Linux home use server

[Merri]

I have a problem of my DSL-router (Telewell) being rather good one in making connection lag and stucky over time, so I thought about building a small Linux system for sharing the web connection. Being more configurable and stable it should be able to keep the connection in much better state than the Telehell box. So I have series of questions:

Which would be a better way to share the connection: the router in direct connection mode with PPPoE by Linux, or to install an internal DSL card to the server? PPPoE is required, I know from experience that the box can be in "normal" setting and a computer can do the PPPoE and share connection. Windows just does it pretty poorly (the host computer has excellent connections, the other computers... don't).

My other question is on hardware side. Does anyone know good combination of a (relatively cheap) hardware that fits in a small case? I think I'm looking for a motherboard around Micro-ATX size scale. I'd also need to have possibility to have atleast two, possibly three RJ-45 connections in the back; this would allow sharing the connections to all three other computers directly off the server.

Suggestions for a small case are also welcome, although it doesn't need to be a cheap one; if it is real good, I might use it for my own desktop I currently have Antec Aria; just that I have some problems with the front connections, USB drive doesn't always get power right away.


Also, I thought the server could run with GUI (XCFE) despite being a server. Other than that I don't know which distribution would be a good choice. Would Xubuntu be good for this? It comes with XCFE.


Last but not least, I also have some interest to UPS and doing thunder protection; can it really work? I don't live in a city, both electricity and phone lines come directly to the house in aircables so the house is more vulnerable than an avarage city apartment. Would I have to take everything off when it is storming even if I had the protection? So would it be of any use?