The point about limited firewall protection is a good one, Wayne.

Byron, one of the security benefits of running a machine behind your
firewall is that it gives you the opportunity to set up an IDS (Intrusion
Detection System).  An IDS machine would provide you with reports on hacks
into your home network based on a set of signatures (rules) that you define.
Of serious concern for high speed modem users is the practice of hacking
into home computers to launch DoS attacks and distribute illegal materials
(e.g. child pornography).  For many home users, an IDS is seen as being
beyond their needs and capabilities.  But, hey!  You already have a
4-teenager IT team and this would provide them with an excellent research
project.  Start with searching for "SNORT and IDS".

Also, make sure that you've set up your router so that all of your ports are
"stealthed" (another research project for the A-Team!). 

        Regards,
        Steve Collins
        AlternateRealities - High Performance Networks and Computers
        Phone: (819)669-8885
        Fax:   (819)669-8887
        e-mail: [log in to unmask]
        URL: http://www.AlternateRealities.ca 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: PCBUILD - Personal Computer Hardware discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Wayne Copeland
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 1:25 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] computer as a gateway


I'm assuming that your router is doing NAT'ed addresses to your
home computers and is providing you with some kind of (limited)
firewall protection so using a PC would be of limited benefit there
as well.

- Wayne Copeland

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