Router/Firewall Recommendation

[Nathaniel Hall]

-----Original Message-----
>>From: redhat-list-bounces at redhat.com
[mailto:redhat-list->>bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of Alejandro Calbazana
>>Sent: Monday, June 21, 2004 9:52 PM
>>To: redhat-list at redhat.com
>>Subject: Router/Firewall Recommendation
>>
>>Hello,
>>
>>I was looking for some recommendations on using a standalone RH machine as
>>a firewall.  Right now, I have an older Linksys router which I use as a
>>standalone router for my broadband connection.  I was considering placing
>>a firewall behind my router.  Other than being overly paranoid, I'd like
>>to do this b/c i like the logging capability of iptables and iptables has
>>much more flexibility as far as rules go.  The Linksys router simply
>>routes, forwards, and does rudimentary logging.  My questions are:
>>
>>1. Is the overkill from a home network?

What is wrong with being secure?

>>2. Should I just use my linux box as a router AND a firewall and ditch the
>>Linksys appliance all together?

I would use the firewall on the outside and the Linksys on the inside if I
did both, but I would probably only use the firewall.

>>3. If there is room for both, how might the router allow traffic to flow
>>to the machine I designate as my firewall?

If you use both, the firewall will still route between its interfaces.  All
of you machines on the internal side would use the firewall as the default
gateway and the firewall would use the Linksys as its default gateway.  If
you want to setup a web or e-mail server, you would have to tell the Linksys
to route certain ports to different machines that host the services and make
the area between the Linksys and the firewall a DMZ.

>>Thanks,
>>
>>Alejandro


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nathaniel Hall
Intrusion Detection and Firewall Technician
Ozarks Technical Community College -- Office of Computer Networking
417-799-0552