[TriLUG] LAN/WAN interface question

[Mike M]

On Tue, Feb 17, 2004 at 10:34:53AM -0500, Michael Thompson wrote:
> >>Sounds like you talked yourself out of the appliance  :-)  Maybe I'm
> >>reading it the wrong way.
> 
> <SNIP>
> 
> >There is an argument here for "simple tools that do only one thing, but
> >do it well."
> 
> I use an old compaq desktop as my firewall, iirc it was around $40 used, 
> got a few $15 NICs, "Absolute OpenBSD" book and installed OpenBSD.  For 
> the price, you can't beat it.  If you want a multi function router, BSD 
> supports VPN, DHCP, DNS, Snort, or whatever you might want to run on 
> such a device.  Most importantly, 1 remote hole in 7 years (in the 
> default install) is a better track record than any other firewall that 
> I've heard of...

I think this is the direction I'll take.  I'll need to change NICs in
my box.  I currently have far too many rtl8139 from when I was
experimenting with cheap hardware.  I've since read about the abundent
shortcomings of the design.  They have no place in a router.

I'll STFW but I expect to find that Intel and 3Com NICs are the best
still.

-- 
Mike

Two hundred years ago, we note mischievously, the average American or 
European had a standard of living not very much superior to that of the
average man in India or China. -- dailyreckoning.com