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Smoothwall express

  • 13-02-2015 09:36PM
    #1
    BigEejit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,738 ✭✭✭


    Anyone using smoothwall express at home? I am thinking of sitting a little box between my modem and router and I was just wondering what hardware people have been using and how much hassle it is (pppoe setup etc)

    Basically I want to have a mini-itx or similar size but dont want to spend more than a couple of hundred. Ideally fanless, but could deal with a quiet fan cooled device.

    Also, I used smoothwall about 8 years ago and it worked really well and without constant attention (once I figured out how to get it to talk to my old dlink adsl modem!) .... are there other options out there now that are considered better?


Comments

  • #2
    bonzodog2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,335 ✭✭✭bonzodog2


    I haven't used it, or any standalone firewall, but on the hardware side, perhaps a bare-bones laptop (say no screen/KB/HDD) with a PCMCIA/Expresscard LAN card, or a SFF Optiplex with a low-profile PCI LAN added might suit. You'd pick up either of those for a lot less than 200.


  • #3
    syklops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,966 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    Get an ethernet to USB adapter and a Raspberry Pi(if you dont have one already). Works very well.


  • #4
    liamo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭liamo


    I used Smoothwall for a few years (although it's quite a few years back now). I've also used a few others such as IPCop and pfSense.

    Smoothwall and IPCop are both very good and will probably do everything you want. However, my own preference is for pfSense. I do think it's better than the other two.

    I've since bought an Edge Router from Ubiquiti. I find it far more configurable and I can work on the command line with it, write scripts, etc. It cost about €100 and I'm very pleased with it. I wouldn't describe it as a beginner device, however.

    I had been trying to sell a Soekris Net4801 with pfSense (this was my firewall for a number of years) on adverts.ie but there's not much interest. So, if you want a low-powered device (solid-state) with pfSense pre-installed you're welcome to it.

    Liam


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