What’s the easiest most expedited way to share an Internet connection in a network that is 300 + stations.

That means I have to set it up start it, get it going right now and then worry about policies and secutiry.

Need to get these people off my back

what does your connection to the internet look like... do you have one at all??

It's a simple 256 DSL line connected to a Compaq Pentium III machine with 2 network cards.

I just want to know if there's a Linux app that would allow you o just download it install it and with minimum configuration get it going.

www.smoothwall.org

assuming you are willing to give that (or another) machine over to being just the gateway. That (I promise you) will have you working in 30 minutes!

It occurs to me that 300+ stations are probably on more than one subnet? Obviously, if that's the case your network topology is really going to matter as you will have (or will need) routers within the network as well as your internet gateway.

That also might be a lot of users for one little DSL link. Hope they are not all going to start using streamed video :-)

This is a temporary solution, people here need internet to do their work, they don't need stream video or play unreal tournament, workers are mostly pharmaceuticals and doctors, people who need to browse the FDA website and other European pharmaceutical labs.

About the internal sub netting is not important, it has being taken care off.

Thanks for your help I really appreciate it

Mandrake 9.1 can set up IP masquerade just by clicking through the control panel. (GmDrak is the trick)
I have backed away from this method as it requires DHCP on the internal network, but with 300+ workstations you're probably already using DHCP--whereas i am dealing with small internal nets.
Also it may make firewall config more involved as the setting mandrake sets up conflict with the documentation for shorewall [the iptables control mandrake uses]

If you're running DHCP and are cool with working out the firewall later, try installing mdk9.1

Iptables all the way....

Set up your gateway as a linux machine with 2 NICs... enable port forwarding and set up your rules...

Have your internal nic go to a switch/router/hub....

You can use my script to get started, simply copy it to /etc/init.d/iptables, make it executable, fire it up, and you should be set.

Have fun......

But if you really wanna make it simple, just put a router on your external line and go from there, although depending on topography, rules on the router could be a pain to set up.....

There's a really up-to-date HOWTO on www.tldp.org. It's called IP-MASQUERADING-HOWTO and is in the networking section. The stuff there is mostly distro non-specific but the one bit that is, is taylored to red hat and slackware. You *MAY* have to recompile your kernel - I don't know what settings RH comes with but if RH are worth their souls then it'll be a comprehensive modular kernel.

To my knowledge, there isn't a single package that will do it for you although iptables is by far the most important.