Routers, and switches, and IP, oh my!

[jml]

I would highly recommend getting router hardware, like the RouterBoard RB333, and running "RouterOS" by Mikrotik.
Mikrotik
Then on top of this I would recommend running NTOP, which is an open source traffic monitor and packet/protocol inspector.

WISP providers (wireless ISPs) use this kind of hardware and software. The combination leads to a very secure, flexible, setup and lets you probe deeply into what is happening on your network. With so many devices connected, it will be eye-opening to see who they are talking to outside of your network. Getting it up and running is not for the faint of heart, but it's worth it. I've tried small business units like the sonicwall and Dlink DFL series, and while plenty powerful as firewalls, you really don't know if you are secure unless you can see what is going on.

About 3 years ago, a ring of hackers in Austin broke into my wireless home network (I was only using 128bit WEP at the time), hacked my router to send all traffic through another gateway, and installed a keylogger virus on all my machines. They then hacked into my bank account and started sending money out in addition to making market-trades for fun. No damage in the end, but the experience has instilled in me a core network security paranoia. They were not caught until a year later when they ran from the police after my neighbor (paranoid after my story) reported a suspicious Austin Utilities truck sitting on the main thoroughfare (interior lit up with the light from a laptop screen) at night.

For switches, the small gigabit units can run kind of hot under load. If you plan to put them in a can, make sure there is ventilation. Two linksys 8-port unmanaged units I had died after a couple months. I'm using 8-port dlink units now, they seem to be bullet proof. Make sure you get switches that support jumbo packets (faster file transfers if your NIC cards support it).

Edit: Picture of the Router Picture (black box top left)

 

[rfdesq]

I did some research and Linksys is getting bad reviews. Is there a rock solid 24 port/managed/gigaport/POE that is affordable? I plan on dumping my Linksys WRT54GS router is there a good router/switch combination. 24 ports is fine for now. Thanks for the good discussion.

Edit: jml we were posting at the same time, thanks.

 

[Techvet]

I've got 100% Linksys and everything runs great. I have DSL service connected to a neutered Westel 6100 series modem. That feeds into a Linksys RV042 Router, which in turn feeds into a SRW224P 24 port switch. That combo feeds into a 48 port punch panel that forms the front end of the actual cable runs. Counting the ports on the router, I can tie in 27 devices with my current set-up. The RV042 is 10/100 only, as is the SRW224P. But... the SRW224P does provide POE and there are two gigabit ports on it for hooking up a server or whatever. I have a Linksys WAP powered via the POE connection for the occasions when I need wireless access. As for juice, everything gets power via a single UPS that is plugged to a circuit tied to my Generac standby generator. If I loose power, the UPS holds the system active for the 30 seconds (it is capable of running nearly 10 minutes) it takes for the generator to spool up.

 

[fcwilt]

I don't know about SonicWall. I had one that worked for a couple of years then it just died. The Linksys multi-wan router came from the Cisco side of the house and has lasted better.

Anything can fail. Just for those reading I have 5 different SonicWall devices and they all have been working fine for many years.

JOOC what was the model number on the LinkSys router you used. I would be interested in checking out its feature set.

One reason I chose SonicWall was (with the enchanced OS) you have a very configurable router with a great many features.

 

[123]

Netgear ProSafe FVS328 VPN Firewall/Router featuring eight 10/100 ports.
Netgear FS116 Ethernet Switch featuring sixteen 10/100 ports.
Netgear ProSafe WG102 Wireless Access Point.

These are all commercial-grade products housed in durable metal cases. All were purchased used, via eBay, at rock-bottom prices.

Having a WAP separate from the router is handy because you can locate it in the best possible reception area ... which may not be your wiring closet. You can also switch it off (via a PLC module and your HA software) when you are away from home to minimize the possibility of intrusion (while leaving the router enabled).

All of these devices use wallwarts to provide 12VDC. When I find the time, I plan to replace the wall warts with a battery-backed DC supply like the ELK-P412.

 

[hucker]

Ditto on the SonicWall hardware. I have never had a problem with my TZ170. Once you figure out how to set it up it runs and runs.

I also have a 24port linksys unmanaged switch and a cisco 24 port switch. Each of these switches are on their own subnet. I'm not using all of the ports yet but they are filling up :lol:

Amazingly I have had no network problems. All of my issues are either with comcast and their modem, or the software firewalls running on the PC... unfortunatly MOST of the time it is operator error...