Re: Do I have enough or a (or the right) firewall?

From: Leythos (void_at_nowhere.lan)
Date: 02/26/05 

Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2005 18:30:04 GMT

On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 16:11:05 +0000, Duane Arnold wrote:

> Top Spin <ToppSpin@hotmail.com> wrote in
> news:r121215hnt4ioltickcd3muukvid8ht9in@4ax.com:
>
>> We have a 2-node p2p network, all win2k. We have a DSL connection to
>> the internet. All of the hardware including the network was installed
>> by a leasing company. The company has been very good about support and
>> we have had no real problems with malware.
>
> If you don't have any problems with malware, then don't worry about it.
> Although you could install Spybot or Ad-Aware and use Win 2k's Job
> Scheduler to run Ad-Aware on a routine basis to clean malware/spyware.
>
>>
>> Here's the software and hardware that we have, as far as I know. I
>> would appreciate any comments as to whether we need an additional
>> software firewall and, if so, which one would work best with what we
>> already have.
>>
>> HP ProCurve Switch. I think the model number is either 2424M or
>> HPJ4093A. Both numbers are on the faceplate.
>>
>> LinkSys Etherfast 4-port Cable/DSL Router. I think the model number is
>> BEFSR41.
>>
>
> You can install WallWatcher (free use Google) for the BEF model Linksys
> router so you can review inbound and outbound connections. You'll need to
> enable logging on the Linksys router. If malware was running on a
> machine, then you would be to see the connections to the remote IP and to
> what IP/machine the connection was being made to on the LAN.
>
>> SpeedStream 5260 Ethernet ADSL Modem from Efficient Networks.
>>
>> Norton Antivirus, Corporate Edition.
>>
>> We are running Office 2000 and using Outlook for email and IE for web
>> browsing.
>>
>
> You may want to look at Firefox (free) for your browser which is less
> open to attack than IE, but if you're not having problems with malware
> reaching the machines due to IE, then that's fine too.
>
> What you need to do if this is a business is get a router with a real FW
> and you won't need a PFW solution on each machine. The BEFSR41 is not a
> FW appliance and is just a NAT router with some FW like features that
> meets the specs in the link.
>
> Linksys, D-link, Belkin, Netgear and others fall into this category.
>
> http://www.homenethelp.com/web/explain/about-NAT.asp
>
> If the router had a true FW, then it would meet the specs in the link,
> like a low-end Watchguard, Sonicwall, Cisco and others.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/4awxu
>
> If you stick with the SR41, then you can use IPsec that's on the Win2k
> O/S to supplement the SR41 in protecting the machines on the LAN, by
> implementing the AnalogX IPsec rules on the machines. That's a
> possibility instead of installing a PFW on the machines, which you'll
> have to configure the PFW on each machine to share resources. The AnalogX
> rules already take care of that.
>
> http://www.petri.co.il/block_ping_traffic_with_ipsec.htm
> http://www.analogx.com/contents/articles/ipsec.htm
>
> Of course, you can avoid the above by just getting a appliance that has a
> true FW.

I agree with everything that Duane said EXCEPT the sentence above - a True
Firewall is not going to protect your browsing and external email any
better than the router will unless you also lock-down your computer and
practice save methods. 

-- 
spam999free@rrohio.com
remove 999 in order to email me

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