Topic: class c network

[rgarza28]

Hello folks,

I have a situation where I could use your advice. I want to replace my old firewall (OpenBSD box in bridge mode) with SME Server but I'm not quite sure how to do that. Here is my setup:

INTERNET
 |
CISCO ROUTER (gateway)
 |
Firwall (OpenBSD in bridge mode)
 |
SWITCH
 |
FULL CLASS C NETWORK
 |
DNS Serers

Webpage host is done elsewhere. With-in the Class C network I NAT two IP's for various things. I would like to replace the current firewall with SME for the following reasons:

1) run NTop
2) future bandwidth management (depending on what NTop shows)
3) future Internet filtering (ad blocking, warez, spyware)
4) spam filtering

I would like to keep the existing network without configuring every PC if possible. I just want to protect the PC's and servers from the outside. How do I go about doing that with SME server? Everywhere I read, the configuration is using NAT and DHCP but I don't want to do that. I understand that configuration is probably a standard way of doing things but I have a boss who does not think that way.

Any suggestions?

Ray Garza
Coordinator of Computer Services
Speer Memorial Library

[Boris]

SME is a multipurpose small business server with bonus firewall-gateway included.
You may be better served with dedicated firewall only setup.
Take a look at www.gta.com gb-ware or http://www.censornet.com/
There is also ipcop and other high quality firewalls, that easy to setup and have tons of firewall specific features.

[rgarza28]

SME is a multipurpose small business server with bonus firewall-gateway included.
You may be better served with dedicated firewall only setup.
Take a look at www.gta.com gb-ware or http://www.censornet.com/
There is also ipcop and other high quality firewalls, that easy to setup and have tons of firewall specific features.

Hi Boris,

Thanks for the info. I'll checkout those links you mentioned.

I've been using IPCop for one of the NATed IP's I mentioned to have all the patron PC's run through it.

The only problem is that we bought some new Dell Servers with PERC controllers and the current version of IPCop doesn't support it because it uses the 2.4 kernel. I have to wait until they (or smoothwall) comes out based on the 2.6 kernel. We were in a situation where we HAD to spend the money now or lose it. So, I don't mind letting them sit for awhile.

Ray

[Boris]

Remove PERC and use it elsewhere.
Connect older IDE drive to the IDE controller shared with CDROM.
IPCOP will be happy.