Router vs. Traffic Manager vs Firewall

[milehigh]

The application is up to 100 concurrent internet connections. No other networking, filesharing etc...just Internet access. The goal is to provide stable, steady, fair access to all users.

Linksys WRT54G with flashed with Thibor15c Firmware $59
QoS settings by application for Skpye, Bittorrent, P2P etc. Firewall settings to Filter P2P etc..port blocking

CISCO PIX-506E-BUN-K9 $900

Can I usually see QoS to improve performance to VoIP and such. How does it function to throttle performance?

How would you set this up - budget isn't a huge concern

 

[jlazzaro]

if this really is for a business and budget isnt a huge concern, i wouldnt be considering a soho device with 3rd party firmware.

can you briefly describe your setup? what type of connection...cable, dsl, t1, etc. is this device going to need to provide dhcp and nat as well?

a QoS policy map can definately improve VoIP performance, as well as throttle/guarantee bandwidth for certain traffic/applications.

 

[InlineFive]

QoS is only effective on your LAN if every single device supports it. If you are daisy-chaining routers, say to different parts of a building, and all of the devices don't support it, then QoS is useless.

And definately don't go consumer, you might not need Cisco but get something like a Sonicwall or Watchguard.

 

[JackMDS]

Router vs. Traffic Manager vs Firewall

There is Vs. here each term represent a different function and has its own roll. It is the decision of the manafactuere if and how they implement these capacities in combo hadware or software.

The elaborate flexible implemantation of thses capacities are done well in Profesional Hardware (Cisco and the like).

Entry Level hardware might have parts of these capacities implemanted for lower loads.

100 connections is not qualified to be called lower loads.

Your solution would be, get five Internet accounts, and five Routers. Put 20 computers on each, and bridge the LAN if it necessary to create a bigger LAN.

:sun:

 

[jlazzaro]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Your solution would be, get five Internet accounts, and five Routers. Put 20 computers on each, and bridge the LAN if it necessary to create a bigger LAN.

jigga what?

 

[milehigh]

Thanks for the responses...

This is my first stab at something of this magnitude. When I walked into this thing there was 1 DSL line serving the whole building with speeds barely at 3 down and 512 up.

We've replaced that with 2 separate cable connections at 6 down and 1 up (they both get 6 down and 1 up) and the next item in line is the router.

The WRT54G and BEFSR81 require constant resets so its obvious those have to go. These go into 24 port Linksys managed switches. I think we're OK on the switches but the routers don't seem to be cutting it as they require daily resets.

So now I'm trying to sort throught the differences between a $59, $500, and $3000 piece of equipment to replace the routers.
CISCO CISCO837-K9-64 or LINKSYS RV016 10/100Mbps Router - Retail ???