Windows 2003 Standard Edition Server - Fwd Facing Public Internet

[jdanvers]

( Subject = ouch!? )

Question (specifically): I have my own little domain via a dyndns provider and have been happily running my own little mail/web/ssh server for a few years now using what amounts to a fairly customized redhat linux 7.3 os ( the old mitel/e-smith setup, now known as contribs.org -->

http://contribs.org

). Anyway... this has been working out great for me for the longest time but I'm getting "an itch" to try something different. In my current setup, the linux box is also the gateway/router/nat box (dual nic'd). I've got an older spare machine that I'm building as I type this, dual nic'd, and installing w2k3 on it.

The very thought of placing this out on the wire, directly - not behind a nat box/firewall of some sort, frankly creeps me out. Am I way of base to think like this or can this actually be done? ( ...hang a w2k3 machine on the public inet and have it keep the internal lan relatively secure - and in doing so - keep ITSELF secure? )

My own kneejerk reaction to this is "thats a stupid question! NO!! It's a windows machine... lol!" Fact of the matter is though (and NOT trying to start flamewar) I have installed several of the aforementioned linux boxes and never had one yet hacked - that I know of. Windows just... well you know... has this reputation... <grin>

Thanks guys...

-=- jd -=-

 

[joepc]

If it's an important server I would just use a 3rd party software firewall. If your really serious you'll buy a hardware firewall

However for the sake of argument new bugs come out all the time for MS products. That's because everyone in the world goes after them. There are so many problems with IE because everyone uses it. That is why there are so many virues for windows. Who is going to try and develop a virus for a product that has 5% of the market share. And yes MS does rush out code.

 

[jdanvers]

Thanks Joe. Whats "important" to one person is or could be something else to another - you know. It would be important to me in that I would be inclined to have it serving the same functionality as the current setup - mail, web, file server, etc... ie; I have data on it.

Appreciate the feedback. I may (if I decide to continue pursuing using this machine w/this OS on it) just yank the second nic, and do just what you suggest, and my inclination anyway, slap it behind a little hardware based gateway (linksys, netgear, etc... router) and then cfg port fwds accordingly for whatever services I might want to get to on it - mail, web, etc.

-=- jd -=-


-=- jd -=-