[Dxspider-support] Nubie Questions

[Steven H Sawyers (na0ia)]

I have been subscribed for a week or so and have been looking around the
Site, but I have some very basic questions. I am also just barely
conversant with Linux.

But first I would like to give some info on what I am doing now to better
frame my questions.

I am currently using BPQ32 on Win 2K OS on an old 486 upgraded to P133 to
do internet relay to RF for our local packet cluster. The packet cluster in
on another machine at the other end of the RF link and I am just providing
a worm hole through the internet. Our local RF links into Iowa have proven
somewhat unreliable as WB8RZL (he is our packet cluster meister) has lost
link sites, so we decided to try the internet worm hole and have been
running for the last 16 months through all the contests. After doing all
the Win 2K patches it is running fairly reliably if I reboot it every
month. I have it setting behind a Linksys Firewall/Router on a cable modem,
and only have one port open to the packet relay machine. Thanks to the
cable company, I have dynamic IP, so I am using NO-IP as a DNS updater and
this seems to work flawlessly, as I use one of their DNS names for the
other end to find me.

We had previously discussed using Linux, and are now getting serious about
the investigation. 

DxSpider intrigues me - I need to learn Perl anyway, and I need to get more
familiar with Linux along the way.

Now the questions - finally!!

1. What Linux disto to use? Red Hat 8.0 or Debian or what?

2. Can I get Dxspider to run behind the firewall with only one or two ports
and the DNS system I am currently using? Any alternatives that would work
better?

3. I have four identical 66 MHz DX2 486 machines I would like to use one of
these for the permanent link and cluster machine. With four of them, I
would have redundant hardware for hot backups. We are trying to be as
reliable as possible. The Contestors are one thing - they only get
interested for 8 weekends a year, but the DX chasers are constantly there,
and we like to provide a reliable service. Will one of these machines
handle the load? 

I had a Linux machine up as a firewall before I got the Linksys box. It is
a 266 Mhz  Pentium and I can equip it with whatever drives I need from my
computer boneyard. Will this be adequate as a development/testing machine
or do I need to go to 500 MHz? 

4. Once we get running, is there anyone in Illinios or Indiana or Michigan
or Kentucky (ie east of us) that would be willing ot let us connect?

5. Anyone have to time to answer my silly Linux and Dxspider questions as I
try to bring this up? I have some very knowledgeable locals who can help on
the generic Linux stuff, but the AX25 side may take some hand holding.

Thanks in advance.

Steve