This tool configures your system so it acts
as a gateway to the Internet for other machines connected to it via
a LAN. To do so, you will need an already configured connection to
the Internet, as well as a network connection to your LAN. This
implies at least two interfaces, for example, a modem and an
Ethernet card.
After you complete this wizard, all computers on the network will be able to access the Internet as well.
First of all, the wizard will ask you to choose the interface connected to your LAN. You may have more than one in case the Internet connection already uses one Ethernet interface. Make sure to select the other one in that case.
Next, and in case your interface has been previously configured, the wizard will propose to reconfigure the LAN interface so that it will be compatible with the gateway services. You are recommended to just click on .
Once this is done, the interface is reconfigured and required packages are automatically installed.
Basically, a DHCP server is installed on the machine. Then, you simply tell all the clients on the local network to use your server by configuring them using an automatic IP configuration (DHCP). This way, they can auto-configure themselves to use the Mandrake Linux machine as a gateway to the Internet. This works for Windows, GNU/Linux or any other OS.
For a Mandrake Linux system, you just have to check the
box when configuring its network: