Ok , here's the scenario :
4 PCs (1 Linux-only , 1 WndowsME(don't ask....), 1 Dual-boot Linux/Win98SE and one p100 Craptop , yet to be assigned an OS.I'm thinking of FreeDOS)
1 Network-hub ; uplink+4 ports. Uplink connected to ADSL-modem that also acts as a hardware-router and firewall.

So far , I have the first three pcs online without any problem , but here it comes:

Can I use the very same "infrastructure" to put up a lan as well?
I mean ; Without having to add more NICs? Ie- The NIC in the PC that acts as the Network-server can "switch" between the Internet and the LAN?

You see ; my current problem is : I have no slots left in that machine and can't afford a new mainboard right now.

Btw.- I'm totally unexperienced in networking , but I'd like to have this sorted out before fiddling with IP-tables and the like.

If all of the PCs are connected to the same Hub behind a router, then my friend, you are ALREADY on a LAN. The hub will allow communications between all of the systems attached to it, provided that they all have IPs that are on the same subnet (which if your router does DHCP, they most likely do).

slight

Uhmmmm.... No DHCP here ; It's all static IP-adresses.

OK , Off to read the numerous Samba-manuals!
Time to make them bugger talk to eachother.

Thanks a lot!

Ehhh... Static IP's huh?

You can set up multiple alias's for the NIC in the Linux box, and you can switch between them (example you can have one alias with an external IP for internet access, and one with an internal IP for LAN). You can also set up SAMBA to work with your existing IPs, but this would limit your bandwidth as your packets would have to go through your ISP. (Might be able to get around this with routing rules, doing what is called a virtual LAN or vlan).

Do you have a PC with multiple NICs in it? We can always use one of the PCs to do NAT (IPmasquerade).

slight

I think the first option (multiple aliases for the NIC) is what I'm looking for.
Can this be done in Samba , or do I have to use some other prog for that?