Providing Net services for the new flat

[ciphergoth]

Geek-only content follows. We currently have cable Internet, with a Linux box providing firewalling and NAT to get the rest of the flat online. Email, web pages, domain hosting etc are done through a colocated box (antipope.org) on which I've configured bind, exim and apache appropriately. It's not this way purely out of geek snobbery - this is actually the only way of providing these things that I actually understand.

However, now we're going our separate ways this probably isn't the most sensible way to do things. When purplerabbits and sibelian move to their new flat, I'd like to set stuff up so they're independent of whatever solutions I have set upon antipope.org.

If I am thinking of it all correctly, they need:

1. A broadband connection (no cable where they're going so this has to be ADSL)
2. Some way of spreading the Internet goodness to all the computers in the flat (eg a NAT box)
3. At least three POP or IMAP accessible email boxes, one for each flatmate
4. Name server records for at least three domains
5. Static web pages for each domain
6. A way of sending outgoing email with a From: field from any domain they own
7. Arbitrary forwarding of many email addresses in those domains, to their own POP/IMAP boxes or to other addresses (eg to me).

So what should they do to get the above services,and how much will it cost? Should they get their ADSL provider to do the lot, and if so which provider should they go to? Should I configure a Linux box to provide NAT as before, or should they get a router and several real IP addresses - in which case, how should they do firewalling? The names are currently registered with gandi.net - can/should they stay that way or will one ISP want to do name registration on top of everything else?

What haven't I thought of?

This is all a bit of a step into the unknown for me, and none of the people in the new flat are serious techies, so straightforward, well understood solutions are very much to be preferred over interesting, innovative, or technically neat ones.

Update: I really appreciate the responses I'm getting here, they're very helpful, please keep them coming!

Comments

[barakta]

I'd recommend not using BT as a provider, and steer clear of "connection only" products - this usually means no outbound mail relay

I believe Nildram will unblock port 25 at a request, they will then try spaming stuff using your server and if they find it to be secure they'll unblock it. Seems a good soln to me, stops the ppl who don't care worrying/caring, and those who can keep something secure can make it work.

I agree re eggs in one basket tho.

Natalya