In search of a super-firewall

[ddrueding]

I'm in need of a firewall that can perform the following services (in order of importance):

1. Typical firewall stuff
2. Web filtering (adult content, blacklist support, etc)
3. E-mail filtering (adult content, spam, virii, etc)
4. Web interface
5. Some form of per-connection bandwidth throttling

I don't care if it's a true appliance (linksys) or a computer acting as one (smoothwall). It will be hooked up to a T-1 serving up to 50 computers playing online games (low-latency is a big issue). If it is based on a PC, what hardware spec would guarantee the fastest performance?

 

[ddrueding]

Doh! Wrong forum.....

 

[The JoJo]

Better know?

 

[The JoJo]

Doh...."now"...

 

[ddrueding]

yep. thanks

 

[i]

The plural form of the word virus is viruses.

In order for a case to be made that the plural is "virii" (with the double i), the singular word would have to virius, not virus.

Consider:
radius --> radii
fungus --> fungi

You could try and make a case for "viri" being the plural, but you'd still be wrong.

You can read the most fantastic tangential thread about the plural of virus in this Slashdot story. The best explanation (as mentioned in that Slashdot thread) as to why the word is "viruses" is here.

 

[ddrueding]

The plural form of the word virus is viruses.

In order for a case to be made that the plural is "virii" (with the double i), the singular word would have to virius, not virus.

Consider:
radius --> radii
fungus --> fungi

You could try and make a case for "viri" being the plural, but you'd still be wrong.

You can read the most fantastic tangential thread about the plural of virus in this Slashdot story. The best explanation (as mentioned in that Slashdot thread) as to why the word is "viruses" is here.

That's nice

So now I have a thread with 5 replys, all OT

Help? Please?

 

[i]

:lol:

More on topic, I'd really be surprised if you found all of that stuff, especially with a web interface.

1 & 2 are certainly possible in one package, with a web interface if you want. Heck, a dedicated SOHO firewall/router (from D-Link or Linksys) gives you that sort of thing. You should be able to 5 included with 1 & 2 somewhere I'm sure, but I'd expect the web interface option to disappear at that point. Bandwidth throttling just isn't the sort of thing I'd expect to be configurable through a candy-coated GUI. Then again, maybe I'm just too used to UNIX.

And number 3 ... well that's more something you'd find as a component of a mail server. It's not really something I'd expect to see integrated into a firewall. Apples and oranges (from my limited perspective).

 

[mubs]

Almost all Sonicwall products will satisfy requirements #1, #2 and #4. Maybe they have models that satisfy #2 and #5 as well. Their products are good, but their licensing can suck. At the very least, it won't hurt to check them out.

An inexpensive but highly rated line of products is made by Snapgear. While I've never used any of their products I think they're definitely worth checking out.

 

[ddrueding]

Almost all Sonicwall products will satisfy requirements #1, #2 and #4. Maybe they have models that satisfy #2 and #5 as well. Their products are good, but their licensing can suck. At the very least, it won't hurt to check them out.

An inexpensive but highly rated line of products is made by Snapgear. While I've never used any of their products I think they're definitely worth checking out.

Thanks, the SME530 looks interesting.

I've seen boxes that do e-mail filtering like a firewall. It is attached in series with your normal firewall and filters all the mail stuff I want (passing through the rest). I can't remember the name, and it only did mail, but it sounded very interesting.

 

[Mercutio]

I buy Sonicwall stuff off ebay for maybe $.20 on the dollar, but the products that are readily available there don't handle bandwidth allocation.
I've never used the high-end Pro models that do.

Free solution: Smoothwall + Squid on a Linux box. Run your own mail server + procmail or the like for mail filtering.

 

[ddrueding]

OK, thanks for all the advice so far.

I'm looking into a Sonicwall Pro 100. That'll do #1, #2, #4

The Gig-E managed switch will be able to handle #5

Now all I need is #3.

Ideally, I'd like an appliance with a service (for it's ease of use). But if there is a free way to get the same results easily...I won't complain