Cheapo Hardware Info
 

Hey peeps ..

This is not exactly a linux question but someone may have an answer for this. Basically I have seven IP addresses to route on an ADSL connection. I don't want to use software firewalls/router or make my servers (maybe linux) answer external IP addresses.

I'm after a cheapo but good hardware firewall/router which could route/answer multiple ip addresses and support multi NAT both ways and support multi port forwarding per IP sitting behind the ADSL modem+router(DLINK which is sh*te and does not do the job).

I could always buy as many DLINKS as there are Servers to act as firewalls for each one of them but the solution is crap.

Any suggestions?

Sound like a pretty complex setup.
My guess is that the hardware isn't that cheap as you would like it. My guess is that an ordinary PC would be cheaper and more flexible.

"don't want to use software firewalls/router"

"I'm after a cheapo but good hardware firewall/router "

There's your two big problems: there really aren't cheap GOOD Hardware firewall/routers and cheap good firewalls are usually software ones (built on cheap hardware).

Depending on your bandwidth needs you might buy a used, older 10Mbit (or 100Mbit with Gig all the rage) hardware router cheaply or luck out on an auction. A lot of Sys Admins are unwilling to risk their company's network on an eBay auction item and you could snag one off there (tho there are Good reasons why Sys Admins shy away from them)

If you're willing to bend on the software issue, you can build good firewall/routers cheaply (IPCop, Freesco, nearly all major Linux flavors, Windows 2000 and 2003 server tho NOT cheap). Hardware firewalls typically are better than software in terms of speed and security but that's not a rule by any means. Why against SW?

silly suggestion but what's about using an old computer running some linux to act as a router? Any Pentium 1 will get the job done, so don't need any expensive computer, you could probably find one collecting dust in your basement :D
Then some cheap network card (10$ each or so?) and a cheap hub (40$?) where each other computer are connected.