Using a server as a firewall

[pcbananas]

I have a PC w/ 2gig ram/amd 5000 and 320g hdd.

I was goin to use it to install Astaro, but the ram + hdd was goin to be an overkill.

what would you recommend to do w/ this computer if i wanted to implement a firewall solution, but maximize the hardware?


otherwise, i'll buy a cisco pix501 and install another OS on this extra pc


thanks

 

[axan]

this is way too much of a computer for any firewall distro

 

[Captain Colonoscopy]

You could try clark connect. They have a free version that will also server up the emails and stuff as well as UTM appliance stuff.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

www.untangle.com

 

[AMD_RULES]

install something like untangle and also do some VM servers and fold!

 

[RavenD]

You could always install a firewall in a VM on this machine, and still have plenty of processing power & ram leftover for other things.

 

[MorfiusX]

If you are going to buy a Cisco device, do yourself a favor and buy an ASA5505 instead of the PIX 501.

 

[swatbat]

If you are going to buy a Cisco device, do yourself a favor and buy an ASA5505 instead of the PIX 501.

Agree

 

[munkle]

Untangle will do pretty good at maximizing your hardware. It has some pretty high requirements for firewalls. But it also has many features.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Untangle will do pretty good at maximizing your hardware. It has some pretty high requirements for firewalls. But it also has many features.

You can also run it on lesser hardware if you don't enable all the features. Untangle is a setup of individual components you install in a sorta virtual rack from the library of selections. Upon installation..you only have the NAT/router component..which doesn't itself need a lot of horsepower to run. The other UTM features you install one at a time...loading all of them will require a bit of horsepower.

I've installed barebones Untangle on an old AMD/Via system with just 504 megs.