Re: DNS and Mail Server Advise & Help wanted

From: Hans (Hans_at_no-spam.xx)
Date: 12/18/04 

Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 10:50:24 GMT

Hans wrote:
> Hi,
>
> We have NT-4 Small Business Server used as server and workstation and 7
> diskless WFW (Windows for Workgroups) PC's. The PCs are connected via
> Ethernet, booting of boot floppies and load the operating system and
> custom accounting software from the server and internal e-mail. Most of
> the PCs are in a open warehouse and factory and last on average 6 to 12
> month before being destroyed by the environment or stolen. The
> replacement PCs are purchased second hand at up to $ 50.- per system.
>
> It is planned to replace the accounting / order / invoicing system with
> a version that uses a standard web browser for data entry and lookup and
> to replace NT-4 Business Server cum Workstation with Suse 9.2 or other
> Linux Server cum Workstation, provide dial in for the sales reps to look
> up stock, enter orders and company e-mail from the notebooks they will get.
>
> The network consists of a D-Link DI-704P connected to a cable modem, a
> passive hub and UTP5 and a long run of Thick Ethernet RG8U Cable.
> Static IP addresses in the 192.168... range and host files are used.
> There is no Internet access for the workstations.
>
> Installing Suse 9.2 a test system was a breeze, Web access works.
> Sending and receiving e-mail using K-Mail direct from my mailbox with
> the ISP works. The test workstation running DOS 6.2 with WFW on top can
> ping the Suse Box and in reverse. The DOS 6.2 and WFW are later to be
> replaced by small Linux version that can be booted of a boot ROM or
> floppy and loaded from the server and run on a diskless PC (386, 486 and
> old P5's with 1 to 4 MB ram). CD Drives, USB devises or similar are not
> suitable.
>
> I need advise and assistance to set up the Name Server, IMAP, POP and
> Webmail server for use by the workstations will be appreciated.
>
> Hans

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I have tries several time to set up Bind for the LAN. I could not get it to
work. I find Bind to complex and a total overkill for a small one segment LAN
without Internet access when compared to using the identical "host" files with
all PC's. Maybe someone can explain why host files can't be used instead of
Bind to make Postfix, IMAP and POP to serve such tiny LAN.

The networks file on the Windows boxes:

loopback 127
yard.lan 198.168.0.0

The host files used on the Linux, NT4 server and Windows boxes:

127.0.0.1 localhost

192.168.0.50 ROUTER.yard.lan ROUTER
192.168.0.51 NT-SBS.yard.lan NT-SBS

192.168.0.11 RECEPTION.yard.lan RECEPTION
192.168.0.12 ACCOUNTS.yard.lan ACCOUNTS

192.168.0.1 STORE-1.yard.lan STORE-1
192.168.0.2 STORE-2.yard.lan STORE-2
192.168.0.3 STORE-3.yard.lan STORE-3
192.168.0.4 STORE-4.yard.lan STORE-4
192.168.0.5 STORE-5.yard.lan STORE-5
192.168.0.6 STORE-6.yard.lan STORE-6

192.168.0.21 LINUX-21.yard.lan LINUX-21
192.168.0.22 TEST-22.yard.lan TEST-22 #WFW

Ping works to all IP's from LINUX-21 and TEST-22 and in reverse. I can access
the Internet from LINUX-21. Internet access is intentionally denied by the
Router-Firewall to all except LINUX-21. The DNS Caching Server on LINUX-21 works
fine as installed by default.

Hans

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