Computer Used For A Firewall: How To?

[Hienrich Jager]

Not sure if this can be done, but i am recently setting up a LAN for my friend and i want to ensure that it will have UBER security as there will be at least 15 rigs linked to the LAN. The problem is that i want to have the internet connection coming in to Computer A (also the file server) through a NIC, and then going out through a second NIC to a router which will then run to all the other boxes. And on that server rig i will have all sorts of software firewalls and assorted security features.

 

Additionally it will need to be set up so that if more people come to a LAN party, they will just have to run a cable to the router and have access to both the internet and to the LAN for gaming.

 

Can this be done?

 

Hienrich

[markiemrboo]

Sure it can. I have that type of set up right here.

 

If it were BSD I could tell you how. I expect you're using Windows for this server though, right? In which case you'll want some sort of NAT software and a DHCP server. I think Internet Connection Sharing is both of those in one... suppose you can find third party if you don't trust Microsoft with their security....

[rh535]

cnet did a insider secrets

 

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10165_7-54654...ml?tag=txt#tip1

[LobbDogg]

If you are looking for a premade solution that can be modded then look at www.smoothwall.org , this is what I use and I love it. Rock solid and lots of options for customizability.

[Bleeble]

The guy in the cnet video is downloading at 700 KB/sec... I wish I had a connection like that. The cnet solution uses smoothwall. All you need is an old computer.

[Hienrich Jager]

Thanks for all the replies, yeah i am going to be using Windows and i will check out those links.

 

Especially the Smoothwall site, that is really cool, just what i was looking for.

 

Keep them coming

 

Hienrich

[RichMayo]

I recommend a Linux box set up with the native firewall IPtables. You can search the web for literally hundreds of IPtables set up scripts to do firewalling, NAT, etc. The best sites for this sort of thing are freshmeat.net and sourceforge.net.

 

FYI, most commercial firewall/routers you can buy do exactly this, the computer hardware is different from a "normal" PC setup, but not that different. Best of all, the software is free and the computer doing the work is cheap.

 

 

 

Good luck,

R.

[andrusk]

I was gonna recommend smoothwall too, but it looks like they've already taken care of that!!