Firewall+VPN Appliance

ignipotentis

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Joined
25 Mar 2004
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127
I've been doing a lot of research lately about Firewall+VPN Appliances. My god do these companies make a lot of money off of their customers. You have to buy the hardware, buy the support contract, and last... if you don't like it, you can't return it!

So, the question has been raised. A Firewall+VPN Appliance is nothing but a hardened linux kernel running iptables + some vpn server. It has a minimum of 3 network cards... blah blah blah.

Has anyone here built a solid home brew replacement for the likes of a Watchguard Firebox or Cisco Pix (two compleatly different levels of firewalls)?

If so:

  • what distro did you start with?
  • how did you harden the kernel?
  • are you administering the machine through command line, or is a remote adminsitration tool availible?
  • in the end, was it worth it to build your own?
 
At school they started with gentoo linux, hardened with SElinux from the NSA. Hell, there are boxen out there with root passwords given out, with SElinux, and they have yet to be hacked.

It is hard to manage though, but they got it done, and have something like a Cisco PIX.

To build their own, they had inhouse linux tech, and an old server, it cost them next to nothing. And it has been up for 8 months now.
 
Whats up X? Why aren't you in #osnn? Anyway, the SElinux is a step in the right direction for me. Thanks.

Do you happen to know what vpn server they used, and if all administration was done through CLI? Lastly, do you know of an open-sourced VPN Server that can do MS-CHAP to take advantage of an Active Directory install?

Oh, by the way... the Qmail thing is looking good. Dev box has NetQmail+Vpopmail+Squirellmail. I like the ease of administration on it. Thanks for the tips with that.
 
I'm not sure about those, but I use Clarkconnect on my network. Been pretty good for me and my needs.
 
I am not on #osnn cause i gave up on IRC. Has made me more productive, and lets me get important stuff in my life done (Homework, life, social life).

Also, i have no clue, but it is all CLI managed.
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
Xie wrote on Electronic Punk's profile.
Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
Electronic Punk wrote on Sazar's profile.
Rest in peace my friend, been trying to find you and finally did in the worst way imaginable.

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