linux newbie trying to configure my cable modem/router

[iurodivii]

>>>Scott much appreciated...<<<<<

>>>>here are my responses<<<<<






Will need a little more info to provide a specific response.

What does your home network consist of? Is it a cable modem connected
directly to your linux box or do you have one of the
NAT/firewall/routers between your system and the cable modem?  
>>>>>I have a linksys 4-port router with two laptops coming off of it one is on windows xp and mine is Fedora Core 3<<<<<

Typically an ISP will provide DHCP for one system. I recommend you use
one of the cheap hardware firewall/NAT/routers that are available.
netgear or linksys make some nice ones. These will protect your network
as well as allow you to have multiple systems on your LAN that can use
the Internet at the same time.
>>>>>as a sidenote of curiosity, how does the linksys work to protect my network, do i have to make it so?<<<<<

Either way you will need to connect the LAN port of your linux box to
the cable modem or the firewall depending on your setup. In the network
configuration settings if you set it to use DHCP it should get an
address automatically along with default gateway and nameservers.

Use the following commands to gather information on your network setup:

netstat -rn
>>>>
Destination   GAteway   Genmask      Flags  MSS  Window
169.254.0.0   0.0.0.0    255.255.0.0  U      0     0

irtt   Iface 
  0      lo
<<<<<<

ifconfig -a
>>>>>bash: ifconfig: command not found<<<<<

cat /etc/resolv.conf
>>>>>immediately returned me to the command prompt without any response<<<<<<


Use the man command to get more info on these commands.

If you post info you get from those commands those on the list can help
guide you if you are still having problems.

Good luck!

>>>>>I will be reading the man's on these commands, thanks again<<<<<


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