to go if you can or want to.

Harder, and more economical and more secure.... Linux. Firewall and NAT. The
setup on this is not as difficult as it may seem, unless you have never
loaded Linux before. The advantage though is that you only need and use 1 IP
address from your provider.

If you currently have some kind of NAT appliance (if your internal machines
are all using 10.x.x.x or 192.168.x.x addresses, then this is so) then it
should be a matter of adding another address to the 400. The problem will be
getting inside and accessing the machine. This will require something like
(or exactly like) port mapping from the firewall and now we are talking
serious network setup experience required.

SO... option 1 may be the way to go if you are in a hurry, want to avoid
becoming a network guru or a Linux user or just don't want the headaches of
trying to use port mapping.

===========================================================
R. Bruce Hoffman, Jr.
 -- IBM Certified Specialist - iSeries Administrator
 -- IBM Certified Specialist - RPG IV Developer

"There is a crack in everything,
  that's how the light gets in.
    - Leonard Cohen