I have until recently been satisfied with using a Linksys router to provide internet connectivity to my local network. It's firewall features though are starting to lack. I was wondering what would be the general setup if I wanted to setup a Linux box to give me more firewall options (ipchains etc.) with the linksys router still in place.

Broadband -> Linksys Router -> Linux Box -> rest of computers

My setup is I just want to be able to plug the Linux Box in and have it take over DHCP, so new leases will start looking to the linux box as their gateway. Then have the the linux box forward to the router and on to the internet.

Then I need to properly configure the linux box to route packets from local network to the router?

Will the Linux box have to run any NAT or forwarding?

If you want to do it that way depending on how many computers you've got you'll have to get some more network cards or another switch/hub.


You could plug the linux into the modem and then the router using the uplink port into the linux but mine has never worked correctly like that - probably just my bad luck though

Or plug the linux into the modem and use the router as a switch plugging the linux into one of the normal switched ports which would now need two network cards in the linux.


You'll need to setup NAT though either way.

I use an old computer 2 NICs and IPCop.
With that setup you can do away with the linksys router. Got my current router box from goodwill for $12 added one NIC (it came with 1) and IPCop and have a very stable router which uses iptables and the 2.4.21 kernel. IPCop is available at this site:

http://www.ipcop.org/cgi-bin/twiki/view/IPCop/WebHome

If you really want ipchains instead of iptables(?) you could get an older version of IPCop. I found the setup to be quite easy on the current version and it also provides a web based admin page to do configurations after it's setup.

Good luck to you

Agree,

You can do away with the LinkSys router, and just install a nearly "out of the box firewall/gateway/router", there are plenty.

I personally use Smoothwall ( http://www.smoothwall.org ), which delivers for example:
- firewall
- web proxy
- DHCP server
- VPN
- Intrusion detection system (snort)
- NAT / Port forwarding
- Possibility for a DMZ

Half an hour work, and you are set.

Good luck !
See ya

mschrijn:

Hi have you looked at IPCop It is a GPL fork off of Smoothwall and, at least from some of the comparisons I've read, has more features. I used to use Smoothwall but switched to IPCop and have been very pleased with it (not that Smoothwall is bad)

No, I havenṫ.
I will though, thanks for pointing out