Original Post
Well, I should be getting broadband internet soon. To prepare for this, I''ve put together an old computer (500mhz, 256mb ram, 10GB HDD) to serve as a gateway for all the computers on my network to access the internet. The main reason for doing this was so that I could be a cheapskate and not spend $20 (or more) on a router. I also did this in the hope that I could do fun stuff with a computer acting as a gateway/proxy than with a router (such as caching or monitoring traffic). I also figure that I have control over who access the computer. Unfortunately, I''m only running windows 2k professional on it, so my built-in administration options are more limited.
So, it all comes down to.. now that my only tool is a hammer... what can I hit with it? What else can I do with a computer gateway that I can''t do with a router?