[PLUG] Networking - part II

[John Beck <jbeck@jbwd.net>]

Good morning everyone!

Ok, here is what I have - I got the Linksys Router we were discussing about 2 weeks ago (Cable / DSL router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch).  
Currently, I only have my Dual boot Win 98 / slackware 8.0 computer running through it.  Seeing as I use @home cable, I assigned the 
Router = to the computer name and workgroup that I use for Comcast service (20120-C, @HOME).  So, first question is:  Can and should I 
rename the windows computer, seeing as the router is using the values needed for comcast?

Ok, next question:  As soon as I can run the 75 feet of cable, I am going to hook up the standalone Linux computer.  My intentions are to 
have the linux computer primarily run apache / php / mySQL, and act as a web server to host a very small web site, and also allow me to 
test different web site configurations.  I would want the web site I host to be accessible to the outside, which I believe can be done via port 
forwarding of port 80, or by configuring the DMZ.  What I need advice on is, using RedHat 7.1, would it be best to do a workstation 
installation, and just install Apache and PHP, or is it best to do a "Server" installation (which I have never done before)?  I am not sure what 
the differences are...  I really don't think I need all the stuff that  comes with a server install, but could be wrong...  Also, along those lines, 
anytime I installed linux (I am a newbie at this), and was asked for localhost and localdomain, I just left them at the defaults 
(localhost.localdomain).  Should I be naming them?  If so, what values??? 

Finally, this is more of a general networking question, but I would like each computer attached to this router / switch to be able to see each 
other...  This involves linux seeing windows, windows seeing linux, windows seeing windows (sorry, but I had to ask!  :-), etc.  Can anyone 
give some guidance to this.  The only example I can give is the Windows computer accessing .mp3's saved on another windows computer 
(ex: WinME laptop playing .mp3's from the main Win98 computer), and more importantly, me being able to transfer files between the linux 
and windows computers, without going through the outside network...  Can anyone please point me in the right direction with this?  I am 
only vaguely familiar with the network neighborhood concept in Windows, and even then, I have never set it up.  From what I read, this has 
to do with the workgroups, and that the computers that see each other need to be in the same workgroup, which is why I asked those first 
few questions.

Thanks for all of your help, and I apologize for the very lengthy post!

-John


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