Are routers generally compatible with linux?
 

I'm using RH9 and am about to go get a router (has lan ports, so one of those hybrid things). I'm thinking of Linksys or Dlink, prolly just about 25-50$. Will linux detect this automatically? Some specifically say they are compatible with linux, others say sys. requirements are Windows 98 or better (assume this means linux will work, since it is better...lol). So does that mean the ones that say Windows won't work with linux? I know i got my winmodem working in linux but that took forever, and don't want to have to go through all that agian.

Normally they are, they're supposed to be transparant for the computers connected to them, so if you can connect directly to the internet with your pc, a router shouldn't make a difference. I recently got a D-Link DI 604 and didn't have any problems with it connecting to the net (just plugged it in, no configuration needed)

Well I'd say it depends. There might be problems but I never used a hardware router so it could all be theoretical. But here I go anyways :D:

You _could_ get into trouble when you want/have to connect to the router to configure it. From what I hear you can configure most routers by connecting to them via telnet or a http interface. Both will work with you using linux. A problem could arive when the router supports neither telnet nor http but comes with a configuration utility that is windows software. If you can't get that one to run with wine and have no windows box nearby, you might be unable to configure your router.

But again I don't know if there are any routers that work that way. To make sure you could try to search the specs for telnet/http support and if in doubt, ask the manufacturer.

I don't think recent routers would go the windows only way to configure it. Mine offers a http interface and it works just fine.

The only obsticle you might encounter if you need to upgrade firmware - recent routers from LinkSys provide a way to upgrade firmware through web interface, but older versions required tftp access (and they provide some sort of tftp client), since you would normally set a password for admin user if you would to connect to the router using standard tftp client you won't be able to flash the firmware b/c it requires authentication (you would think you got in, but tftp is connectionless client - UDP doesn't gurantee the connection establishment). So if you got yourself a router that you want to upgrade the firmware on and it requires tftp access set your admin password to empty string, upload the firmware, and then set the password on the router as you would normally do.

I'm using a Linux machine running through a router right now, and all I did was plug it in and it worked. My brother says he did need a CD with his windows machine to set it up the first time though, I don't know what that's all about.

I am using an Origo ADSL modem/router, (about £30), which offers a choice of ethernet or USB connection. The latter has windows drivers but does not work in linux, but connecting via the ethernet cable works fine in linux. The router has an http interface for configuring, and provides a hardware firewall via napt. I can recommend it. (I discovered it via another thread on this forum).
1 port version has 1 usb and 1 ethernet port.
4 port version has 1 usb and 4 ethernet ports.
Alan

Oh ok thanks all.

Any Ethernet Linksys or DLink router you buy today will work just fine with Linux. I have used a Linksys cable/dsl router with RedHat for almost 2 years now (home network). I just recently upgraded my router to a SonicWall Firewall and still works great! Just about every new router/firewall on the market today offers an HTTP setup wizard that will work with Windows or Linux. All that is required from the Linux box is that the Eth port is up.

Sphalen
Network Security Admin