At 09:30 AM 09/12/2000, Bharat Ale wrote:
>Hi,
>
>Currently we have around 8 machines running Internet through Wingate.
>
>I'd like to know if there is any speed gain (and how much) going from
>gateway software like WinGate, Sygate, Linux proxy server (Squid) etc. to
>router solution. And is it the same, performance wise,  using hardware
>router and software router (like IPRoute, FREESCO, Linux LRP etc).
>
>And what would happen if we place a proxy server behind the router ? Does it
>improve internet access or hamper it instead ?


I have not investigated all the avenues of switching from Wingate to
a Router, something I did within the last 30 days.  I can give you my
anecdotal findings for my personal in-house LAN.

We had a Wingate machine, serving as the proxy server with five clients
routing through it to the Internet.  The LAN is all 10/100 set to full duplex
throughout.

Using Wingate as a proxy, if the Wingate machine went off line to reboot
the TCP/IP feed to the Internet dropped for all the client machines.  When,
a client machine reached out across the network to the Internet, it took a
couple of seconds for the Wingate proxy client to load.  Then, a second or
two extra to route through the Wingate server.   The actual data transfer
speeds were consistent across the network, only the response times for
DNS lookup and Wingate to initialize were a factor.

Now, with a cable modem connected to the Internet, then to the router,
all six machines on the LAN have the same quick response to the
Internet.   All the PCs on the LAN have equal access out of the router
and no single machine must be online in order for the others to access
the Internet.  Actual data flow speeds are the same, or as best as we have
been able to test so far.  The router is a complete firewall and we have
no need for any proxy server on the network.

One final point is that the former Wingate machine no longer has any load
on it, all that is handled by the router.  We choose the Linksys BEFSR41 -
EtherFast 4-Port Cable/DSL Router.  This router will support up to 253
client machines.
     http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?prid=20&grid=5

We still run our mail server behind the firewall on a server, just as
before, routing all the NOSPIN.COM email.


    Bob Wright
The NOSPIN Group

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