ATTN: Routing/Network gurus
- Thread starter Rahne
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2008
- Messages
- 21
What are you looking to multicast? Music? NTP?
I haven't looked at multicasting in a couple of years so I can't help there, but in terms of routers, an option you could look at is dusting off your old PC that's not worth anything anymore and installing Ubuntu or CentOS Linux. Linux can act as a router, firewall, HTTP proxy, DNS, NTP server -- lotsa stuff. All free, but you need to know a little Unix and be willing to research and experiment. Fortunately the software is getting more and more mature and easy to use, and the worldwide Linux community is always willing to help.
I have an old P2 1 GHz PC I turned into an iptables firewall, running CentOS 5.2. It gives me more flexibility than an off-the-shelf router (but it's also more work to configure). A lot of the routers these days are Linux machines underneath, actually. I also use it as a caching DNS and NTP server.
I was also going to use it as an Icecast server to multicast MP3s on my home network but never got the software working right. That was maybe 3 years ago, it's probably a lot easier now. I should have another go at it.
I haven't looked at multicasting in a couple of years so I can't help there, but in terms of routers, an option you could look at is dusting off your old PC that's not worth anything anymore and installing Ubuntu or CentOS Linux. Linux can act as a router, firewall, HTTP proxy, DNS, NTP server -- lotsa stuff. All free, but you need to know a little Unix and be willing to research and experiment. Fortunately the software is getting more and more mature and easy to use, and the worldwide Linux community is always willing to help.
I have an old P2 1 GHz PC I turned into an iptables firewall, running CentOS 5.2. It gives me more flexibility than an off-the-shelf router (but it's also more work to configure). A lot of the routers these days are Linux machines underneath, actually. I also use it as a caching DNS and NTP server.
I was also going to use it as an Icecast server to multicast MP3s on my home network but never got the software working right. That was maybe 3 years ago, it's probably a lot easier now. I should have another go at it.
