VPN hardware setup question

[Kaido]

I want to add a Linux Firewall/VPN box to my network. I'm currently using a Linksys WRT54GS wireless router as the network 'hub' to connect everything. If I set it up like this:

modem <--> Firewall/VPN box <--> Linksys router <--> LAN computers

Will that still allow for VPN access? Because the Firewall/VPN box would be plugged into the WAN port of the Linksys router so that the rest of the computers could get Internet access.


...still waiting on the Talisman VPN release from Sveasoft 😉

 

[Brazen]

Use the linux box as your router and just use the LAN ports on the Linksys as a switch.

 

[cmetz]

Kaido, assuming your VPN box supports NAT traversal and you enable IPsec pass-through on the WRT, it should work fine. It may require NAT-T to be turned on in the VPN equipment.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: cmetz
Kaido, assuming your VPN box supports NAT traversal and you enable IPsec pass-through on the WRT, it should work fine. It may require NAT-T to be turned on in the VPN equipment.

What would be the best option? I like my Linksys wireless router and definately want wireless, but I want a Linux Firewall with VPN support. Would a better option be adding a wireless card to the Linux box and and customizing it to act as the wireless router, plus Firewall with VPN? Or should I just drop Smoothwall onto the PC and use the Linksys?

 

[Brazen]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: cmetz
Kaido, assuming your VPN box supports NAT traversal and you enable IPsec pass-through on the WRT, it should work fine. It may require NAT-T to be turned on in the VPN equipment.

What would be the best option? I like my Linksys wireless router and definately want wireless, but I want a Linux Firewall with VPN support. Would a better option be adding a wireless card to the Linux box and and customizing it to act as the wireless router, plus Firewall with VPN? Or should I just drop Smoothwall onto the PC and use the Linksys?

You can still use the Linksys as a wireless access point. Just don't use the WAN port on the Linksys; use only the LAN ports since the linux box will now be your router.

Setup your linux box (I recommend Fedora Core 4) as your router with NAT, VPN, and firewalling (webmin works good for setting this up). You linux box will, of course, need two NICs - one for the WAN interface and one for the LAN interface. The WAN on the linux box hooks up to your modem, and the LAN interface plugs into the LAN interface on the linksys box.