Re: [Firestarter-user] Should I put firestarter on both computersor one?

On 18 Aug 2006, Jack Bowling wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 15, 2006 at 08:23:13AM +0100, Anthony Campbell wrote:
> > On 14 Aug 2006, Mike Hanby wrote:
> > > It sounds like you are using FireStarter as a firewall on both your desktop
> > > and your laptop.
> > > 
> > > DSL/Cable Modem
> > >          |
> > > WAP/Router/Gateway/DHCP
> > >          |
> > >       /     \
> > >     /         \
> > > FireStarter   FireStarter
> > > Laptop        Desktop
> > > 
> > > Your router is presumable a Linksys WAP/Router/Gateway (or other
> > > manufacturer).
> > > 
> > > I don't see anything wrong with this type of configuration. You are just
> > > using the firewall functionality on each of the computers and not the NAT
> > > Internet Sharing functionality (which would require the second Ethernet card
> > > in your desktop).
> > > 
> > > You could configure iptables on both the desktop and laptop to accomplish
> > > this, but you wouldn't have the nice GUI provided by FireStarter.
> > > 
> > > Mike Hanby
> > > 
> > 
> > Thanks for the reply. Yes, this is what I'm doing and it seems to be
> > working OK.
> 
> One of FS's main strengths is actually the GUI which allows you an easy way
> to both monitor hits in real time and to take blocking action when
> necessary. So even if you have no rules defined and rely on your router's
> firewall, FS is still very useful. However, "defence in depth" is the way
> to go and using FS to restrict access to known IPs, etc., is a very easy
> thing to do with the GUI.
> 
> Jack
> 

Everything seems to be working and it's certainly very easy to set up,
but my remaining concern is that I am simply assuming that Firestarter
is doing the right things. Obviously the reason I am using it is that I
have only a hazy idea of how to configure iptables, otherwise I'd do it
myself; but the way that FS does it (as shown by iptables -L) seems to
be different from that of Shorewall. I've no real idea how important
that is.

Anthony



-- 
Anthony Campbell - ac...@ac... 
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http://www.acampbell.org.uk (blog, book reviews, 
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