Firewall advice wanted!

[Tjobbe]

my dad has a small office network and we are going to allow internet and email access for 7 memebers of staff.

i want to deny them access to certain web sites and controll what attachments they can send/recieve in outlook express. what software do you reccomend?

 

[redhippo]

zonealarm!!

get the home version free here

you can also upgrade to the more powerful pro later(need $)

 

[theparrot]

For office use, I don't recommend using software, unless it is a Unix box with something like ipf software, if you are not planning to install a unix box as a router, I commend you get one of the small office grade (not consumer) netgear routers for this. Really a firewall can not run on the same system as user programs and be a firewall, what most people call firewall software is just the packet filter part, for a small office, go the extra mile and do it with a seperate box, either running OpenBSD/NetBSD or a hardware router.

 

[Tjobbe]

what kind of hardware router would suit this then? im not to familiar with them to be honets so dont know where to look.

 

[redhippo]

i think the software is sufficient because Tjobbe doesnt want his dad's staff to access his adult sites!!!

he doesnt need complicated and expensive hardware!!

 

[Jokez Guy]

zonealarm!!

get the home version free here

you can also upgrade to the more powerful pro later(need $)

I second that i have zone alarm installed in my pC tooo

 

[Brian]

for both my home network (7 computers, 4 people using the network) we just use a hardware firewall, and for the business network, about 10 computers with usually 8-10 people there using them, again we just use a hardware filewall, much easier to maintain and does the job

 

[theparrot]

what kind of hardware router would suit this then? im not to familiar with them to be honets so dont know where to look.

I recommended looking into the business class netgear routers, they would be
between $200 and $300 last I looked into them.

 

[theparrot]

i think the software is sufficient because Tjobbe doesnt want his dad's staff to access his adult sites!!!

he doesnt need complicated and expensive hardware!!

Well we disagree then. I find the software more complicated and expensive to maintain in the long run, and it offers less security.

Remember he said for an office not home use, so for me there is not question the hardware option is best, but then I use hardware routers at my home and parents home etc also, since I trust them a lot more.

For an office a 200-300 one time cost usually is less the keeping the software updated and in sync with OS updates and such, and less prone to forgetfulness and errors. Pays for itself quickly.

 

[blackmac44]

I would give sygate firewall a try i hear its really for businesses http://www.sygate.com/

 

[Tjobbe]

thanks for the advice guys, wish me luck with a hardware firewall & zone alarm!

 

[suthra]

Hardwarefirewall is really advicable for an office.
FOr homeuse, Mcafee firewall is the best and is also simple

 

[JNav]

For the office go with what others are saying and get Hardware Firewall

For home use i have been using Sygate for quite some time and have had no bad experiences with it.. Its just so nice to use