Software vs Hardware Firewall

[Rookie]

Could someone please direct me to a good (beginners) tutorial regarding the basic differences between software & HW firewalls. i've read many of the posts/reviews on this site but it's still not clear to me why the hw firewall is better. (no ax to grind on this, it's just not clear to me). I've read about the NAT protection but not sure why this is better than the sw firewall. Also, can hw fws be configured like the sw fws? Thanks for any help with this topic. rookie


[This message has been edited by Rookie (edited 01-29-2001).]

[keeper]

Softwalls are more configurable. Hardwalls are more effective.

HW will protect your IP.

Versatility vs Protection??

HW is the way to go. But, not all hw firewalls are equal. Prices are about $200-$600.

Check the postings on this forum for comparison sites on hw firewalls.

Posted by 'Jandoent' in a reply, if I rem right.

[Rookie]

thanks keeper. i've been reviewing the links Jandoent has provided in the posts "books on security" & "A Guide to Firewalls" . they are very helpful. the following link has the best tutorial i've found for us rookies:

http://grc.com/su-firewalls.htm

rookie

[This message has been edited by Rookie (edited 01-30-2001).]

[keeper]

He is a researching fool. Jandoent helps us all with the work he puts in.

He got burned by a virus or trojan once, and ever since he has been on a Mission to rid the world of such.

Have to love his dedication.

[JANDOENT]

Thanks Keeper, don't cut yourself short. You are a great help as well as many others. We work as a team...


Rookie has asked for some great links to learn about firewalls. IMHO, it would be a dis service to restrict this to firewalls only as many things go hand in hand.

Perhaps some links in reference to great general security will help with your understanding of firewalls and ultimately answer your question...

Binding and NetBeui:

http://grc.com/su-bondage.htm

http://www.symantec.com/SecurityCheck/netbios.html

http://cable-dsl.home.att.net/netbios.htm


General firewall info:
http://www.soscorp.com/products/BS_FireIntro.html

http://www.robertgraham.com/pubs/firewall-seen.html#1.1

http://www.robertgraham.com/pubs/network-intrusion-detection.html

http://davidovv2.homestead.com/firewalls.html

http://grc.com/lt/hardware.htm


And a little info about ports:

http://www.thornberg.com/firewall/rfc1700.htm

http://www.sans.org/y2k/ports.htm

http://advice.networkice.com/advice/Exploits/Ports/default.htm

http://www.commodon.com/threat/threat-all.htm

A bit on virus:

http://www.speedguide.net/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000448.html


Please read these sites as they are loaded with info.
I ran a thread on NAT in another location. I will bring it here as a thread for you...

There is more than this. But too much at one time is not good. Stick around and let us know your questions or topics of interest.
I hope this will benefit you... http://www.speedguide.net/ubb/wink.gif


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Inquiring minds want to know...

[JANDOENT]

You may find these informative:

An explanation of NAT (http://www.speedguide.net/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000672.html)


Guide to Hardware Firewalls (http://www.speedguide.net/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000468.html)

Guide to Virus and Anti Virus Programs (http://www.speedguide.net/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000448.html)

Guide to Spyware (http://www.speedguide.net/ubb/Forum6/HTML/000389.html) (I really need to update this thread...


I should do some threads on software firewalls, however the topic is discussed so often, you can find info in almost any thread... I recommend Zone Alarm, get it HERE for free. (http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/partners/zonealarm/download.html)

Trojans fall under the same as firewalls, as they are discussed here often. I use Anti-Trojan. Get it HERE, first 5 uses are free. (http://www.anti-trojan.net/home.asp?l=en)


Let us know.....



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Inquiring minds want to know...

[Rookie]

wow! thanks for all the great links...looks like i'll be busy studying for a while...just what i need. rookie

[ldentitycrisis]

Might be a bit too advanced to mention, but an old 486 box or early Pentium box can be made into a great hardware firewall by simply sticking one of the free distros of Linux or FreeBSD on it.

Don't be dismayed if you don't know anything about these because I didn't either. It's a great learning experience as well.

I currently run I guess what could be considered a two-step hardware firewall. FreeBSD acting as my my main connection to the internet configured to accept only one local IP which belongs to my Netgear RT314 router. This router has a static route pointing to my BSD gateway and also redirects my #1 and #2 PCs through.

Not complicated to set up at all. Advanced security settings take some reading but overall is very secure from the get-go.

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