I am about to build a couple of PC's (old ones for the displays (I use iFly CBE) and a new one for FSX). I want a minimum install as far as possible. That means no anti virus for me. If those PC's are used without any internet access that could be possible on a separate network without an outside connection. However I will need an outside connection for VA flying and weaher updates. So now I have a dilemma.

 

What action can I take best? Will I need an extra PC with a second network card so that PC can connect to VA and weather (with an anti virus program) and that PC will have contact with the stand alone network for FS (without an anti virus program)?

 

How can I make sure that FS is connected through the separate network card and cannot communicate with the outside world in any way?

 

Will an old Pentium III PC (with XP) suffice for this task or will I have to look for a faster PC just to handle the traffic for VA and WX?

 

Thanks in advance for your answers.

 

Greetings,

 

Theo.

I use IflyCBE on an i7 865 and honestly I think you are going for overkill. The beauty of the CBE is you don't have any VC or panels so your PC is mainly driving the scenery. With all the new tweaks, adaptive vsync, dx-10 fix, my PC is locked at a smooth 30fps with numerour background programs running. If you have performance issues while running you could even try alacrity(sp)? to shut down unneeded programs.

I know an i5-3570 would be enough for FSX, but that is not the question. Not only the scenery will be displayed, but also a CBE client will be displaying a (touchscreen) monitor with the CDU and lower DU. The other three PC's (P4 processors) will be running the other three screens (cpt & fo PFD/ND and standby & upper DU).

 

I want to run all my FS PC's without a gateway to internet so I wont be needing a virus scanner. However I do need an uplink to the internet for weather information and access to IVAO and by having those links open I will be needing a virus scanner.

 

I was more thinking along the way of a PC with two NIC's, one for the internet access and one for the (separate) FS network. The question is if this will be enough to prevent virussus from accessing the FS PC's or that I will need extra precautions. And if I do, what will they be?

 

Greetings,

 

Theo.

Put a firewalled router between the 2nd nic and the internet. See here, Theo, as one example. That firewall will be adequate. How easy it will be depends upon whatever OS 's you choose. XP - XP is straight-forward: Windows 7 wil easily talk to XP, but getting XP to see and share info with 7 can be a pain. It will depend upon how much security you might have built into - or modified - windows 7.

Ooops-- replied in wrong post -

My D-Link router's firewall provides the protection I need for my eight station LAN. I have simply blocked the ports for internet access for those machines for which I wish to keep protected from intrusion.

 

I have everything from Win98 to Win8 all happily co-existing on my local network, but only my dev machine here in my office and the FS machine in my library have full internet access.

Well, you have to keep a single fast and anti virus updated system for connection between the internet and another systems that are not connected with internet just like gateway to handle communication with net and the systems to update them,