First Home Network setup question

Mr Splat · Nov 10, 2013

Hi All,

I am currently a student out on a placement year, and I have decided to create my own small home network to mess about with.

I have decided to go for a 3-legged firewall set-up using a server with 3 NICs to act as my firewall, one NIC being assigned to my LAN, one to my DMZ and the last connected to the WAN (Internet). I have done quite a bit reading into the subject but I have found myself getting more and more confused in some areas.

The focal point of my question however is that my network map will look similar to:
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz197/MrSplat/NetworkMap.jpg

Do I need to be using the first router that is connected to the internet? As far as I can tell, If I was to be using any one of the linux distribution firewalls, they'd be able to perform all of the functions my router carries out, including handing out static internal dhcp addresses, which is particularly important as I want to access the servers located in my DMZ from the outside world via dynDNS.

This leads onto another question if anyone would be so kind to answer, I am fairly familiar with linux distributions, though I wouldn't say I'm an expert, could anyone recommend a particular firewall distributions they believe would be suitable for my requirements, so far I have narrowed my selection down to Smoothwall express, ClearOS, Zentyal (eBox) and ipCop.

If this question is in fact in the wrong forum, I apologise and could a friendly moderator please relocate it?

Any help given would be much appreciated.

noidea_77 · Nov 10, 2013

Are you doing this, to learn more about firewalls and routers or only to setup the network? All this is well oversized only to get access to your servers over DynDNS. Every home router has a basic firewall that does whatever you need.

Mr Splat · Nov 10, 2013

noidea_77 :

This is more for learning about all the components of a network, including firewalls and routers. The plan is to have the likes of a media server, an ftp server, possibly a web server and something like a game server running separately from the LAN where there are multiple users who don't have any interest in the servers mentioned above.

noidea_77 · Nov 10, 2013

Mr Splat :

I see and I think every distribution will meet the relatively basic requirements. For the setup you only need one router to the Internet plus one switch, that supports vlan's. I recommend a cisco 300, because it uses the same os, as the pro models used in companies: http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/solutions/small_business/products/routers_switches/300_series_switches/index.html

Mr Splat · Nov 10, 2013

noidea_77 :

What you've suggested seems to be a viable solution, however the 8 port cisco switch seems fairly expensive but I believe I have the hardware required for such a setup.

I currently have in possession:

1 x HP dl360 g5 server
1 x HP 2610-24 PPoE switch
1 x BT HomeHub4
1 x BT HomeHub3

The g5 server has been built primarily to act as the 3-legged firewall and possibly to provide the likes of a dhcp service as according to what I've read on BT's own forums the HomeHubs aren't particularly reliable providing devices with static private IPs.

That brings me back to my first question, would I need the first router in place if I was to use any one of the firewall distributions I mentioned in my first post?

If I was to use my server as a firewall/router which firewall distribution would someone with more experience than I recommend?

noidea_77 · Nov 11, 2013

Mr Splat :

noidea_77 :

What you've suggested seems to be a viable solution, however the 8 port cisco switch seems fairly expensive but I believe I have the hardware required for such a setup.

I currently have in possession:

1 x HP dl360 g5 server
1 x HP 2610-24 PPoE switch
1 x BT HomeHub4
1 x BT HomeHub3

The g5 server has been built primarily to act as the 3-legged firewall and possibly to provide the likes of a dhcp service as according to what I've read on BT's own forums the HomeHubs aren't particularly reliable providing devices with static private IPs.

That brings me back to my first question, would I need the first router in place if I was to use any one of the firewall distributions I mentioned in my first post?

If I was to use my server as a firewall/router which firewall distribution would someone with more experience than I recommend?

I think you need the modem part of he router to connect to your ISP network? And you need earplugs for the DL360! At least I do for my DL380.

Mr Splat · Nov 11, 2013

noidea_77 :

Mr Splat :

I think you need the modem part of he router to connect to your ISP network? And you need earplugs for the DL360! At least I do for my DL380.

Oh yeah I will need earplugs. Fortunately my servers will be stashed in the garage. I'm on a fibre connection with BT and my connection already goes through a fibre modem before going into the router.

Would that eliminate the need for my router, or is the fibre modem different to the one inside my router?

noidea_77 · Nov 12, 2013

I don't know much about fibre modems, but i suppose you get an ip address, a gateway and a dns address on he lan side of the modem. That would eliminate the need of a router.

Mr Splat · Nov 12, 2013

noidea_77 :

Very well, I'll just attempt it without the router first and see what happens

Thanks for your time noidea.

Search

First Home Network setup question

Mr Splat

Honorable

noidea_77

noidea_77

Distinguished

Mr Splat

Honorable

noidea_77

Distinguished

Mr Splat

Honorable

noidea_77

Distinguished

Mr Splat

Honorable

noidea_77

Distinguished

Mr Splat

Honorable

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page