cookie_monster Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Our LEA will soon provide us with an incoming IP for some TS or Citrix connections so we need a firewall box. Anyone here running Cisco kit? I've been looking at the Cisco ASA 5505 and was wondering if anyone is using one. http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/96040/cisco-asa-5505.html http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6120/prod_models_comparison.html We'll be allowing a limited number of incoming TS connections and maybe a few connections to our intranet. We only have a 10Meg incoming connection so i can't see it being under massive load. I notice that it is bundled with 2 SSL connection licences so i assume you have to buy extra (is this the case) Better suggestions? Cheers.
FN-GM Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 have you considered smoothwall? From what i have been told its very good.
Geoff Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 I use a linux box running shorewall. However I will be looking at the smoothwall offering to see if it does what I want.
cookie_monster Posted March 12, 2008 Author Posted March 12, 2008 I'm open to options. I have some Linux skills but there is a possibility that i won't be around much longer and i don't want to leave the school managing with something that i've lashed together. I've haven't looked at smoothwall for a while i might take another look.
raufdean Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Don;t know how much you want to spend, but have a look at a Netscreen 5GT.:- http://www.pcwb.com/catalogue/item/NETSCR31 I've used various netscreens over the years. Pretty easy to configure, but very versatile if you need them to be. Rauf
john Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Smoothwall should be worth a good look at, or how about using an off the shelf wirewall / router device that has a WAN port such as one of the Netgears or Drayteks?
Joedetic Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Other open source options to consider are pfSense and m0n0wall. Both based on the BSD kernel as opposed to the Linux kernel. As the others have already mentioned Smoothwall is a good contender. Another Linux based offering would be IPCop. But yes an ASA or a PIX will do the job, and having used both I personally prefer working on ASAs but it's just preference. You might wish to consider whether a Cisco device is necessary when it might well be full of features you're not going to use, when a custom built box would do the job for a lot lower cost.
cookie_monster Posted March 12, 2008 Author Posted March 12, 2008 I can see what you're saying Joe i guess you just get that feeling of reliability from a Cisco box i'm sure smoothwall is a pretty good solution so i might give it a look. Any hardware recommendations? Anyone using Smoothwall to allow and secure incoming TS connections? Cheers.
Ric_ Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 @cookie_monster: Your concerns about your Linux skills disappearing are well raised. If you go down the Smoothwall route, you can go for the UTM appliance which provides a user-friendly interface and support for bother the hardware and software.
CyberNerd Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Your concerns about your Linux skills disappearing are well raised. I disagree, if he puts in a Cisco box they advertise the job with cisco experience, if he puts in a linux box they advertise for linux experience. Anyone using Smoothwall to allow and secure incoming TS connections? not yet, currently we have a linux box doing it - but we have a schoolguardian which is only doing proxy filtering. We plan on moving the linux firewall over to smoothwall.
Ric_ Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 I disagree, if he puts in a Cisco box they advertise the job with cisco experience, if he puts in a linux box they advertise for linux experience. In an ideal world, yes... you and I both know that this is a school though! Either way, it would add an extra £10k to the pay
torledo Posted March 12, 2008 Posted March 12, 2008 Our LEA will soon provide us with an incoming IP for some TS or Citrix connections so we need a firewall box. Anyone here running Cisco kit? I've been looking at the Cisco ASA 5505 and was wondering if anyone is using one. http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/96040/cisco-asa-5505.html http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6120/prod_models_comparison.html We'll be allowing a limited number of incoming TS connections and maybe a few connections to our intranet. We only have a 10Meg incoming connection so i can't see it being under massive load. I notice that it is bundled with 2 SSL connection licences so i assume you have to buy extra (is this the case) Better suggestions? Cheers. You can purchase a ASA 5505 vpn bundle that comes with 10 ssl vpn licenses and supports up to 50 fw users. That's essentially a base configuration for the 5505. It'll probably be enough for what you need, the 5505 is entry-level and so doesn't have the prformance or some of the advanced features of the more expensive models i.e no virtual firewall feature with the 5505. Really depends on you're budget....but i'd recommend an ASA or one of the entry-level checkpoint firewalls.
cookie_monster Posted March 13, 2008 Author Posted March 13, 2008 (edited) I know a couple of local companies that have people who are familiar with Cisco kit so in an emergency they could help out neither support Linux solutions. Attracting skilled IT workers around here has been an issue in the past and asking for Linux skills as well might limit our choice even more. @ torledo, I was looking at a ASA 5505 but i'm thinking the 25 user limit might be an issue at some point. I might take a look at checkpoints offerings. We plan on moving the linux firewall over to smoothwall. I thought Smoothwall was a Linux based solution. Cheers. Edited March 13, 2008 by cookie_monster
plexer Posted March 13, 2008 Posted March 13, 2008 Smoothwall is a linux based implementation but it has the support of the company behind it or even a fully built hardware solution running their software. Ben
cookie_monster Posted March 13, 2008 Author Posted March 13, 2008 @ James, can you just give me a quick lowdown, does it run on any hardware like Smoothwall or do they provide appliances? Approximate cost? @ plexer, what sort of hardware spec might you use for a Smoothwall in a school with approx 500 PC's? Cheers.
cookie_monster Posted March 13, 2008 Author Posted March 13, 2008 I might just do that as soon as i know what i have to spend. Cheers.
plexer Posted March 13, 2008 Posted March 13, 2008 I run corporate guardian on a HP Proliant DL140 G2 2.8GHZ Xeon, 4GB RAM, 80GB hard drive. The smoothie guys would be able to help you spec something if you need though. Ben
plock Posted March 13, 2008 Posted March 13, 2008 Semi-decent PC with ISA Server on it? I'm an ISA fan too... doesn't require a great spec either!
tom_newton Posted March 14, 2008 Posted March 14, 2008 Just thought i'd post on here since I am now back in sunny Leeds - been mooching about in Southampton for the best part of the week, working out what our dev team get to do next. If you want SmoothWall for firewall only - you'd be hard pushed to underspec. We've not done much to slow it down over the years, and whilst we now recommend more than 64Mb of RAM... it's still possible to be quite sparing. TBH, and server built in the last 4 years will be fine. If you want web filtering.. thats a slightly different kettle o' fish, and yes, would be best to drop me a line with specific requirements as one size definitely doesn't fit all
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