Guide to get cable modem working with debian

> I have looked around the net a bit and can not figure what I do and do
> not need to know.
>
> I am building a desktop/ firewall for my girlfriend that has cox. As
> her mother hates me I will not have access to the cable modem before I
> drop off the computer, and will not have a ton of time to configure the
> computer before getting something thrown at me. The computer that I am
> giving away will be protecting the rest of the net from the virus ridden
> piece of s* that my girlfriend's mom will not let me fix.All I know
> about the cable modem is that it is not a router and that it has cat-5
> out. I have no experiece with such things so I am hoping that you could
> tell me of the ramifications *or point me to a guide*.
>
> Should I do anything special when I install debian? (should I tell it a
> bs static ip or what?)

It will need the DHCP client to get an address from cox (and possibly a DHCP
server for the systems in the house).

> Will I need to find drivers?

Cable Modems are transparent transeiver devices to convert the cable WAN signals
to cat5 ethernet standards.

> How much time should I assume that I will need to invest to get firewall
> builder setup?

Depends on how secure you want to make it and other needs. A basic config will
need to do NAT and prevent outside systems from getting to or through the debian
router otherwise.