[TriLUG] Linux Firewalls for Home LANs... How Come?

[Tanner Lovelace]

On Tue, 2002-03-19 at 20:43, Scott Chilcote wrote:
> Okay, Folks...
> 
> This isn't a troll, honest.
> 
> Almost two years ago I picked up an SMC firewall/router/switch/print 
> server for $90.  It's tiny.  It uses almost no power.  It takes up 
> almost no space.  It's close to uncrackeable.   It serves DHCP, LPD, has 
> a web interface, logs accesses, provides selective tunneling, and 
> handles 255 IPs. You take it out of the box, plug it in, and it works 
> for Linux and Windows systems.
> 
> It's not like I didn't have some old hardware that I could have put to 
> work doing the same job.  But is there a great reason not to plunk down 
> $100 for an appliance for this purpose?
> 
> I'm guessing the main reason would be for the learning experience.
> I get all of the learning experience I need keeping my desktop systems 
> up to date and upgrading their devices.  More than I want sometimes.
> 
> Sorry if this ruffles any feathers.  I'm just wondering if I'm missing 
> out on something by going the appliance route here.
> 
> 
>                                        Scott
>

When I only had a modem connection to the Internet I used a linux
box, but ever since I've had a high-speed connection I've used 
an appliance.  I think it's 6 of one and a half dozen of another.
If you can find an old computer, linux will be cheaper, but more
work than an appliance.  An appliance, however, will be much easier
to setup and have work (I was always "tweaking" my linux router
to get it to work right).  I guess it just comes down to personal
preference.

Tanner
-- 
Tanner Lovelace | lovelace at wayfarer.org | http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--
GPG Fingerprint = A66C 8660 924F 5F8C 71DA  BDD0 CE09 4F8E DE76 39D4
GPG Key can be found at http://wtl.wayfarer.org/lovelace.gpg.asc
--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--
 Those who are willing to sacrifice essential liberties for a little 
 order, will lose both and deserve neither.  --  Benjamin Franklin 

 History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times
 of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to 
 endure.  --  Justice Thurgood Marshall, 1989 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 232 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part
URL: <http://www.trilug.org/pipermail/trilug/attachments/20020319/bf8001e2/attachment.pgp>