Firewall

Billybob51106 · Jun 2, 2004

I want to get a hardware firewall, I enjoyed NIS 2004 but after gettin ass raped by symantic I want a hardware one. Can someone hook me up with a really good one. I am sooo confused at to what to get.

-Bill

Devnull · Jun 2, 2004

I don't have a lot of experience with them but if you decide a hardware firewall is too expensive/whatever... You can make a very nice firewall/router with a Linux/BSD based machine. Doesn't need to be powerful even.

djnes · Jun 2, 2004

You can get a Linksys firewall/router for $50 or so, that is plenty of protection for the typical non-corporate user.

Luthorcrow · Jun 3, 2004

Personally I had bad experiences with Linksys. I am using a Netgear FR114P that is built like a tank. Linksys look more like a Happy Meal prize than a piece of hardware

deuce868 · Jun 3, 2004

I like the 3com officeconnect boxes if you are sticking to the cheaper side of things (<$100)

I think some of the firewall distros out there (smoothwall and ipcop for example) are great for and old forgotten PC laying around. I played with them both on an old 233 and was impressed. If it wasn't for the wireless in my 3com gateway I would switch my network over.

ksanders2006 · Jun 3, 2004

You can get an old box, and install OpenBSD using PF

E-virus · Jun 3, 2004

After losing faith in Road Runner security (after like 50 hack attempts a day), I decided that I needed a hardware firewall. (also getting my wife off my ass about needing the system and hooking our laptop up to the internet was a bonus too)

I chose the Netgear Prosafe FWG114P. From doing firewall tests like GRC, it pretty much says that my system "appears to not be connected to the internet". I also got this model because the hardware inside was supposed to be fast compared to cheaper products. It seems to be fast since I have not noticed a change in my online gaming experience. I think I lost around 10kb a second while downloading a big file. That is from 360kb/sec to 350kb/sec so I am not sweating this.

The print server works for the most part. I have a cheapo canon i350 printer and it works. Sometimes, I have to turn off my software firewall to print while other times I don't. It does print slower, but again, I can print and my wife, on 2 separate systems at the same time. That alone was worth the price in saved grief. "You need to print now? We are hotdropping on a base in 15 seconds!"

It is a little pricey ($153) at newegg however, it has suited all my needs so far. I really cannot think of my thing that disappoints me about this product.

Luthorcrow · Jun 3, 2004

Looks like we running almost the same hardware, except yours is wireless and has additional USB 2.0 port (which is always nice). Did you have any concerns about going wireless.

Personally, the only wireless products I use are a mouse and keyboard, beyond that I just don't feel comfortable with the number of war dialers in the Bay Area to deal with it. Call me paranoid.

Billybob51106, do you have an old PC you can spare as a firewall?

j4zzee · Jun 3, 2004

How about a Smooth Wall dedicated firewall box?
If you have, or can find and old PC with two NICs, you can install this neat little app.. free of course, and easy too

draconius · Jun 3, 2004

Firewall

Billybob51106

Limp Gawd

Devnull

[H]F Junkie

djnes

Fully [H]

Luthorcrow

[H]ard|Gawd

deuce868

Gawd

ksanders2006

Limp Gawd

E-virus

Weaksauce

Luthorcrow

[H]ard|Gawd

j4zzee

Limp Gawd

draconius

2[H]4U