Need Firewall recs for a 6 work station network -- Suggestions, Pros, Cons?

Question

I have a 6 workstation group that is seeking firewall protection. Internet access through broadband. Wondering what my best alternatives are? Should I go internal or external?

Is setting up an external firewall difficult? What do I need to know about the installation? ANY info would be found most helpful. I do not have experience with this, but am the "computer guy" by default.

Also - If you want to provide links, or information on specific equiptment that would be spectacular.

We are just seeking additional protection, so nothing too brut is needed, I do not think.

10 points for the best answer :o) Wink Wink.

Thanks a lot! I can always count on Yahoo answers to bail me out!!

Answer 1

Most networks under 10 work stations, I install Watchguard or Sonicwall. It just depends on the pricing. They are external and stand alone hardware appliances. They both do stateful packet inspection, (not like those routers are firewalls because they do Nat. )

They are basic to setup and come with many different models to fit your needs. Most small business or home users I can drop any of these two brands off and the end user (usually the person who knows most about computers) sets it up. They both come with wizards and I prefer Watchguard but Sonicwall is just as good. Check out the links below and shoot me an email if you have any questions.

I hope this helps, good luck

Answer 2

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Answer 3

You must already be using a hardware router. So, you don't need a software firewall as well, it's already built-in to your router.

Answer 4

Depends on how much money you are willing to spend. Personally I like the Proventia MX1004 from ISS, now IBM. It cost around $1000 but the level of security and the ease of use is worth it. They have a team of "hackers" that have discover over 60% of all vulnerabilities in software and this device is capable of blocking the exploits. Key Features


Unified Threat Management (UTM) Protection
Proventia Network MFS unifies multiple security technologies on a single, powerful engine to provide advanced intrusion prevention, firewall, VPN, vulnerability assessment, behavioral and signature antivirus, antispam and Web filtering protection.


Powerful Out-of-the-Box Security
Proventia Network MFS uses ISS' unique vulnerability-based detection and prevention technologies to accurately block attacks, significantly reducing false positives. The default-blocking policy provides out-of-the-box protection against hybrid threats without requiring security expertise. More than 160 built-in rules and more than 2,500 checks are included.


Virtual Patch Protection
ISS' Virtual Patch technology allows you to regain control over ad-hoc and emergency patching by shielding vulnerabilities at the network level.


Spyware Installation Blocking
Proventia automatically blocks spyware applications at the network level, preventing installation and download to clients.


Spyware Communication Blocking
For clients already infected with spyware applications, Proventia prevents spyware intelligence reporting by automatically blocking active spyware application communication.


High Performance
Proventia Network MFS protects at wire speed without consuming network bandwidth or disrupting network availability, allowing legitimate traffic to pass unhindered.


VoIP Protocol Protection
Proventia Network MFS parses and analyzes the VoIP family of protocols to identify anomalous traffic. This unique type of analysis allows Proventia to identify and block known and unknown threats to your VoIP services, ensuring that your VoIP sessions have the best protection available.


Reliable
Proventia Network MFS UTM devices are rack-mounted appliances built on premium Intel equipment. They feature redundant internal cooling fans, power supplies and RAID (redundant) storage to prevent fatal hardware failures.


Automatic Updates
Proventia Network MFS is updated automatically via X-Press Update enhancements that deliver the most up-to-date protection against the latest vulnerabilities and threats, eliminating manual updates and downtime. X-Press Updates are compiled by ISS' world-renowned X-Force security intelligence team.


Easy to Use
Proventia Network MFS offers flexible configuration options for deployment, response and notification, as well as simple on/off capabilities for activating security content modules. Administrators can choose how they are notified of important security events.


Built-in Security Intelligence
Thanks to the built-in X-Force security intelligence, Proventia Network MFS provides easily accessible event details, including full descriptions with recommended actions and responses.


Centralized Management System
IBM Proventia Management SiteProtector allows you to control, monitor and analyze events with minimum staff and operational costs. SiteProtector scales easily for large global enterprises.


World-Class Support
ISS offers 24/7 global support and service for all components of Proventia Network MFS, including platform updates, technical support and Advanced Exchange replacement.


Managed Protection Services Guarantee
When managed by ISS, Proventia Network MFS provides guaranteed protection complete with a money-back warranty if a security breach occurs, the only offer of its kind in the world.
Proventia Network MFS is available in three models.

UTM Model MX1004 MX3006 MX5010
Max Users 100 500 2,500
Typical Deployment Remote office
Small business Branch office
Medium business
Large business
Form Factor Desktop 1U 2RU
Interfaces 4x10/100 Mbps 6x10/100 Mbps 10x10/100 Mbps
Throughput (firewall only) 100 Mbps 200 Mbps 1600 Mbps
High-Availability/Fail-Over Yes Yes Yes


Your basic broadband firewall will block most people but will not stop viruses in emails or from websites and since there is no reporting you will not know if someone is trying to hack your network.

http://www.iss.net/products/Proventia_Multi-Function_Security/index.html