FC4 as business-class router

[Mark Haney]

Aaron O'Hara wrote:
> I have a client who has an office of 100 users who mostly use the
> network to access the Internet.  The number of users is expected to grow
> 30% each year and they want to add VPN functionality.  Their current
> router (Linksys) keeps requiring to be reset and I think it's time they
> upgrade to a business-class router, akin to the Cisco 1841 or something
> from SonicWall.  
>
> After looking that the prices for these appliances, I was wondering if a
> PC-based router running FC4 (or similar, like CentOS) would be just as
> good/better/worse than the appliance?
>
> My fear with a PC based router is that there are more chances for
> hardware failure given the increased number of parts.  Do people on this
> list have experience running PC-based routers serving 100-200 users for
> shared Internet and VPN?
>
> --Aaron
>
>   
I have run several offices with PC based routers using various OS's.  
The one thing I would stress is that (for me, anyway) it is critical to 
have a good image (ghost/livecd/whatever) that can be transferred 
quickly in case of a hardware problem.  However, I think that, given the 
personnel increase expected for this client, going with a suitable 
Cisco/Juniper/other router makes more sense. 

My $0.02.


-- 
Interdum feror cupidine partium magnarum Europae vincendarum

Mark Haney
Sr. Systems Administrator
ERC Broadband
(828) 350-2415