Security Basics mailing list archives
Re: Creating a Test Network
From: FocusHacks <focushacks () gmail com>
Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 01:37:55 -0500
I don't use VMWare, most of my test network systems are too slow to run it. On my main home network, all the machines are behind a NetScreen firewall that I picked up for cheap on eBay. They're all addressed internally and NATted to the outside world. For a test network, it's sometimes best to leave the machines (virtual or otherwise) quarantined from the Internet entirely. If you do wish to run services to the outside world, make sure that your ISP allows it. Some ISP's don't block common ports for FTP, HTTP and the like, however, on the flip side, many of those same ISP's put it quite painly in the contract that customers are not to run public services unless you have a business account or pay some other premium. I map various ports from my firewall to the internal network. Port 22 goes to my Sun Ultra 5 running OpenBSD so that I can get a shell on my home network (and tunnel traffic with SSH tunneling). My wife runs a MUD, so one port is mapped to her MUD server so that outside users can get into it. My test network is simply a 5-port 10/100 switch, a "dumb" Wireless access point, and a few systems that I move on and off the network as needed. At any given time, I probably have a dozen machines powered down and put away, and 9 or 10 machines (live on the NAT and quarantined on the test network) powered up. To directly answer your two questions: 1) With NAT (that being provided by pretty much any modern router/firewall including wireless routers), you can put multiple machines out on the Internet at the same time, only passing traffic to them from the outside that you want, using only one IP address from your provider. 2) Depending on how powerful your PC's are, you could run one virtual machine with VMware on each PC, giving you 3 real host systems and 3 virtual systems. VMWare runs on Linux and Windows. I'd run whichever you're most comfortable using for the host OS, and then try your hand at a smattering of Windows, Linux, and BSD's between the virtual machines. Keep in mind you can always make more than one virtual image on each, so you can take down and setup new virtual environments on each. More importantly though, is what you want to accomplish by setting up your test network. Do you want to play with infrastructure type protocols by setting up your own DNS, DHCP, and routing environment? Do you simply want to learn how to use, configure and network different operating systems? Do you want to code exploits and test for vulnerabilities in a safe, quarantined network? Your goals should help you establish your test environment. On 19 Oct 2005 00:46:40 -0000, nietsec () gmail com <nietsec () gmail com> wrote:
Hey guys !!! I want to ask some questions regarding a test network for experiments...I have 3 systems.I have VMWare 4.5 .Various OS's.etc etc ..I have not taken CCNA exam ..so please dont mind to answer my silly questions 1.Can I can use Internet Connection sharing for 2 machines ? Or should i have to take 3 different IP's from ISP. 2.How many OS's Should i install on 3 systems. please help me
-- http://www.FocusHacks.com - The Ford Focus Modification Site!
Current thread:
- Creating a Test Network nietsec (Oct 18)
- Re: Creating a Test Network Jonathan Loh (Oct 21)
- Re: Creating a Test Network FocusHacks (Oct 21)
- Re: Creating a Test Network Mike Spacer (Oct 21)
- Re: Creating a Test Network Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers (Oct 21)
- Re: Creating a Test Network Kenton Smith (Oct 21)
- Re: Creating a Test Network Mogens Valentin (Oct 21)
- Re: Creating a Test Network Balaji Prasad (Oct 21)
- Re: Creating a Test Network Edmund (Oct 21)
- Re: Creating a Test Network Mark Brunner (Oct 21)
- Re: Creating a Test Network ilaiy (Oct 24)
- Re: Creating a Test Network Al Hafoudh (Oct 24)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- Re: Creating a Test Network asdf (Oct 21)
(Thread continues...)