Solved Getting started with SmoothWall
-
I've used Smoothwall for nearly 20 years and still do. Out of the box it comes with default rules and a nice GUI, so you can set it up in about 5 minutes. I did look into the corporate version a few years ago when we were looking at implementing a few extra features not available in the free Express version but it was quite expensive and I didn't really get on with it.
-
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
I've used Smoothwall for nearly 20 years and still do. Out of the box it comes with default rules and a nice GUI, so you can set it up in about 5 minutes. I did look into the corporate version a few years ago when we were looking at implementing a few extra features not available in the free Express version but it was quite expensive and I didn't really get on with it.
We used to use it, maybe 16 years ago at NTG. It was a good product, worked well for us.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
I've used Smoothwall for nearly 20 years and still do. Out of the box it comes with default rules and a nice GUI, so you can set it up in about 5 minutes. I did look into the corporate version a few years ago when we were looking at implementing a few extra features not available in the free Express version but it was quite expensive and I didn't really get on with it.
We used to use it, maybe 16 years ago at NTG. It was a good product, worked well for us.
It was barely released 16 years ago. August 2000.
-
@JaredBusch said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@scottalanmiller said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
I've used Smoothwall for nearly 20 years and still do. Out of the box it comes with default rules and a nice GUI, so you can set it up in about 5 minutes. I did look into the corporate version a few years ago when we were looking at implementing a few extra features not available in the free Express version but it was quite expensive and I didn't really get on with it.
We used to use it, maybe 16 years ago at NTG. It was a good product, worked well for us.
It was barely released 16 years ago. August 2000.
Yup, we had the boxed copy of the first release. I'm not sure that we had it in 2000 but we definitely were on it in 2001 at the latest. Ran it on a brand new PIII that we bought in late 2000.
-
And what's wrong with it now?
-
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
And what's wrong with it now?
The general idea of running mixed solutions is frowned upon (at least by the ML crowd). You can get super cheap but good firewall services for as low as $55 for an ER-X, then if you really need web filtering, do that as a VM on your VM Host.
-
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
And what's wrong with it now?
It is a personal preference of myself as well as @scottalanmiller.
- Separate tasks on separate systems
- Do you even need a content filter based on squid with little to no SSL handling
- more things I am not thinking of
-
@Dashrender said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
And what's wrong with it now?
The general idea of running mixed solutions is frowned upon (at least by the ML crowd). You can get super cheap but good firewall services for as low as $55 for an ER-X, then if you really need web filtering, do that as a VM on your VM Host.
You'e lost me. I just use it as a firewall. Smoothwall Express doesn't offer web filtering, does it?
-
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@Dashrender said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
And what's wrong with it now?
The general idea of running mixed solutions is frowned upon (at least by the ML crowd). You can get super cheap but good firewall services for as low as $55 for an ER-X, then if you really need web filtering, do that as a VM on your VM Host.
You'e lost me. I just use it as a firewall. Smoothwall Express doesn't offer web filtering, does it?
Smoothwall has traditionally required a PC, even a 10 year old PC will use 10 times as (or way more) much power as a ER-X. It also has kinds of of moving parts, and takes a not insignificant amount of space.
An ER-X isn't much larger than a deck of cards, sips power, as no moving parts, All for the cost of $55.
I have no idea what it takes to install/setup/update, etc a Smoothwall, but an ER-X only requires you to download an update file, upload that to the ER-X and upgrade complete. I doubt the Smoothwall is that easy - but it's possible.
-
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@Dashrender said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
And what's wrong with it now?
The general idea of running mixed solutions is frowned upon (at least by the ML crowd). You can get super cheap but good firewall services for as low as $55 for an ER-X, then if you really need web filtering, do that as a VM on your VM Host.
You'e lost me. I just use it as a firewall. Smoothwall Express doesn't offer web filtering, does it?
You are only using the firewall? do not continue. dump it. waste of resources and money.
-
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
And what's wrong with it now?
It used to be the only game in town, more or less. Enterprise Open source routing wasn't available back then. So it was the best we had. But pfSense was a slight improvement on it the New Vyatta / VyOS came along and totally eliminated the reason for SmoothWall to exist. It was really just a temporary market system until something more serious came along. It's not that it got worse, it's that the reasons that made it make sense disappeared.
-
@Dashrender said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@Dashrender said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
And what's wrong with it now?
The general idea of running mixed solutions is frowned upon (at least by the ML crowd). You can get super cheap but good firewall services for as low as $55 for an ER-X, then if you really need web filtering, do that as a VM on your VM Host.
You'e lost me. I just use it as a firewall. Smoothwall Express doesn't offer web filtering, does it?
Smoothwall has traditionally required a PC, even a 10 year old PC will use 10 times as (or way more) much power as a ER-X. It also has kinds of of moving parts, and takes a not insignificant amount of space.
