[sllug-members]: Router advice

[Kurt Mahan]

(Evil Toppost)

Thanks to everyone for advice.  Haven't decided on a solution yet but
all of this advice has been very useful.

Kurt

On Mon, Jul 24, 2006 at 05:21:08PM -0600, Chris Brown wrote:
> Kurt,
> 
> You didn't mention what you consider "cheap". You also didn't specify if
> it requires WAN ports or just LAN ports. However, I'll point out that I
> think meet your criteria.
> 
> First is my favorite small firewall/router: the SnapGear (bought by
> CyberGuard, bought by Secure Computing) SG560 (froogle pricing around
> $400 ea). It has 5 ports (4 of which are on a switch, but can be VLAN'd
> and treated as completely separate ports), can be SSH'd to, and is easy
> to work with (both from the web GUI and from the command line). This
> router is exceptionally flexible, allows multiple subnets on every
> interface, excellent DNAT (port forwarding) rules allowing matching on
> on source IP, interface, & etc. This device blows away routers costing
> twice as much. I've been installing devices from this product line for 5
> years and have never been dissatisfied. SnapGear used to be a Utah
> company, and yes, at one time it was a relative of Caldera. Some of the
> tech support is still handled by local technicians.
> 
> Second would be a Linksys WRT54GL (or better, a V.4 or earlier WRT54G,
> or equiv. ..GS). Loading DD-WRT firmware can allow all 5 ports to be
> used independently (by way of VLANs) as the SG560 can, but not as
> polished nor with as much RAM or hardware cryptographic accelerator.
> Froogle pricing around $65 ea.
> 
> SnapGear SG560: http://www.securecomputing.com/index.cfm?skey=1557
> Linksys WRT54GL: http://tinyurl.com/s8bxl
> DD-WRT Firmware: http://www.dd-wrt.org/
> 
> Chris Brown
> 
> Kurt Mahan wrote:
> 
> >I'm looking for some advice on a router.  The requirements are:
> >
> >  - cheap
> >  - low power (not an 'x86 box chock-full-o-netcards)
> >  - 5+ 10/100 network ports - each able to route a separate net
> >  - preferably diskless (flash/cf/whatever based)
> >  - did I mention cheap?
> >
> >I've got several test nets.  Currently I take a linux box, stuff a lot of
> >network cards into it, and setup routing between them.  Very easy to do.
> >But annoying in that it takes a lot of power, is noisy, and a waste of
> >hardware resources for something that should be easy and fit on a shelf 
> >in the network closet (or in the 19" rack)..
> >
> >I've seen lots of cheap little "Routers" but they all only route a single net.
> >
> >Suggestions?  Anyone got a little cisco with ports they want to part with?
> >
> >Thanks!
> >
> >Kurt

-- 
/**
 * Kurt Mahan   kmahan at xmission.com
 *
 * "Did I say that out loud?"
 */