[clug] anyone using a Linux as an Internet gateway?

[Paul Wayper]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On 10/19/2010 04:06 PM, Paul wrote:
> After some recent issues which I'm still not completely convinced my internet
> connection is 100% good has left me wanting to know is using a Linux Router
> the best way to go.

Absolutely no problem.  Linux sits in most of the major firewall appliances
(that I've worked on, anyway - Cisco has their own IOS).  Many embedded
routers run NetBSD or Linux anyway.

I bought my Wrap-2 from Yawarra (http://www.yawarra.com.au) - the Alix 2 would
be the equivalent these days.  Even the 433MHz version would be overkill -
mine's a 200MHz machine and it doesn't rise much above 20% CPU use -
downloading at 7Mbit through a bunch of rules pushed it to 80% but that's
mainly waiting for interrupts.  No problem.

Mine has two ethernet ports and two Mini-PCI ports, of which I'm using only one.

I use PFsense (http://www.pfsense.org/) as a firewall - it sits nicely on the
compactflash card, has a nice WebGUI, and saves me from having to hand-hack
iptables rules.  I can do that if I have to, but as Bob observed recently one
doesn't always want to be fighting technology at home.  It runs the Wifi, does
the DHCP, and all the other cool routing and NATting stuff that I need.  No
problem.

HTH,

Paul
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Fedora - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/

iEYEARECAAYFAky9hJAACgkQu7W0U8VsXYKirgCguxrUpIzEl7qV94LKwgoIS6s5
DoAAn0y1TFOuzjKvtxompErZXSzKVL77
=gIla
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----