how to make a hardware firewall?

[dfinf2]

i know it may sound stupid to some ppl but im getting annoyed by the taking up of memory and cpu by software firewalls and some of my computers seem to be attacked no matter what i do so i want to try a hardware firewall... the thing is i dont have a clue on how to... so if someone could link me to a site or explain it?... thanks

 

[Crusty]

Buy a router , or find a cheap old computer use SmoothWall on it

 

[osage]

a few good ones listed over HERE

 

[Sunner]

Get some old piece of junk PC, install <insert preferred OS here>, read some manuals, be happy.
Me, I prefer OpenBSD, others will like Linux, Free/NetBSD, etc etc.

VIA's EPIA platforms with dual NIC's would make nice firewalls as well, especially if paired with OpenBSD since the latter supports their encryption functions

 

[InlineFive]

I would personally buy a Linksys WRT54G/GS. The "G" is around $50 now, it runs Linux so it's customizable and stable, and it has an SPI firewall. Not too bad for a home user at that price.

 

[JackMDS]

Hardware in regular Computer amounts to One simple thing.

A collection of Chips that change and evaluate few states of Voltages usually relate to as 0 or 1. There are few basic types of core chip components, a variety of Gates, Flip Flops, Comparators, etc. The more sophisticated Chips are clever combos of the basic chips. Past the Core Chips every thing is Software.

However on the basic level the Software is embedded in chips (like PROMS), because it can not dynamically changed it is more stable then regular software, and being on chips (and thus not being depended on peripherals like Hard Drive) it is very fast.

Being on chip level it can not be build by individual (unless you have few millions to spare).

Cable/DSL Routers are actually small hardware computers with CPU, Memory, and embedded Software (I.e. Firmware).

The closet you can come to this it by building a computer using available Firewall software and embed the Software in PROM. There are commercial units that would allow you to interface through PROM rather then Hard Drive.

However it will be cheaper to by a Regular Cable/DSL Router.

:sun: