Re: Security on a home DSL Line

["James M. Shuler III" <jshuler () cfl rr com>]

My thoughts exactly. Using a software option is nice and gives much more
flexibility as the responses here aptly point out, but at home I don't need
to waste time unless it is for academic curiosity. I have done the
Linux\BSD\x86 Solaris thing but inevitably need the box to do other services
or change it to fit a lab environment (the tinker factor was mentioned). The
desktop appliance, be it Netgear, Linksys, Sonicwall, Netopia ad infinitum
is a one shot always working piece of gear, barring hardware or power
failure which would affect any choice.

'Operationally' speaking, for bitheads like me the non wintel OS option is
very attractive but recommendations to customers, corporate users and non
technical colleagues fall into the category of wintel software or appliance
about 80% of the time. Since the first takes my time to setup and the *IX
option takes that plus hardware after I run out of scrap parts, the plug and
pay (or pay then plug) appliance starts to grow on you.

Add then the exstensability factor of the solution and you may admit that
handing a BSD box or Black ice to Mom or Grandma is not an option, nor would
Mom or Grandma care to track offenses etc. since they presumably pay an ISP
for service matters and they themselves couldn't hardly track their own IP
never mind the rest. My home supply of boxen for *IX use runs into
extensability issues as well ;)

Still, the discussion has brought to light all the options out there from
freeware to appliance for your perusal. My final take:

Technically Superior : *IX OS of choice
Time & Materials Option: Appliance

James


----- Original Message -----
From: "Roeland Meyer" <rmeyer () mhsc com>
To: <sfiggins () mail wcg net>; <nanog () merit edu>
Sent: Friday, November 03, 2000 10:44 AM
Subject: RE: Security on a home DSL Line


> I did that ... too much work. Easier to install an appliance.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Sean Figgins [mailto:sfiggins () mail wcg net]
> > Sent: Friday, November 03, 2000 7:33 AM
> > To: nanog () merit edu
> > Subject: RE: Security on a home DSL Line
> >
> >
> >
> > Of course, for those that don't know how to install a OS
> > without the use of
> > GUIs, you can always install FreeBSD just about as easily as
> > Linux, and have
> > all the security of IPFilter over IPChains...  I've used this
> > method to do
> > everything from a Dial on Demand NAT gateway, to a full fledged
> > firewall/router solution.
> >
> > Of course, my home network is behind more sophisticated
> > security now, but
> > if/when I ever change jobs and network providers, I'll be
> > going back to the
> > FreeBSD firewall/NAT method.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-nanog () merit edu [mailto:owner-nanog () merit edu]On Behalf Of
> > Brandon Hume
> > Sent: Friday, November 03, 2000 9:07 AM
> > To: nanog () merit edu
> > Subject: Re: Security on a home DSL Line
> >
> >
> >
> > > Otherwise, your idea is perfect; Linux or OpenBSD, whichever you're
> > > more comfortable with, will give you the most flexibility,
> > and Solaris x86
> > > might work but will be dog-slow and unless you have a lot of RAM,
> > > completely unusuable.
> >
> > For such a weakly defined measure of "a lot of RAM", this statement is
> > inaccurate.  Solaris 8 x86 will run comfortably, without X
> > and superfluous
> > processes (to say: a rational firewall/NAT box configuration)
> > within 12M
> > of RAM.  A passing knowledge of Solaris would not let a
> > person know this to
> > be true, however, since Sun states its memory requirements on
> > the assumption
> > you'd be using X.
> >
> > That being said, OpenBSD is probably the best choice.  It
> > requires more
> > skill
> > to install, but less skill to secure, and would probably run
> > better *by
> > default* on a minimal machine.  After that I'd suggest
> > Solaris, since it
> > installs less crap than most of the Linux distributions (note: most).
> > Driver issues might force your hand to the Linuxes, of course.
> >
> > I also place OpenBSD and Solaris above Linux because they
> > both give you the
> > use of IPFilter, which I believe to be just flat-out superior
> > to IPChains.
> >
> > --
> > Brandon Hume    - hume -> BOFH.Halifax.NS.Ca,
> http://WWW.BOFH.Halifax.NS.Ca/
>                        -> Solaris Snob and general NOCMonkey