UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I just moved away from a T3 line back to a dial up I just wanted to know would a P200 with 64meg and a 4 gig hard drive be ok for a linux server for an additional 3 pcs all running win98. I will be dialing into an isp using a 56k v90 modem.

Any support or help will be great.

You dont specify what you intend to use the Linux server for. As a gateway for the other machines? If so it will probably be fine. You will probably find that the bottleneck is at the 56k connection.

Agreed. In almost all possible Internet-side server scenarios, the dialup link will be the bottleneck. Exceptions would be if the platform is used for non Internet-service related CPU intensive activities.

For example, if you were hosting a web-site on the platform AND trying to break a mathematically computationally complex algorithm, you could run into problems. Same hold true if you were doing CAD on the same box.

However, if you are hosting Internet-based services and not bogging down the platform/CPU with other activities, then you can be assured that bottleneck will be the 56K dialup.

You can always run the <B>top</B> command to take a quick look.

I intend to use the box for just an gateway for a small network at my house. What I was intending to do was avoid using two seperate telephone lines and just have the one with a ISP connection using dial-up 56k v90. But it sounds like by using a the hardware I have now that I will be ok even though it might bottleneck at the tele line. I really expected that, but wanted to make sure that there weren't going to be a hardware problem for the gateway computer.