Recommendations for a hardware firewall?
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Thread: Recommendations for a hardware firewall?

  1. February 17th, 2003, 10:28 PM #1
    Duke of Rezin
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    Recommendations for a hardware firewall?

    Does anyone have any suggestions for a post-cable modem hardware firewall under 150.00 U$? My cable modem is a Scientific Atlanta Webstar and is connected to a Realtek 8139C via TCP/IP. I've been using Norton Personal Firewall and it's kept out a lot of unwanted traffic, but it also comes with a number of quirks and annoyances and I would rather have as little, though not completely, Norton products installed as possible and from reading posts from other members, other companies' software seem to present their own problems. Plus I'm just in a mood to buy myself a new toy. By the way, I'm a home user and don't require an enterprise-class solution.
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  2. February 17th, 2003, 10:42 PM #2
    MacGyver
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    I seriously think you should stick with a software firewall. Hardware firewalls are not as easy to configure, and you don't get the benefit of controlling per-application access on each port like you would with a software firewall. For example, if you are running an FTP server (even part time) you will have to open port 21 on the router to everything, which is a great way to attract all sorts of internet riff-raff.

    Give ZoneAlarm a try instead if you don't like Norton.
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  3. February 18th, 2003, 04:41 AM #3
    Feet
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    You'd be best off using an old PC as a gateway - stick a locked-down linux distro on it and you've got a hardware f/w

    This way you can contravene the comments of 'im ^ by also installing a s/w f/w on the gateway PC

    Best of all possible worlds

    Plus you can then have a DMZ, which makes life less stressful
    Last edited by Feet; February 18th, 2003 at 04:43 AM.
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  4. February 18th, 2003, 10:02 PM #4
    Duke of Rezin
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    Recommendations for a hardware firewall?

    Thanks guys, your responses have given me food for thought, and I'll be giving both suggestions consideration. Plus I think I'll try tweaking Norton around again. Might as well, I do already own it.
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  5. February 18th, 2003, 11:58 PM #5
    The Computer Valet
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    I like the FVS318 from Netgear and have deployed it many places. It has SPI (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) and can be configured on a application/service level.

    It's a little pricey, I suppose: $138 or so.

    m
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  6. February 19th, 2003, 02:28 AM #6
    silencio
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    Hell man, get yourself a PIX. They're only about $3000.

    They are sooo worth it though.
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  7. February 19th, 2003, 07:15 AM #7
    Feet
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    silenco - nutter!
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