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Linux as a Server
Through iptables Linux can be configured as a gateway between your local network and your internet connection. If you have a switch or hub that doesn't provide dhcp, use a network connection that cannot be controlled by your router(56k serial modem), or are in need of more security than your current configuration provides, a Linux machine configured as a server (firewall, gateway or router) may be exactly what you need. Doing this is by no means a simple process but it is very effective when its set up correctly. There is alot of documentation out there on how to do this. If you wish to do this manually you should research iptables (which is what allows you to route packets from one network device to another network device on the computer, such as routing a serial modem to an ethernet card). You also need to be familiar with ifconfig. If you wish to have your linux-server assign your client machines ip addresses then you will need to install dhcpd. Not only can the Linux iptables turn even very old computers into servers but they can also act as a very powerful security tool. They can be used to maintain very tight control over any information that comes into or leaves your entire network. Manual configuration is a little beyond my capability and even if it weren't there are so many variations between distributions and Linux is growing and changing so rapidly it would be very hard to make a walkthrough that would work for everyone. If you're not prepared to attempt manual configuration there are tools out there that simplify the process. I have used Firestarter successfully to share a dial up connection with my local network. Firestarter has a gui and a wizard that walks you through the setup process. If it doesn't work right away make sure you have all of the other required programs and libraries. Also if you configure iptables manually you may need to disable any other firewalls on the system as most Linux firewalls use iptables. Linking or symlinking libraries is a very useful tool when resolving files or libraries that aren't in the anticipated places. Firehol is another tool that helps to simplify the process, although there is no gui and it is not nearly as automated a process as Firestarter.