Smoothwall

[Anders]

Hello,

I am finally getting broadband soon, yay! I have an old P75 kicking around I am thinking of putting Smoothwall on it. I think it may only have 16MB of RAM though. The site states the minimum spec. as a 486 with 32MB of RAM, but I know how dodgy min specs. are, so can Smoothwall realistically run on a P75?

The second question I need to ask is I have downloaded SmoothWall Express 2.0 (with manuals) from the smootwall.org site, do I need to download and install the four updates and patches?

Thanks, Anders.

[Moby-Dick]

I'd patch it as much as possible.

last time I ran smoothwall was on a pII 233 with about 32 or 64 meg so I've never pushed the miniumum specs on it.

I'm sure you can beg some SIMMs to top the memory up - someone must have a couple ! )

[Anders]

Thanks for the speedy reply. I just wanted to check that these patches would not already be included in the original download.

I think I will go and look for cheapy SIMMs. I imagine the max RAM a computer of that age could take would be 4x16MB? I have a nasty feeling that the computer might currently contain 4x4MB.

If you know of any useful guides or tips for when setting up Smoothwall I would be very grateful.

[Moby-Dick]

its been a while since I set mine up - then killed it.

I'm building a clark connect box as we speak which isn't a million miles different from smoothwall.
If you have a working web connection then the FTP install is very simple.

[bmh.01]

I've got two 8mb SIMMs somewhere you could have for postage wouldn't imagine it would be more that a pound or two, at least that would give you 24mb at least, let me know if you interested and i'll see if I can find them, don't think I threw them out.
They worked the last time they were used (bout 2 years ago) but I don't have any way of testing them.

[Anders]

Thanks bmh.01, that would be great, although I have come across a flaw in my plan. I had planned to use the free modem provided by Pipex. However, I am sure it will be a USB one and the P75 I was planning to use does not have any USB ports. I guess I have to either buy a USB card for the computer, or by an Ethernet modem?

[Moby-Dick]

indeed - I used my old alcatel frog modem.
see how much you can pick up an old system for. If its cheaper than buying a reasonable router then do it
Unless you want the challenge of setting smoothwall up , then a router will be a lot less hassle for not that much cash.

[bmh.01]

If your interested i've got a P166 in a msi AT mobo that you can have the lot for a fiver, its got 4 simm slots so you could put the 16mb in you already have with the 16mb thats already in the board and have the required 32mb or ram with a proccessor that should be more than capable of doing the job doesn't have usb though i'm afriad , was fully working the last time it was used but I don't have any working AT power supplies to test it.

Of course if you only want the ram then thats not a prob, just giving you another option.

[Anders]

I think I will have a look around for cheap routers. The idea of using my old P75 was that it would cost me little or no money. As it seems I am going to have to buy bits and pieces, the Smoothwall option is less attractive. If I buy a router I am right in thinking that I will still need to get an ADSL modem with an Ethernet connection (or buy a modem-router combo)?

[bmh.01]

Well you can get either a router on it own and connect it to your modem via ethernet (haven't seen any usb ones), or you can get a combined adsl modem/router which is probably the best option for you can theres no faffing around if the modem doesn't have an ethernet port.