Setting up a wireless router box

[Joe]

I'm interested in taking the hosting of my internet connection off of a crappy Windows box unto a dedicated machine. I want the machine to be able to see all computers on the network, and all computers on the network to see it, but I don't care if the computers are able to go from one to another (it'd be nice, but I have no use). Assume the following set up:

PHONE]---[BOX]---[ WIRELESS ]   }}}}                         {{{{  [General other computers]
                 [ ROUTER   ]   }}}}                         {{{{

The machine will be one that rabbit is handing out. Generally "horrible" specs by Windows standards, and "nice and cosy" for Linux users, which I'd plan on using. It all boils down to if it has a winmodem or hardware modem (I now have a job, so I can buy one, of course!).

I'd like to set up a distribution of Linux that can be run several days, months, and in theory, years (power outtages and general reasons will keep it from reaching that, of course) without ANY user interferance at all, except after power outtages or whatever. It needs to simply dial out, maintain that connection (redial after connection drop would be nice), accept incoming connections on that line and route them (I may set him up with a web server, so I need to be able to set :80 to localhost, etc, and then the leftover * to 192.168.1.1), and then maintain connection and share the internet connection with the router, which is responsible for acting as a gateway to the other computers.

So, assume the box I get from rabbit has NOTHING on it at all. What do I do from there?

[Newby]

Uhh, is the box a WAP / router, or is it just a router? From the looks of it, it looks like it's just a router.

[Joe]

WAP?

It connects to the internet and has an ethernet cable going to a wireless router. Nothing will be connected to that, save maybe one computer sitting next to it. Most computers will just be wireless.

[Newby]

Wireless access point.

[Joe]

Then a WAP, I guess. I need to dial out and maintain a connection with a router, which will route, and is wireless.

[Nate]

You are sharing a dial-up connection to multiple computers?

[Joe]

You are sharing a dial-up connection to multiple computers?

Mm-hmm.