Introduction to Zeroshell

Zeroshell is a small, specialized Linux distribution designed to provide network services such as routing, firewall, VPN, captive portal, QoS and much more. Born in the brain of Mad Scientist network engineers, Zeroshell transforms any humble PC or virtual machine into a Swiss Army knife of network utilities—minus the corkscrew, of course.

If you’ve ever wanted to slice, dice and deep-fry your network packets, this is your playground. In this extensive, step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through everything from downloading the ISO to unleashing your inner network guru. And yes, there’s a dash of humor—because configuring networks shouldn’t be drier than a loaf of old bread.

Why Choose Zeroshell?

• All-in-one solution: Firewall, VPN (OpenVPN, IPsec), captive portal, DHCP/DNS, QoS, RADIUS, VLAN, you name it.
• Web-based interface: Configure almost everything via a clean, responsive web GUI.
• Lightweight: Runs on modest hardware, even on old PCs.
• Extensible: Modules and scripts let you add features as needed.

System Requirements

Step 1: Downloading the Zeroshell ISO

1. Open your browser and navigate to the official site: http://www.zeroshell.org/.
2. Click “Downloads” and choose the latest stable ISO (e.g., Zeroshell-3.9.2.iso).
3. Verify the SHA256 checksum (because we’re not into corrupted downloads here).

Step 2: Preparing Your Installation Medium

Step 3: Booting and Installing Zeroshell

1. Insert the boot medium and boot the machine.
2. At the Zeroshell boot prompt, select Install Zeroshell and press Enter.
3. Accept the license and choose the target disk (be careful: all data will be wiped).
4. Partition the disk: the default single-partition layout is fine for most setups.
5. Set a strong root password—no “12345” nonsense.
6. Installation completes in a few minutes. Remove the CD/DVD/USB and reboot.

Step 4: Accessing the Web Interface

1. Connect a PC to the Zeroshell LAN interface.
2. By default, DHCP is served on LAN get an IP like 192.168.0.x.
3. Open your browser and navigate to https://192.168.0.1:443.
4. Login as root with the password you created.
5. If you see a security warning (self-signed certificate), accept it—this is safe in a homelab.

Step 5: Basic Configuration

• Network Interfaces:
  • WAN: configure static IP or DHCP.
  • LAN: choose your subnet (e.g., 192.168.1.0/24).
  • VLANs: create virtual networks by tagging interfaces.
• DNS/DHCP:
  • Enable the DNS forwarder for caching and block ads (adblock lists available online).
  • Configure DHCP pools and reservations (handy for printers).
• Firewall:
  • Default zone-based firewall is intuitive: WAN, LAN, DMZ.
  • Define rules for inbound/outbound traffic, port forwarding, NAT.

Step 6: Setting Up VPN (OpenVPN)

1. Go to VPN > OpenVPN and click Create.
2. Generate a CA (Certificate Authority) and server certificate.
3. Configure server settings: protocol (UDP/TCP), port (default 1194), encryption.
4. Export client configuration (.ovpn) and distribute to remote users.
5. Open firewall port and test connectivity from a laptop or phone.

Step 7: Captive Portal for Guest Wi-Fi

• Navigate to Services > Captive Portal.
• Enable portal on the guest VLAN or interface.
• Choose authentication type: local database, RADIUS, voucher system.
• Design a splash page (custom HTML/CSS) to welcome guests.
• Monitor active sessions and bandwidth usage in real time.

Step 8: Quality of Service (QoS)

If Netflix keeps eating your bandwidth, QoS is your friend:

• Access Traffic Shaping and create Classes (e.g., VoIP, Gaming, Bulk).
• Define rules by IP, port or protocol.
• Assign priorities or maximum bandwidth.
• Enjoy your lag-free Zoom meetings.

Advanced Tips Tricks

• Backup Restore: Export your config regularly (System > Backup).
• Scripts: Drop custom startup scripts in /etc/zeroshell/ for automation.
• Monitoring: Use SNMP or integrate with Zabbix for network health checks.
• Updates: Keep Zeroshell patched via System > Upgrade, but test in a lab first.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

1. No Internet Access: Check WAN link, gateway, DNS settings.
2. VPN Not Connecting: Verify certificates, port forwarding, and logs under VPN > OpenVPN > Log.
3. DHCP Failures: Ensure no overlapping scopes, check interface assignments.
4. Captive Portal Loop: Confirm correct default gateway for clients and DNS.

Additional Resources

• Official documentation: http://www.zeroshell.org/documentation/
• Community forums: http://forum.zeroshell.org/
• GitHub repo (scripts and extras): https://github.com/zeroshell

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve just set up a powerful network appliance using Zeroshell. Whether you’re a home lab hobbyist or an enterprise admin, Zeroshell’s flexibility and portability make it a winner. So pat yourself on the back—unless you’ve got a messenger pigeon delivering your congratulatory notes. In that case, maybe upgrade your QoS next.

Now go forth and conquer those packets. And remember: with great power comes great responsibility… and an awesome firewall GUI.