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Firewall/router recommendation needed.

Discussion in 'Community Broadband & Computers' started by teak, Jun 14, 2004.

  1. teak

    teak New Member

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    Anyone have a recommendation for a hardware firewall/router combo? Looking for recommended brands and/or models. Nothing too expensive, something for the home.

    -Teak
     
  2. Pictor Guy

    Pictor Guy New Member

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    If you have an old PC sitting around I would go with one of the Linux distros and run Netfilter. This would be the cheapest (short term) and most powerful optoin for home use. I say cheap short term because even an old PII 450 will use more electricity than one of the Linksys options. If not the old PC route then Linksys has a few options that would be good for home use.

    Here's the Netfilter link... http://www.netfilter.org/
     
  3. teak

    teak New Member

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    Didn't think of going the proxy way. Unfortunately I don't have an old PC so I may have to go the linksys route. I have used their product in the past and like them.

    -Teak
     
  4. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    Since you're looking for simplicity, go for Linksys. Shop around though; their products are usually on sale somewhere, such as BestBuy, Circuit City, etc. Check the Sunday paper ads. If you're a member of Sam's Club, Costco, etc, check those places too. I bought a Linksys from Sam's about 6 months ago for %40 less than other stores.
    Just a quick tip; I'm not sure if you're looking for a 'Wireless' firewall/router combo, but if you are, don't waste your money on the 802.11g router if all you currently have are 802.11b cards. A big misconception that people have is that they'll buy a 'G' model and upgrade their cards later. Problem is, as long as there's at least *one* 'B' card connected to the router, ALL other connections, even if they're 'G' cards, will drop to 'B' speeds... So if you go the 'G' route, get new cards for all your computers.
    Also, beware of dirt cheap routers, such as SMC routers at Microcenter, etc. While they work, the need a lot more 'technical knowledge' to setup. I picked one up for $5 about 3-4 months ago; couldn't pass it up for that price, even if I didn't need it. While I can configure it and use it just fine, I doubt anyone with even basic networking skills can set it up properly.
    Linksys routers are user friendly and well supported; like I said, just shop around and you'll get a good price.

    Mr. Linux
    ------------------------------------------------
    Got Broadband?
    Yea, REALLY SOON now!
     
  5. Pictor Guy

    Pictor Guy New Member

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    Yep, and they implement Netfilter for NAT and packet filtering too. [^]
     
  6. Dwarflord

    Dwarflord New Member

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    Linksys and D-Link are good viable options. I do prefer D-Link over linksys because of quality and warranty period.
    I had a linksys router about 2 years ago and at the end of the warranty (12 months), the backplane went out on me at 13 months. I did a search on the matter and found it to be commonplace for the linksys to do that just at the end of the warranty period. Well, I dont usually make the same mistake 2x, so I bought a D-Link router (which has a 3yr warranty) and have had it about 18 months w/no issues whatsoever. But do the search on the linksys and you'll see I wasnt the only one to have a problem w/linksys.....
    G/L
    Both do have easy setup and a good web-based interface.
    I think you can get either for about $20 if you look.

    DwArFlOrD
     
  7. Pats_fan

    Pats_fan Former Resident

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    teak,

    I am looking to do the same thing in my home (see the current thread in the OpenBand forum discussion group).

    I just ordered a D-link 4-port cable/DSL router with firewall from www.bestbuy.com It is on sale for $40, and they are also offering a $20 mail-in rebate. I think the sale and rebate expire at the end of this week. (Thanks, Dwarflord!)
     
  8. teak

    teak New Member

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    Sweet, I'm going to order one today.

    -Teak
     
  9. Dwarflord

    Dwarflord New Member

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    NP, but you can also order a wireless one for $50 before $20 rebate (comes with the same thing as the $40 one u saw, plus wireless functionality):
    http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...ductCategoryId=pcmcat25300050001&type=product

    It also looks like the warranty periods on the older models are not as long as on the newer models.....guess they've been in stock for awhile...:)


    DwArFlOrD
     
  10. Pats_fan

    Pats_fan Former Resident

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    I thought about going the wireless route, but I have not been impressed with the wireless setup that I currently have. I have a Linksys wireless 802.11b router installed on the main level of my home now, and the signal dropoff only 2 rooms away is so great that it is just easier for us to plug into one of our CAT5 connections dispersed throughout the house. Putting an 802.11b router in our basement (where our OpenBand fiber enters the house) would pretty much guarantee that we wouldn't get a good wireless signal upstairs.

