Which server/firewall/router distros are there besides clarkconnect

[tm37]

I have been running ClarkConnect for over a year now and I am trying to find a different distro that is better at running a software Raid (stripe).

The comp is this-

Abit bh6
PII 400
256MB Ram
2X 60GB Maxtor Hard Drives (7200 RPM)
3dfx Graphics card.
LNE100TX
3Com Corporation 3c905C
8X CD Rom.

This is to be used as a Server/Firewall/router.

I am not going to be doing any desktop work on it.

I was just wondering if there were any other distros out there because clark seems to have issues with the software Raid.

 

[IamDavid]

smoothwall is #1

 

[cleverhandle]

OpenBSD runs quite happily on a RAIDframe array,and makes a hell of a firewall to boot. Probably not quite as easy to set up, but I'll take flexibility over specialization in most cases.

 

[tm37]

Originally posted by: IamDavid
smoothwall is #1

But will it load to a software raid array?

I did notsee anything on the site about it. I am printing the install guide as I type.

 

[IamDavid]

Sorry about that man, it also doesn't work as a file server.. I should have read your post better.. For a router/firewall nothing beats Smoothwall IMO..

 

[skyking]

my two cents... never put other services on router/firewall. like having the security guard sell raffle tickets, there is a fundamental compromise of your security.
The router/firewall can run on a P90 with 32mb of ram and a 1 gig disk, so no real expense difference, those computers are worthless otherwise.

 

[pac1085]

Originally posted by: cleverhandle
OpenBSD runs quite happily on a RAIDframe array,and makes a hell of a firewall to boot. Probably not quite as easy to set up, but I'll take flexibility over specialization in most cases.

I think OpenBSD's PF is reallllllly easy to use.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

pf, ipf, and ipfw are all a hell of a lot easier to understand than iptables, IMO.

 

[addragyn]

You can probably take care of the RAID issues if you are willing to go beyond the CC GUI. What exactly are the problems?

Otherwise; E-Smith, NetMAX, EnGarde, etc.

Here's an article using SUSE.

 

[tm37]

Originally posted by: addragyn
You can probably take care of the RAID issues if you are willing to go beyond the CC GUI. What exactly are the problems?

Otherwise; E-Smith, NetMAX, EnGarde, etc.

Here's an article using SUSE.

I haven't tryied the install yet because I need to get the wifes sytem up but in reading the CC forums basically every one is saying that CC wil not boot from a software raid because of the boot module that is being used.

 

[tm37]

Originally posted by: skyking
my two cents... never put other services on router/firewall. like having the security guard sell raffle tickets, there is a fundamental compromise of your security.
The router/firewall can run on a P90 with 32mb of ram and a 1 gig disk, so no real expense difference, those computers are worthless otherwise.

I am looking at running basically an internal file server for thoose files that are shared amongst the INTERNAL network.

What type of security issues am I likely to have by running a firewall/file server in the same machine.

And while a P90 would easily meat my firewall needs that would require that I have a P90 lying around which I don't

 

[skyking]

I am probably overly paranoid, but each additional service you run on a firewall box is another possible group of exploits. I understand you wish to have this fileserver for the internal network only, but you might like the ability to ssh into the box and retreive files remotely.
Edit: I thought EVERYONE had a couple of p90 boxes holding up some particle board shelves in the basement

 

[stash]

I wouldn't run a file server on the same box as my firewall/router. My recommendation is to install Astaro for your firewall/router (much better system than smoothwall or clarkconnect), and build a second box for a fileserver.

 

[tm37]

What would you run as a good fileserver W/ Software raid?

 

[stash]

Well linux makes a great free file server, though I've never set it up with software RAID. The only software RAID experience I have is with Windows 2000 server, and it works very well. My file server at home runs Windows 2000 server and it has four physical hard drives in it. The first drive is for the OS, and the other three are in a software RAID-5 array.

 

[tm37]

Originally posted by: STaSh
Well linux makes a great free file server, though I've never set it up with software RAID. The only software RAID experience I have is with Windows 2000 server, and it works very well. My file server at home runs Windows 2000 server and it has four physical hard drives in it. The first drive is for the OS, and the other three are in a software RAID-5 array.

Windows 200 is kind of cost prohibitive

 

[skyking]

Windows 200 is kind of cost prohibitive

Yes it is, when compared to the alternative. If backups are all you are looking for with the RAID, you could set up a cron job to back up the files in question to another drive.

 

[stash]

Windows Server is expensive, which is why I mentioned Linux.

But RAID is not a backup solution. Use a CD/R DVD/R, tape, anything but RAID for backups.

 

[tm37]

I am not looking for a backup solution.

I am looking to share files (music, movies and the such)

We do backup our Mail files to the server but if the server fails we still have the main rig.

People seam to think that back-up needs to be TOTALLY RELIABLE.

You could have a back-up with a relitively high failure rate (IE Floppies) and they are fine BACKUP solutions.

It when you use your so called BACK_UP as the only medium of storage that have. also the reason that regular back-ups are nessisary is not only to insure that your date is up to date but to insure that the medium is still valid.

 

[skyking]

I finally read the (stripe) part of your post, DOH!
Otherwise, I would have not mentioned backups
I've built 4 freeBSD machines in the last month for friends, so they could have a reasonably priced fileserver (samba).

 

[tm37]

Originally posted by: skyking
I finally read the (stripe) part of your post, DOH!
Otherwise, I would have not mentioned backups

NO sweat we are gojng to start using the camcorder to take videos of the kids and the use the tuner card to create VCDS we can send to the folks.

I want boith workstations to have access to the files and of course the music we listen to so a file server is the way to go.