IP forwarding isn't letting other computers on the net

Situation:

I can't get my BeOS computer to let other computers on the network/internet. I know I checked the IP forwarding box in the network preference!

IP forwarding is when you have a LAN (at your home, for example), and you want to use your BeOS machine as a router between it and your connection to the Internet. This is especially nice when your Be machine has a fast connection. IP forwarding requires:

1. A full-time connection, and thus, permanent IP addresses from the ISP for the BeOS computer.
2. A different permanent IP addresses from the ISP for each computer on the LAN connecting to the Internet.

The BeOS will then just pass information between the LAN and the Internet, somewhat like a router does.

Example:

• A (UNIX machine on the Internet, like an ISP)
• X (BeOS machine using IP Forwarding
• B (any machine on LAN)

Data sent from B to A will always appear as originating from B, but is forwarded through X. This does work.

Resolution:

What most people are trying to do is called IP Masquerading, or Network Address Translation. We do not supply any software that will allow you to do this with the BeOS, but there is a third party client to do just that.