    I haven't done any research on 802.11g -- does it provide a better signal strength than -b? In any event, we have enough wired connections around the house to make wireless access an unnecessary luxury, and I'm not ready to pay the increased cost for an 802.11g router yet. Maybe some day I will, if I can be convinced that we would get a good signal throughout the entire house.
     
  11. hornerjo

    hornerjo Senior Member

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    I have a linksys wireless router (4 port 802.11b version 2) in my basement with a cheap attached 3rd party antenna pointing straight up. Before I would lose connection all the time on the 3rd level. Now I have 4 solid bars of excellent signal. :)

    You can even make the antennas yourself, but thats a whole different topic. There are a ton of different sites out there on how to make them.

    ---------------
    Got Broadband?
     
  12. Pictor Guy

    Pictor Guy New Member

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    While on the subject of wireless signals here's what I've run into...

    Linksys WAP11 802.11b (original one) in basement - Signal was good on first floor and most of second floor. Outside the signal was okay close to the house but faded very quickly. On second floor there were rooms that the signal was poor but usable. I tried an external Cushman antenna with little improvement on the 2 floor.

    Netgear 802.11a router in basement with another 802.11a access point on the first floor. I had plans on putting another access point on the top floor because of the horror storries about 802.11a but as it turned out even with the basement router only, I was able to get better signal than the first generation WAP11. I kept the other 802.11a AP on the first floor only because it was already there and not in the way but really didn't need it.

    I do still have a pair of Cushman 2.4Ghz antennas somewhere if anyone wants to make an offer ;)
     
  13. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

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    I've been using m0n0wall (http://www.m0n0.ch/wall/) with my setup for about 2 months now. I needed a router that could do QoS/traffic shaping for VOIP, etc. Apparently, m0n0 is very popular for WISPs.
     
  14. dgreene

    dgreene New Member

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    I've been more impressed with the WAP11V2. I've noticed that the signal strength is alot stronger then the original ones. Unfortunatly, I get to much interference from nearby ones and I know have one on the top level, two on the main level ( one bridged to the top level and one acting as a WAP ) and one on the ground level ( bridged to the WAP on the main level ). I get pretty decent coverage through the house ( three level townhouse ) and on the back deck, also to the end of the row. Unfortunatly, with the other WAPs ( one non encrypted and providing DHCP, which makes it worse with my iPaq ), cordless phones, baby monitors, and the like, I need more coverage to counter act the other signals coming in :) I can't wait for the BAE wallpaper comes available ( Depending on looks, thickness, etc ). Then I only have to worry about the windows.

    email me about the antennas Pictor Guy, if they are still available.
    meomniplex at yahoo.com
     
  15. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    Boomertsfx, M0n0wall is 'partnered' with a gentleman called Richard Morrell. This is the same guy who 'ran' the Smoothwall firewall project (almost into the ground, if I may add). Richard is known as one of the most arrogant, pompous and bad-mouthing guys out there. Search on his name and 'smoothwall' on the net sometime and read some of his postings. He routinely tells people that they're idiots and tells them to f-word off. Anything even remotely related to his name, I boycott feverishly.

    Just my $0.02

    Mr. Linux
    ------------------------------------------------
    Got Broadband?
    Yea, REALLY SOON now!
     
  16. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

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    I see alot of people switching from smoothwall to m0n0 because of the features and ease of setup. m0n0 is bsd, unlike smoothwall.... give it a try if you need an easy standalone firewall, don't write it off! =) It seems most of the work is done by Manual Kasper and is really popular among WISPs. I did search the lists and saw a few messages in which he looks pretty pompous :)

    Check this out:

    Richard Morrell

    Award winning Linux Security technologist, founder of SmoothWall and OpenSource
    Advocate. For press information see http://www.dickmorrell.com/press/ or
    contact Donna Biddle my press agent at press@morrellnet.com



    hahah.... he has a "press agent"... must be because he's a "Award winning Linux Security technologist"!!
    :)
     

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