Please recommend firewall for me.

[tcpipgeek]

Hello,
I am planning on having a simple PC at home running a help desk software that is web based. I am only a small home office with cable internet.

I am trying to find a router / firewall with a hardware DMZ port that I can put my windows PC that is running my web based help desk software.

I am on a pretty tight budget so I need to do the best I can with $300.00 US or under.

I will not get very much traffic. Only a few customers.

Can someone please recommend a model that I should consider buying?

I know my budget is low so I am simply trying to get the best I can for my budget.

Thanks,

 

[CiscoGuy33]

Tcpipgeek,

Look into one of the UNIX firewalls on an older PC such as IP Cop

http://www.ipcop.org

I bought a Dell Optiplex 260 on Ebay for $45, it is a P4, it has onboard video and ethernet so I added 2 PCI NICs for my inside LAN and DMZ. I also added extra DRAM to get it up to 2 GIGs (1 GIG would be fine).

Once the software is installed the system is updated through the browser on your PC, you do not need a monitor attached any longer!!!

I downloaded the free IP Cop software, and you DO NOT need to understand UNIX to use this, installed it on the older, dedicated Dell PC (you can not run anything else on this PC) I connected 2 Cisco Fast400 hubs (Ebay $10 each) to the LAN and DMZ ports and then connected my PCs to the LAN hub and the DMZ servers to the DMZ hub.

                                         |--DMZ server
                   |---DMZ--hub/switch---|
                   |                     |--DMZ server
                   |                   
ISP---WAN---IP Cop<|
                   |
                   |                     |--PC
                   |---LAN--hub/switch---|
                                         |--PC

So for about $100 I have a router/firewall that has the outside WAN connection to my ISP and a DMZ for my servers and a local LAN for my PCs.

You can also look into Monowall, Pfsense, Astaro and several other FREE firewall/router solutions that use an older, dedicated computer.

Hope this helps!!

E.A. Broda
CCNA, CCDA, CCAI, Network +