“Purpose of this FAQ
Linux is enjoying growing popularity among home hobbyists and
small, home-based businesses. Continual, direct Internet access is
becoming more widespread in the home as cable modem and DSL
connection services expand into the residential market. Connecting
Linux to the Internet, building a firewall, and enabling network
address translation for a home LAN are frequent sources of
questions. This FAQ describes basic Linux Ethernet connection
and home LAN configuration. Particular emphasis is placed on
network security and firewall construction.”
“The examples are based on Red Hat Linux 6.0 running on an Intel
platform. A single LAN connected to an internal network interface
is assumed. Using a single machine without a LAN involves the same
steps, without the references to your local network or forwarding
and masquerading.”
“You’ll find a few tips here about Linux setup in general, but
only your Internet connection and home LAN topics will be covered
in any depth. Other configuration topics will be skipped
entirely”