Can I use Linux Mint to act as a router?

Question

Can I use Mint as a Router service, similar to the service in Ubuntu (called: Router Advertisement Daemon?). Does Mint support this and what solutions are available for this?

Have dabbled in Linux very briefly, but almost no experience on how to install or find programs, so please explain in detail! Thanks!!

EDIT: I'm looking for something easy and simple, like what Virtual Router or Connectify does for Windows 7...

Answer 1

You can use almost any linux distribution as a router; You'd want to install dhcpd, the DHCP server, and dnsmasq, a DNS forwarder. Beyond that, you'd simply configure the system firewall to pass traffic from your LAN interface to the WAN interface (Anyone that's messed with iptables is laughing at this statement. It can quickly get fairly complex). If you have a wireless card, you can also bridge that ethernet device with your LAN device to make the behave as one.

Depending on how manual you want this process to be, you might look around for distributions configured specifically to behave as routers. They will often include web-based configuration tools, to make management similar to conventional embedded consumer routers. Linux Mint may not be the best option for this problem, and if you can use something else, take a look at the following:

DD-WRT is a very powerful linux-based routing distribution, and can run on many consumer routers or on x86-based systems (read, most PCs). If you can use any distribution, I would recommend trying this package out.

pfSense is another very powerful router package, based instead on NetBSD. This is what I run on my router because there are a few necessary features which I needed for my setup (multi-homing, to be specific).

Answer 2

I don't know about Mint but dd-wrt makes an x86 version. The free version has all the router support you would expect except for wireless. If you want wireless support you have to pay 20 bucks or attach a wireless access point.

Answer 3

Did you try installing Router Advertisement Deamon on Mint? Try sudo apt-get install radvd.

Beyond that you'll start looking at configuring iptables, dhcpd, bind, and possibly a whole lot more.

I would start with the wikipedia entry on iptables to get an idea of the scope of what you're trying to do.

Dive into Linux Firewalls Using iptables when you feel ready to get started on the implementation.