Linux box as router
 

I am thinking about setting up a linux box as my router instead of this linksys router I use currently. I am wondering about the network 'map'. Here are the two setups I am wondering about. If you could please tell me if they will work or not. Or if you have anyother ideas feel free to post them.

A) Alcatel SpeedTouch Home DSL Modem => Switch => LinuxRouter and other computers

B) Alcatel SpeedTouch Home DSL Modem => LinuxRouter => Switch => other computers

Thanks

AkumaLoka

I'm using something similar to your B approach, but my DSL modem connects via Ethernet rather than via DSL. My linux box serves as both router and firewall, using iptables and its NAT module. It's connected to a 10/100 MBit switch that's the center of my little LAN, which also has 4 Win98 machines on the switch. Works great!

I've seen lots of messages about using the USB modem with DSL so it should be workable...

my DSL modem is a ethernet out modem not usb, it has DSL(phone) line in and ethernet out.

You had to put 2 ethernet cards into your router didnt you?

Yes, I did. My LAN uses eth0 while the DSL interface uses eth1; this is the opposite of what most of the sample code fragments show, but that's the way the cards came up at boot time so I simply accepted it (the LAN card is 100 MBit while the DSL card is only 10 MBit; no need for it to be any faster)...