Linux Or Linksys ?

[PcLinuxGuru]

This is just a get your opinion type question.

My linux box is a 1.67ghz Pentium 4 w/ 256 megs of memory, running RH 7.1. I am using the onboard NIC and a Linksys NIC.

I have approximately 150 workstations and they all the web access. Before I started working there they had a Linksys Router/Switch (you the blue linksys you purchase for your house) which works fine.

I implemeted a proxy server (Squid) and soon will be installing (Squid Guard) to filter unwanted content.

I originally set it up as the router, replacing the Linksys Router, and it seemed to slow the connection down.

The original idea was for me to have a backdoor into the network via the router and the Linksys doesn't seem to forward any ports I have set up. Sometimes I like working from home and that would allow me to do it.

The idea here is to prevent users from browsing the bad sites and allow me access from home to work on it.

What would you do?

Visit

http://www.pcbench.homelinux.net:81/

 

[Tels]

I recently faced a similar issue, to set up a couple of remote computers to hook into the company network, over 2Mb cable lines, I decided VPN was the way to go, and I have been able to set up a totally transparent connection, with very little downtime.

What I did was download an ISO of SmoothWall Linux, (

http://www.smoothwall.org)

which is a purpose-compiled linux router running the programs you mentioned and a few more, including VPN. The nicest feature is the web interface, and the trim kernel - It runs quite fast.

I don't think it has site blocking, but even so it should be easy to add.

Either way I am sure VPN is the way to go....

Tels
Mixed Linux/Win2000 Network Administrator

 

[fluid11]

Hardware firewalls are almost always faster than software firewalls. Which Linksys Router/Firewall are you using?

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