Chad,
Thanks for your comments. See below...
> Re: DSL Gateway Firewall
> Posted by: "Chad Martin" [EMAIL PROTECTED] tharasix
> Date: Sun Sep 3, 2006 9:56 pm (PDT)
>
> Bill M. wrote:
>> > A PC-based solution would definitely be more FLEXIBLE than a router with
>> > questionable firewall solution. The laptop you describe would actually
>> > be overkill for a firewall box. Seriously, the processor is fine, but
>> > the amount of RAM doesn't need to be near 256 MB and the HD would be
>> > wasted. Anything older hanging around? Any friends have some old, usable
>> > junk they want to get rid of? The Smoothwall solution is mostly a setup,
>> > configure, and forget kind of thing. Just leave running in front of the
>> > network - don't even need a mouse or a monitor really -- you can use the
>> > web-based interface to do most maintenance work or SSH into the firewall
>> > as root and do work that way.
>
> I would like to highlight Bill's use of the word "flexible". If your
> router does everything you want it to, there's really no reason to
> switch, unless you have a desire to play with router software.
I mis-spoke. I should clarify that by "flexible" I meant there are many
more options that a PC-based firewall box is capable of handling:
content blocking, intrusion detection, web server, etc.
>
>> > Like I said: I've had this solution for years and my WinXP systems have
>> > never had a problem from the various worms and viruses out there.
>> > (They've also had ZoneAlarm and AVG Antivirus, Spybot and Spyware
>> > Blaster - belt and suspenders kind of thing.)
>
> Um, beware of any advice that says that you can "set it and forget it"
> when it comes to security. It's always better to keep your software up
> to date than to assume that it's perfectly secure at the time you set it up.
Again, I should make this a bit more clear. Smoothwall (and IPCop, I am
sure) have a decent update process. Smoothwall makes note on a
"maintenance" page that an update is available. The administrator visits
the Smoothwall.org web site and downloads the update tarball file to a
PC, and then selects an UPLOAD option on the Maintenance page.
Smoothwall processes that update and lets the administrator know if the
box needs to be rebooted. Smoothwall runs on a 2.4 Linux kernel - so its
pretty tried and true.
Again, thanks for your great responses, Chad. I appreciate all you do in
the "newbies" list!
-*-Bill
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