Standalone Linux routers

S

Super Mario

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 22, 2003
Messages
466
I'm looking for a NAT/router with 6-8 switched ports that runs Linux. I want a router with Linux becuase I want more flexibility over the configuartion so I can open only specific ports needed without being restricted to the 10 rows of ranges you can only specify on most home routers with a simple web broswer interface menus. I also want more control over firewall and NATing options. What manufacturers offer Linux routers and can you buy them easily?

Thanks for your help.
 
peeps here rave about the linksys WTR54G

but, it has wireless and only four ports. any reason why you couldn't find an old pc, add a nic or two, and install smoothwall or clark connect? then all you'll need is a switch to your liking.
 
Smoothwall gets my vote, it's free, powerful and easy to setup. I had tried Freesco before it, I'd advise staying away from Freesco if you do go the firewall distro route.
 
I don't know of anybody that sells cheap linux based SOHO routers....look for warchgaurd if you want something that at the enterprise level is linux based.

otherwise, just build your own with smooth wall, clark connect or m0n0wall or m0n0bsd, or many of the other free floppy or cd based linux distros. just install on a computer, setup, hook said computer to internet and a switch, ta da, you have linux router/firewall and switch
 
I've thought about doing that with a PC, but I just thought about the idea that getting a Linux standalone would be better if possibe because it takes up much less space (just like most home standalone routers) and doesn't produce any noise as you usually leave a router on all the time, where as a PC, it has all the fans that produce noise and it draws more heat and power.

Well, it looks like there really isn't any standalone Linux routers, so I'm going to have to use a PC and install Linux on it in order to do it. So, a couple more questions as a result. I just downloaded Mandrake Linux 10.0. How would Mandrake Linux 10.0 compare with ClarkConnect and Smoothwall? Also, would it be better to buy a switch and connect it to a NIC on the PC, or just use 5 NIC cards on the PC and use those for all my Network ports? Would NIC cards that support full duplex be the same as using a multi-port switch connected to one NIC on the PC? And would a Pentium III 450MHz PC with 256MB of RAM be enough? And how relaible and secure are Clark Connect, Smoothwall, and Mandrake Linux?
 
clarkconnect / smoothwall will be MUCH more easy to setup than mandrake for a proper and secure firewall if you are new to linux. As for security, when setup correctly, anything can be secure, but clarkconnect and smoothwall seem to be pretty good.
As for the NIC card thing, I would say just plug one nic into a switch and share out that way...I mean cmon, its the [H] way to do it! :D
 
Yes a big vote for ClarkConnect from me too. Size and noise aren't that big of a deal. You can build a CC box with an epia and a 2.5" hard drive if you want. Its been done 100's of times.

Also I believe m0n0wall is floppy-based so no hard drive noise. Others can be run off of a compact flash card or other flash storage card.

What makes CC and the others much better than building your own Linux solution is that they have a built-in web admin tool. You don't even need a keyboard or monitor once it is installed as you can manage it from anywhere on your network.
 
Super Mario said:
Also, would it be better to buy a switch and connect it to a NIC on the PC, or just use 5 NIC cards on the PC and use those for all my Network ports? Would NIC cards that support full duplex be the same as using a multi-port switch connected to one NIC on the PC? And would a Pentium III 450MHz PC with 256MB of RAM be enough? And how relaible and secure are Clark Connect, Smoothwall, and Mandrake Linux?
Click to expand...

a p3 is plenty of horsepower for a routerbox. i'd be using a p1 if i had such a computer just sitting around. consider how much 'processesing power' home routers have, and a p1 is still going to be able to process a ton more than those. remember, you aren't installing a full linux system that will be running a windowing system or anything else, just a modified linux kernel, plus a few html/perl files for a web interface.

it will take you a lot longer to try to configure a desktop distro into a routerbox. it certainly can be done, but no need to beat yourself up over it.

you bring up a good point on the space/energy consumption. it may cost a buck or two more per month in energy costs, i never really tried to figure it out, but the difference is trivial to me. but if you have the fortune to find a good p1 system those will suck a lot less wattage than a p3. also, after being set up, such a routerbox can be run headless (no monitor, keyboard, mouse). you can reboot it through the web interface and do any admin that way.

you will need two nics. you will need one nic that will lead to your cable/dsl modem, and another nic that leads to your switch. the router's software bridges the two networks.
 
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