IPCOP and wireless networking, Is it safe?

RugbySteve1986 · 07-15-2005, 07:03 PM

Hey everybody, I'm a total noob and and really interested in experimenting with Linux.

I've been looking into making my old gateway pentium I with 64mb RAM and a 600mb HDD into a firewall using ICOP. My question is, How safe would it be to set up ICOP with just a RED-GREEN setup with a wireless router running through a cable modem hooked into it? Or would i be better off running a RED-GREEN-BLUE?

crabboy · 07-15-2005, 10:18 PM

This is how I understand you:

Code:

 -----------------------------------
 | modem / Wireless / Wired router |
 -----------------------------------
              |
          ----------
          | ipcop  |
          ----------
              |
       { green network }

It really depends on what you are doing. If you want the wireless to access the internet only, you can probably get away with it, but if you want the wireless to access the green network, I'd say no. You'd be punching pinholes from Red to Green; which in turn may expose those ports to the entire internet. You'll also have the issue of two routers meaning you'll be doing double natting which is inefficent and may cause problems. I'd of course suggest the RED, BLUE, GREEN, but then it sounds like you'll need another WAP.

RugbySteve1986 · 07-16-2005, 01:11 AM

This is for simply a shared wireless connection through my house, I don't plan on having any kind of networked drives or files, sorry I didn't say that in the first post. Also, it's just a wireless router and a modem, no wired router, yet again sorry for not being clearer.

Thanks for the help Crabboy, this is by far the nicest forum i've ever visited.

floppywhopper · 07-16-2005, 02:30 AM

Ignoring the issue of encryption

IP COP will let you have a green network and a blue network, and it is possible for green to talk to blue via pin holes.
With IP Cop every NIC connection on your Blue zone must give IP Cop its mac address in order to access IP Cop. This prevents unauthorised use of your wireless network to access the IP Cop from a third party assuming everything is encrypted etc.

http://www.ipcop.org/1.4.0/en/instal...iguration.html

This page will give you an idea of how to set up your network.
In short .....
A hard wired network goes through green
wireless through blue

floppy

RugbySteve1986 · 07-16-2005, 08:18 AM

Yeah, I read all that stuff and got a little confused, do you need a green card? or can i use just blue and red interface?

floppywhopper · 07-16-2005, 06:40 PM

You probably need a green zone to initially administer the system, but at the moment I cant see any other reason why you cant have just blue and red after it is all set up and configured, although I may stand corrected on that.

you will need to read that whole IP Cop set-up doc very carefully first

floppy