Using a Realm Linux box off campus is unsupported. Although it has been done, and is functional, it is extremely difficult to do unless you are closely involved with the Realm environment here at NCSU and with the development team responsible for the Realm Linux.

The first concern you must address is minimum network connectivity. Due to the integration with NCSU-provided services, an off-campus Realm Linux box will require a minimum amount of available bandwidth to the Internet in general and NCSU in particular. We have found that although DSL or cable modem will work, it is still visibly slow. This is the minimum connectivity for an off-campus realm kit box, but be aware that the speed will be very low.

Another concern you must address is name resolution services. Because of the integration of Hesiod with the Realm Linux, you must be able to resolve Hesiod records from your home machine. This means you must know the IP address of at least one NCSU name server and must use this name server in your /etc/resolv.conf file, as well as configuring /etc/nsswitch.conf to use DNS lookups.

As a final note on using the Realm Linux off campus, you should be aware that if you set up a NATting or MASQuerading firewall, you will be unable to use zephyrs. This is due to security checks within the zephyr protocol itself which cause the protocol to be non-functional through a masquerade.