[NTLUG:Discuss] DSL/Cable firewall/routers

[Daniel Hauck]

Well, since you ask, though this isn't a Linux topic...

I have sampled a product from Netgear and it's pretty cool.  There are areas
I definitely wish were more flexible but for the most part it's a pretty
good NAT solution.  Protocols like FTP will require that you use passive
mode I think... I will have to re-check that... you can define all manner of
routing rules... simple ones anyway.  Port forwarding can certainly be done
so if you want to play "web master" on your DSL connection, just forward
port 80 to a box on the inside.

The DHCPd service leaves a bit to be desired and I don't recall if it can be
disabled though I'm pretty sure it can be.  You'd be MUCH better off with
running dhcpd on one of your Linux boxen.  (Webmin will make working with it
very easy.)

Over-all, it's a very adequate product and I like the way it works if only
for its simplicity and solidity.  (Solidity?  Is that a word?  I dunno,
sounds kinda weird to me though I'm sure every English speaker knows exactly
what I mean.)  I'd like to be able to "hack" this product but I don't know
how to write the ROM code.  I believe that would be a very interesting
accomplishment indeed.  Then I could change the Netgear logos in the
web-based administrator and stuff like that.

Oh yeah, since I mentioned the web-based administration so much, I think
it's important to mention that a majority of the administration and
configuration is done through either telnet or serial access.  The web-based
stuff is only very basic in the items it configures...usually enough to get
most people online.

Those devices are relatively inexpensive so I do not consider it to be much
of a risk at all.  Even if you go back and create a Linux router later, the
"personal router" (did I coin a new term?) product will at least serve as a
decent backup in case of hardware failure or whatever.

Good luck to you~!



----- Original Message -----
From: Johnie Stafford <jms at pobox.com>
To: NTLUG <discuss at ntlug.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2001 7:15 PM
Subject: [NTLUG:Discuss] DSL/Cable firewall/routers


>
> Looks like I'm finally going to get DSL again. This time I want to use
> one of those DSL/Cable firewall/routers. I've heard the Addtron is
> supposed to be good, but I know that DLink, SMC, and a few others also
> make them.
>
> Does anybody have any experience with them? Any suggestions?
>
> Johnie
>
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