Author Topic: DHCP & network configuration revamp  (Read 4413 times)

Monkgs

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DHCP & network configuration revamp
« on: September 07, 2008, 09:19:51 am »
Just putting this here for future reference and to see if anyone else is already working on it. I will get around to it eventually if nobody else does.

The current DHCP setup is fairly clumsy and makes it difficult to integrate a LinuxMCE solution into anything but a cookie cutter network. At the very least there should be a one-click solution for configuring the core to use only 1 network interface.

Current solutions for this involve multiple subnets, ip aliasing, etc. These are all bad options. I understand the importance of running the DHCP server from the core, however there's no real need to run the gateway from the core. Modern routers all employ QoS for VoIP traffic and a great number of people who actually use LinuxMCE are already running extremely complex Linux firewalls (like me ;)). As a machine that runs a plethora of services, LinuxMCE doesn't make for a very secure firewall either. If more control over the information in dhcpd.conf were available, then users would gain the flexibility of integrating the core into exotic network setups.

Ultimately, a lot of users will be downloading LinuxMCE as a simple drop in replacement for Windows MCE, or similar products. I think there's enough demand for this feature, and as I said before, ip aliasing and multiple subnets are hack solutions at best.


Thoughts?

Monkgs

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Re: DHCP & network configuration revamp
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2008, 07:07:58 pm »
Done ;) I'm gonna do some more testing before I upload it. The gateway mode is business as usual (IP aliasing if you have only 1 nic), the standard mode does away with all that and gives you just one normal interface. I need to do some more testing though, because I'm sure lots of scripts expect two NICs (other than the ones I've already patched).








tschak909

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Re: DHCP & network configuration revamp
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2008, 10:22:42 pm »
Fantastic, thank you for your work.

You need to build a functional map of what will, and what will not work, so that we can explain the advantages/disadvantages of using these modes....

I am still very dead set against this idea, but if your patches do not break the existing out of the box functionality, then we can talk about pushing these into trunk.

-Thom

colinjones

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Re: DHCP & network configuration revamp
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2008, 01:32:38 am »
Agreed, it's great to see someone actually doing something about this rather than just moaning about it! I think an important step is to add this as an option in the setup wizard....

blacklotus

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Re: DHCP & network configuration revamp
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2008, 06:47:00 pm »
Done ;) I'm gonna do some more testing before I upload it. The gateway mode is business as usual (IP aliasing if you have only 1 nic), the standard mode does away with all that and gives you just one normal interface. I need to do some more testing though, because I'm sure lots of scripts expect two NICs (other than the ones I've already patched).

i have to say, that layout you have proposed is awesome! a lot of us already have an advanced firewall (or maybe need vpn, etc) and would like to integrate linuxmce into that.

i would probably add just a couple more options.
1. the ability for multiple nics (or vlans interfaces) without enabling gateway & ability to choose which interfaces (if any) will have the dhcp server enabled. multihomed
2. if enabling vlans for a nic u can just keep adding interfaces? drop down to select nics for the interfaces
3. maybe a little advanced, but even if there is only 1 interface, allow the ability to be a dhcp server for other subnets(?). for those of us that setup a router or firewall to relay dhcp between subnets?

i love it though and its great that others are acknowledging the deficiencies in network setup. that's the single biggest reason i haven't successfully implemented LMCE yet