[htpc3636]

Sorry if this is a redundant post. I couldn't find similar posts so I thought I'd ask.

Im setting up a dedicated ubuntu htpc on my network to get and serve programming to the clients around the house, and have the basic stuff on my home network (ps3, xbox, laptops, raspberry pi, etc.) I had read a few places that the downloading torrents, etc. was better done with vpn and even vlan to protect them from ISP and hacking into the rest of the home network. I can't get my head around how that would work. If I put the htpc on a vlan so the downloading is done separate from the home network, my xbmc client's wouldn't be able to access it, right? Or if I save the htpc files to a NAS, they can't be saved off of the vlan would they?

I'm not very knowledgable about managed networks. I have a zyxel usg20 and can't figure out if I should try to implement it or if it would even be helpful? Just FYI, my htpc does have dual gigabit lan ports that may allow a solution but I just don't know.

Thanks for any help.

[lux209]

Yes if your Ubuntu is on a different vlan (so obviously a different subnet), you will need a router or a firewall to be able to reach it from your other stuff. I think it is a bit overkill to do so.. If you really want to do that kind of config I would recommend to use a firewall to connect the 2 subnet together, because if you use a router it will not improve the security..

[htpc3636]

the zyxel is a "unified gateway" and firewall of sorts. I'm not too familiar with it though. Would it serve the purpose you describe without using the VLAN functions? I also have a airport extreme that will serve the wireless signal in the house. I guess it could go in front or behind the zyxel, huh?

[lux209]

I don't know the zyxel but if it is a firewall you can do a setup like you described in your first post.
For example let's say your actual subnet is 192.168.1.0/24 and that your zyxel has the ip 192.168.1.1, you can connect your airport and all your home devices on it.

Then on your zyxel you create a new subnet (DMZ), let's say 10.30.1.0/24 and link it to a specific rj45 port on you zyxel, so everything you connect on that port will be on a different subnet and you can control all the traffic between the your home subnet and the DMZ by creating some firewall rules. So you can connect your Ubuntu server here and restrict the traffic to your home network.