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Is it time to get a "grown-up" firewall for my home? I'm currently using a standard Apple Time Machine as a firewall/router, but with all this crap (crap route

by vlod 9y ago

Is it time to get a "grown-up" firewall for my home? I'm currently using a standard Apple Time Machine as a firewall/router, but with all this crap (crap router software/hack attempts/NSA shenanigans) going on, thinking about putting something more serious in front of it (connected to my broadband modem). Yeah.. I realize I'm sounding paranoid.. ;) I'm thinking of Protectli's "Firewall Micro Appliance" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H2QJTM4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H2QJTM4 I believe it's FreeBSD and comes with pfSense. Thoughts?

dsr_ 9y ago
Here's what I look for in a home firewall/router: - is the OS supported? - will the OS continue to be supported down the road (assuming that I upgrade regularly) - is there a team with a significant history of fixing problems quickly? - can I set it to automatically download the fixes and tell me it's ready? - if this one breaks, is it relatively easy to get a new one acting the same way? - can I back it up easily? - can it execute a full reboot in less than 30 seconds? (The last requirement means that you can reboot faster than most TCP sessions will time out, and thus users may not even notice the reboot. In turn, that means you will be content to upgrade and reboot when you feel like doing it, rather than waiting for a time convenient to other people.)
ac29 9y ago
Even if you have a Gigabit connection, that's a bit overkill. You could handle a gigabit class connection on a product from Mikrotik or Ubiquiti for half the price or less. Both are rock solid and get regular software updates. The co-founder and former project leader of pfSense works at Ubiquiti now. If you want to run IDS/IPS, though, youll need something a bit beefier like that linked box.
blacksmith_tb 9y ago
That looks like a very nice box, if a bit expensive. I have been quite happy with my Mikrotik hAP AC[1], I run the dev previews so I get firmware updates pretty much weekly (and at least for my home network, none of them have broken anything, yet...) 1: http://a.co/37wiiiM http://a.co/37wiiiM
- sliken 9y ago
  I'd hope something like that would last years, and even today 100mbit is lower than many network connections. I try to switch to the comcast plan that's the best bang per $, and that's currently 200 mbit at my locale. The ubiquiti seems similar, but has GigE.
sliken 9y ago
Seems expensive and power intensive. For 1/3rd the cost you could get a ubiquiti, runs a fork of vyatta, and supports configuration from the command line or web UI. https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Edgerouter-ERLITE-3-Desktop-Router/dp/B00HXT8EKE/ https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Edgerouter-ERLITE-3-Desktop-... Not sure I'd consider a x86 an advantage for an internet facing router.

by vlod 9y ago

dsr_ 9y ago

Here's what I look for in a home firewall/router: - is the OS supported? - will the OS continue to be supported down the road (assuming that I upgrade regularly) - is there a team with a significant history of fixing problems quickly? - can I set it to automatically download the fixes and tell me it's ready? - if this one breaks, is it relatively easy to get a new one acting the same way? - can I back it up easily? - can it execute a full reboot in less than 30 seconds? (The last requirement means that you can reboot faster than most TCP sessions will time out, and thus users may not even notice the reboot. In turn, that means you will be content to upgrade and reboot when you feel like doing it, rather than waiting for a time convenient to other people.)

ac29 9y ago

Even if you have a Gigabit connection, that's a bit overkill. You could handle a gigabit class connection on a product from Mikrotik or Ubiquiti for half the price or less. Both are rock solid and get regular software updates. The co-founder and former project leader of pfSense works at Ubiquiti now. If you want to run IDS/IPS, though, youll need something a bit beefier like that linked box.

blacksmith_tb 9y ago

That looks like a very nice box, if a bit expensive. I have been quite happy with my Mikrotik hAP AC[1], I run the dev previews so I get firmware updates pretty much weekly (and at least for my home network, none of them have broken anything, yet...) 1: http://a.co/37wiiiM http://a.co/37wiiiM

sliken 9y ago
I'd hope something like that would last years, and even today 100mbit is lower than many network connections. I try to switch to the comcast plan that's the best bang per $, and that's currently 200 mbit at my locale. The ubiquiti seems similar, but has GigE.

sliken 9y ago

Seems expensive and power intensive. For 1/3rd the cost you could get a ubiquiti, runs a fork of vyatta, and supports configuration from the command line or web UI. https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Edgerouter-ERLITE-3-Desktop-Router/dp/B00HXT8EKE/ https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Edgerouter-ERLITE-3-Desktop-... Not sure I'd consider a x86 an advantage for an internet facing router.