Build This Cheap But Effective Firewall

By Andy McDonough

February 5, 2007

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Savvy system builders are well aware that hordes of hackers stand ready to descend on your clients' operations and steal everything from personal identities to state secrets. Worse, some hackers are out to destroy your clients' valuable data -- and your reputation along with it. So unless a system builder enjoys rebuilding disks, recovering data, and fielding downtime complaints, they should know at least a little something about firewalls. Namely, how firewalls work and how to select the best firewall for a specific installation.

In this article, I'll explain both the options for firewall protection and the differences between hardware and software implementations. By the end, you should be able to point a client to the firewall that best fits their budget, complements their operations and, of course, provides them with the best possible protection.

I'll also show, in step-by-step fashion, how to build a configurable and secure Linux firewall from a recycled PC. Since the software I recommend is freeware, this will also allow you to offer incredible cost savings to your clients.

To start, let's look at the subject of firewalls in general, both the hardware and software varieties.

Hardware Firewalls

All computer users -- from the largest enterprises to the one-person business or home user -- need some form of security between their network and the outside world. A properly configured hardware firewall sits at the entrance to a network as the first line of defense against unwanted intrusions. It's like the lock on the front door of your home; you don't always know who you are locking out, but you're sure that bad guys are among them.

Similarly, a good firewall allows only approved sources to enter the network. It may also allow special or unrestricted access to one or more servers.

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