Router with linux (ubuntu?) in vmware

PAz · 15 Feb 2010 at 19:25

Hi guys

I'm a linux noob and have a quick Q if someone can just point me in the right direction...

I've got a vmware lab with machines in three different subnets that I need to get talking to eachother. Is this fairly straight forward to do with linux? I can do it with RRAS but would like to have a play with something new.

Ubuntu be good for this? Obviously I'll need 3 nics, but how easy is the actual nic configuration? GUI or do I need to delve into terminal stuff?

Happy to go and read if someone can point me where

dave-lew99 · 15 Feb 2010 at 20:27

Any linux would do this, but personally, i'd use CentOS and ditch any and all GUI.

If you must have an easy interface for configuring network interfaces use Webmin, but once you've got the hang of it on the command line, it's a lot more straightforward.

Alternatively, i believe there is a Cisco sim VM you can download somewhere, (as well as loads of firewall/router distros) so you could get your teeth into those.

PAz · 16 Feb 2010 at 08:03

Thanks for the info. Wasn't aware there was a cisco vmware appliance so will check that out

LizardKing · 16 Feb 2010 at 15:26

Have a look at PFsense or Smoothwall, this sounds right down there street

Rainmaker · 17 Feb 2010 at 13:58

ClearOS (was ClarkConnect) will probably be helpful for you. Check it out.

paradigm · 17 Feb 2010 at 15:18

LizardKing said:
Have a look at PFsense

This, without a doubt, this.

dave-lew99 · 17 Feb 2010 at 15:53

PAz said:
Wasn't aware there was a cisco vmware appliance so will check that out

It's possible i made that up... hence the 'i believe'. There definitely is cisco simulation software though, but that isn't really a solution for your problem.

BlueMhz · 17 Feb 2010 at 17:31

PAz said:
I've got a vmware lab with machines in three different subnets that I need to get talking to eachother. Is this fairly straight forward to do with linux?

Yes, once you have configured the network cards (pretty easy, assume they will have static ips, just edit relevant configuration file, for debian/ubuntu this is /etc/network/interfaces iirc) then issue the command below to enable routing between the different subnets.

echo 1 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward

PAz · 18 Feb 2010 at 20:11

Thanks everyone for the help. Gonna have a crack at this over the weekend

.walls · 18 Feb 2010 at 21:50

dave-lew99 said:
It's possible i made that up... hence the 'i believe'. There definitely is cisco simulation software though, but that isn't really a solution for your problem.

There is indeed, but you need vSphere and you need to pay a small fortune for the Cisco virtual switch software (basically an extension of the distributed switch api).