If one wanted to make a homemade router, using a PC with several NICs, what's the best way to go about the software side of it? Even if this isn't the best idea, I'm curious...is it possible to load the Cisco IOS on a pc's hard drive and run it, or will that not work since it's made to be stored on Flash memory and/or expecting other router hardware features?

You can use the ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) feature in Win 98, 2k, XP to route between the NIC's. Cisco IOS??? If you could configure the CIOS, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Try Freeso. It's the best bet, plus you can use even a 386 if you want. It's linux based, and it will even perform other functions (Router, Firewall, Print Server, coffee maker)

a, you missed the point. I CAN configure a Cisco router. That wasnt my question. My question was: is it possible to load and run Cisco IOS on a personal computer's hard drive, instead of on a Cisco router with EEPROM. And I already know I can use ICS..I'm already doing that. I didn't ask for alternatives to needing a router....I actually dont need one at all. This is an educational experiement. I'm not in any kind of need. I just want the answer to my questions. I know a router isn't the most cost-efficient way or proxying internet access to mulitple computers...that's not what I'm interested in. I am interested in running the Cisco IOS on a computer that it wasn't originally meant to run on and if it's possible, just because I'm curious.

The sisco IOS is developed for very specific hardware. So I doubt it would recognize your hardware and boot on a normal PC. Cisco might have some kind of emulator or a platform in which they could load the CISO. I'd assume they have something like that for testing purposes. For running a router on a pc you might want to look at the LPR (Linux Router Project) at www.linuxrouter.org It fits on one floppy and works on a lot of different types of hardware. Mik

If you CAN configure a Cisco router, don't you think it would be a little odd to run IOS software for a motorola cpu on a PC ?

You are all whacked. I am loooking for an IOS emulator too. I am running zebra on linux, and this package is the closet I have seen so far to Cisco's IOS. I am actually impressed with the amount of options you can configure into OSPF and BGP4. You should check it out http://www.zebra.org. Also, as far as running the actual IOS on a PC, my guess is theoretically it is possible, but you would need a hell of an emulator or VM, and since there is no code available the chances are probably nil. netGURU