Network cards with more than 1 port?

[MikeHunt79]

Are they avaliable? Cheaply or do you have to pay thru the nose? 10Mbps is ok, but 100 would be better.

I'm wanting to use an old p3 rig as a firewall/router/pop3 server

I've got 5xpci slots at my disposal, and I need to hook it up to 10 PC's and a n ADSL modem.

 

[Uhtred]

erm, wouldn't a 10 port switch and one network card be far easier? or perhaps for your setup you'd want two network cards, one for the adsl modem, then one into the switch

 

[michael baxter]

And cheaper.....................

And easier to setup...............

And standard practice..............

Mike, with respect, your approach is not the best way to solve the problem.

You shouldn't need more than 3 ethernet ports:

1. 1x port for ADSL modem (if it's USB, you won't need an ethernet port for this)
2. 1x port for your internal LAN
3. 1x port for you demilitarized zone (DMZ)

Here's some useful info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demilitarized_zone_(computing)

http://www.smoothwall.org/

 

[MikeHunt79]

Ok, the 3 network cards + switch route sounds best.

I'll get ordering and give it a go.

Is it easy enough to have a pop3 server while running smoothwall? I need to have a proper tinker with linux methinks.

 

[oddjob62]

Ok, the 3 network cards + switch route sounds best.

I'll get ordering and give it a go.

Is it easy enough to have a pop3 server while running smoothwall? I need to have a proper tinker with linux methinks.

Yeah just forward port 110 to the server

 

[michael baxter]

Ok, the 3 network cards + switch route sounds best.

I'll get ordering and give it a go.

Is it easy enough to have a pop3 server while running smoothwall? I need to have a proper tinker with linux methinks.

Just to clarify, the pop3 server will need to run on a seperate PC within the DMZ.

Good luck with your tinkerings!

 

[bigredshark]

To answer your original question, 4 ports NICs are certainly available, we use 4port 1Gb cards from HP (though I believe they're largely just rebranded intel cards) and they don't cost the earth

 

[Sone]

To answer your original question, 4 ports NICs are certainly available, we use 4port 1Gb cards from HP (though I believe they're largely just rebranded intel cards) and they don't cost the earth

We have some 4 port 3coms, the old 4 port 3coms were THE network cards to have for citrix a few years ago so there must be loads of old ones around