> i know software firewalls are a joke so ive been trying to find a way to get
> real security on my home network.
>
> ive been told you can make a hardware firewall out of nothing more than a
> pentium 2 box and a specially setup copy of linux.
>
> what all does it take to do this and how secure is this?
>
Inside, the hardware firewalls are still software. Whether or not you use an
appliance or dedicated firewall PC doesn't make as much difference as how it's
configured. There are specialized distributions that work strictly as
firewalls (e.g., MNF mandrake firewall). The idea is to remove all the
extraneous junk (X, SQL servers, editors, etc.) and configure it properly.
In any case, I still run a host-based firewall in addition to the hardware
firewall. Also remember that you can get a commodity firewall/router (e.g.
SOHO/DSL router) for under $100. They use less power, are quieter, have decent
management capabilities, and are pretty simple to configure.
-- * The Digital Hermit http://www.digitalhermit.com * Unix and Linux Solutions kwan@digitalhermit.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This list is provided as an unmoderated internet service by Networked Knowledge Systems (NKS). Views and opinions expressed in messages posted are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NKS or any of its employees.
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