Can I/should I use my old computer as a firewall? Other questions too. (Long post)

[MichaelD]

I originally posted this in the General Forum, but then realized I really should've posted it here...my bad

Oh boy, I honestly didn't know what to title this message.

I'm not a networking guru, so please excuse me if I mis-name things or get the terminology mixed up.

OK, here's the deal. I'll be getting DSL (finally) sometime next week. I know that it's best to have some sort of "personal firewall" i.e. software installed as a minimum, but a hardware firewall is best. Even though I'm not running an e-business or anything like that (just a home user) I'm a security freak. I like the peace of mind knowing that I'm substantially less susceptible to hacking than the next guy.

I have an older Dell pc. 550E PIII, 256mb PC100 ram, 20gb HD. Can I run my DSL connection to this computer, use said computer as a dedicated firewall, then run an Ethernet connection to my current box? Do I gain any benefits OR lose some performance? My current pc is more than twice as fast as the older Dell. Is this a stupid idea? The Dell is sitting around collecting dust as we speak.

Also, Southwestern Bell is sending me the modem and ethernet card. Should I go buy a better card? Is one ethernet card the same as a different one? Or are they like video cards where you really do get what you pay for?

Thanks very much for your help. Have a pleasant day.

Mike the Networking-Knowledge-Challenged Guy

 

[Wik]

You could use your old computer as a firewall/router using Linux or just got to www.freesco.org and build a router using just a floppy disk.

A 550 would be overkill for Freesco so you could go with a Linux distro of your choice.

 

[Pluto]

The 550mhz machine is DEFINITELY overkill for a router/firewall. You only need a low grade pentium at best. A 486 will do the trick but might limit your peak bandwidth slightly.

I would sell the Dell 550mhz if you are not using it, before it is totally worthless. Then you have a few options. Get a Pentium based machine with basic video and hard disk. eqip it with a couple of network cards. I personally don't think network cards are all that different, but I would avoid cheap no name stuff based mainly on support. I like D-Link personally, inexpensive and effective, and well supported. You don't need sound or CD-ROM or anything like that for this machine, unless you plan to equip it with a monitor to be a workstation that will actually be used.

You could either load Linux and use IP masquerading, which is great and if you're interested in learning Linux, a good learning experience. Linux machines are also easiest to manage remotely (if there is no monitor hooked up to the machine). And you can't beat the price for the OS. Then again you could use Windows 98 and use its built in Internet Connection Sharing, or some software like Sygate or Winroute, but this software could cost you a few bucks.

Your other option is to pick up one of the Cable/DSL routers now being offered by several companies... Linksys, D-Link, Netgear, SMC etc. SMC seems to be the favorite of many users in the forum. These devices are neat, they dont require a lot of power, they are designed to be remotely managed and they are fairly inexpensive. But they are dedicated to the task of routing, and can't be used for much else, unlike a Linux box.