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SOHO Firewalls used

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by kentward 2 views

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I would like your personal experiances and recommendations on a SOHO Firewall.
I have a friend that has a small business. They have no internet at this time. He is ordering DSL so he can go out and compare the competitions prices while on the phonewith customers.
There are 16 computers on their Win 98 P2P network. Their "server" is the customer database that has lots of credit card numbers in it. It is a DOS based program.
He wants to connect himself and his brother only to the internet. They have tried dial up but it takes "too long" to research the prices.
If he lets these two systems on the net the all are vunerable.
There is no need for VPN. I am looking at the following units but would greatly appreciate your input.
SonicWall SOHO 3/10
SnapGear Pro +
3Com OfficeConnect Firewall 25
Symanatec Firewall/VPN 100

Your time is greatly appreciated

11 replies

by kentward

I have spent the last couple of days on their site. Unfortunately it did not help me out. I really appreciate the advice.

by timwalsh

Unless you need a lot of configuration options, you are probably spending more than you need to with any of these.

You might also look at some of the many DSL/Cable Router/Firewalls on the market form companies such as Linksys, NetGear, Dlink, etc. They all, by default, block all unsolicited (not initiated by you) incoming traffic. Most also allow you to specify which computers (by IP address) can access the Internet link.

Since the largest of these only include an 8-port switch/hub, you might consider getting a single port router model and a separate switch/hub, sized to fit the business' needs.

Hope this helps.

by kentward

I had considered this but after reading the spec's on several models and a half dozen reviews then comparing them to the dedicated firewalls, I need to have him go with the dedicated route because of the credit card information. I do really appreciate the thought.

by budthegrey

I've been using a Multi-tech RouteFinder 500 now for two years. It's been very reliable, and so far at least, has provided decent firewall protection to my home next work. Much good information about such devices can be found at http://www.practicallynetworked.com

The multitech unit does one-to-many NAT, supports virtual servers, and offers controls so that you can limit who gets to surf the internet. For the truly paranoid, it can be combined with firewall software on the PC (such as ZoneAlarm), giveing two-tiered defense against hacking.

If security is an issue, I'll presume that you have passwords on the windows shares on the "server". With 16 computers in the network, it would be a really good idea for your friend to investigate using a dedicated server running true server NOS, such as Netware for Small Business, Windows 2000, or one of the versions of Linix.

I bought the RF500 because it is one of the few units that offers both broadband and dial-out support. if my cable connection goes dow, I can still get out to the internet. Or, if I choose, I can set it up to allow me to dial in to my network.

hth

by kentward

Guys I am blaming Tech Republic on this one. Even though none of the answers fit correctly I tried to give you each the full 325 points. The computer ontheir end accepted it and now it is bounced back again. So for Tech Republics oops I apologize.

by isys

I use the Sonicwall Pro VX and SOHO. Administration is brain-dead simple. You can also use their antivirus subscription service (from McAfee). The demo they have set up on their web site is exactly what you see when you use it. VPN setup is alsovery easy.

by kentward

Guys I am blaming Tech Republic on this one. Even though none of the answers fit correctly I tried to give you each the full 325 points. The computer ontheir end accepted it and now it is bounced back again. So for Tech Republics oops I apologize.

by tptbusines_98

Hello,
The "3Com OfficeConnect Firewall 25" is the firewall is suggest to my clients...

ALL of my small/medium-size business clients have had NO PROBLEMS with this firewall...

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