An ER-X isn't much larger than a deck of cards, sips power, as no moving parts, All for the cost of $55.
I have no idea what it takes to install/setup/update, etc a Smoothwall, but an ER-X only requires you to download an update file, upload that to the ER-X and upgrade complete. I doubt the Smoothwall is that easy - but it's possible.
Even if you consider the Pc to be free, an ERX pays for itself in power reduction quickly.
-
OK, I'll get an ER-X. Thanks for the advice.
-
@Carnival-Boy said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
OK, I'll get an ER-X. Thanks for the advice.
For the office, most of us spring for the bigger ERL. But the ERX will do.
-
I'd hate to throw another monkey wrench into all of this. I am really considering VyOS, but was wondering if the Sophos UTM should be a consideration. I'm getting the free home version. Also, how does their other home firewall compare?
-
@NerdyDad said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
I'd hate to throw another monkey wrench into all of this. I am really considering VyOS, but was wondering if the Sophos UTM should be a consideration. I'm getting the free home version. Also, how does their other home firewall compare?
This is for home? Is your goal to have something fancy or to learn skills for work? If you want to learn valuable IT skills, VyOS obviously. If you just want a pretty GUI for home use, doesn't really matter what you pick.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@NerdyDad said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
I'd hate to throw another monkey wrench into all of this. I am really considering VyOS, but was wondering if the Sophos UTM should be a consideration. I'm getting the free home version. Also, how does their other home firewall compare?
This is for home? Is your goal to have something fancy or to learn skills for work? If you want to learn valuable IT skills, VyOS obviously. If you just want a pretty GUI for home use, doesn't really matter what you pick.
There are multiple reasons here:
- Learn some valuable networking/firewall skills .
- Learn more about Linux. Again, trying to surround myself with Linux server in order to force myself to learn Linux server.
- Gain more control over the amount of Internet time the kids have.
- VPN into my network while I am out and about.
- Just protect the family with something a little bit more robust.
-
@NerdyDad said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@scottalanmiller said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@NerdyDad said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
I'd hate to throw another monkey wrench into all of this. I am really considering VyOS, but was wondering if the Sophos UTM should be a consideration. I'm getting the free home version. Also, how does their other home firewall compare?
This is for home? Is your goal to have something fancy or to learn skills for work? If you want to learn valuable IT skills, VyOS obviously. If you just want a pretty GUI for home use, doesn't really matter what you pick.
There are multiple reasons here:
- Learn some valuable networking/firewall skills .
- Learn more about Linux. Again, trying to surround myself with Linux server in order to force myself to learn Linux server.
- Gain more control over the amount of Internet time the kids have.
- VPN into my network while I am out and about.
- Just protect the family with something a little bit more robust.
All of those tell you to use VyOS, right? SmoothWall has a GUI and won't teach you anything Linux whatsoever, it's an appliance. VyOS is the only one that really meets your criteria at all. So Sophos, Smoothwall, pfSense... none even were actual considerations according to this list.
-
@scottalanmiller said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@NerdyDad said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@scottalanmiller said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
@NerdyDad said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
I'd hate to throw another monkey wrench into all of this. I am really considering VyOS, but was wondering if the Sophos UTM should be a consideration. I'm getting the free home version. Also, how does their other home firewall compare?
This is for home? Is your goal to have something fancy or to learn skills for work? If you want to learn valuable IT skills, VyOS obviously. If you just want a pretty GUI for home use, doesn't really matter what you pick.
There are multiple reasons here:
- Learn some valuable networking/firewall skills .
- Learn more about Linux. Again, trying to surround myself with Linux server in order to force myself to learn Linux server.
- Gain more control over the amount of Internet time the kids have.
- VPN into my network while I am out and about.
- Just protect the family with something a little bit more robust.
All of those tell you to use VyOS, right? SmoothWall has a GUI and won't teach you anything Linux whatsoever, it's an appliance. VyOS is the only one that really meets your criteria at all. So Sophos, Smoothwall, pfSense... none even were actual considerations according to this list.
No, the last point is not natively covered by VyOS.
- Just protect the family with something a little bit more robust.
I mean yeah, VyOS is a great firewall/router, but the implication of that statement is for IDS/Content Filtering.
-
@JaredBusch said in Getting started with SmoothWall:
I mean yeah, VyOS is a great firewall/router, but the implication of that statement is for IDS/Content Filtering.
VyOS uses Squid if you want it, same as pfSense, Smoothwall, Untangle, etc. So content filtering you can do just the same. Most people using VyOS don't use it for the same reasons that you and I do not put that on our routers, but if the goal is to do that, it enables it the same as those other products but with an opportunity to learn it rather than have it just magically appear.
