[SunRescue] Router vs. PC with router/firewall software...

[Mike Hebel]

Basically I'm planning for when I can get DSL into the house which is
looking like some time in the next two months to get the process started.

I just need a good firewall/NAT solution that I either don't have to pay a
lot for or can build myself using the spare PCs/SPARCs I have laying around.

I'm leaning towards a Linux box doing NAT/firewall but if a router will do
that well enough then I'm open to that suggestion as well.

Here's what I will probably have on my Internet connection:

4 systems used to browse the web, get e-mail, etc.

1 e-mail server.

1 personal news server, maybe.  Specific groups only to keep the drive size
down.  alt.comp, etc.  (I wonder what it costs to subscribe to a news feed?)

1 web server.  For family updates, personal rants, etc.

1 VPN machine.  (Thank any supreme being that you might name - speakeasy.net
is in my area.  They don't care what I run.)

1 bnetd or FSGS server. (BattleNet) Personal use only.

1 ftp server.  Personal use only.

1 DEC MicroVAX II - telnet.  Just because I want it on the Internet. ;-)

There may be other things somewhere down the road but those are the basics I
want.

Mike Hebel

> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: rescue-admin at sunhelp.org [mailto:rescue-admin at sunhelp.org]On
> >Behalf Of Christopher Byrne
> >Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001 5:13 PM
> >To: rescue at sunhelp.org
> >Subject: RE: [SunRescue] Router vs. PC with router/firewall software...
> >
> >
> >Mike,
> >
> >It'snot actually as simple a question as it sounds. The first
> >thing you need
> >to ask is "what exactly do I want to do with this system". If
> >all you care
> >about is forwarding packets at high speed then a router is
> >clearly the best
> >choice, but as you add more functionality the GP (General Purpose system)
> >becomes more and more cost effective.
> >
> >So what EXACTLY do you want to do?
> >
> >Chris Byrne