[dba-Tech] Security on your network

[Jim Lawrence]

Hi All:

This system has been discussed here a number of times. Last night for fun, with a cousin, we setup a basic PFsense server, on a older "beater box". It will take awhile until all the options and setting are completed. On Wednesday, another friend is coming over and is using the opportunity to get up to speed as he is expecting to be requested to setup an insurance company's UTM, Unified Threat Management application. This, of course, all depends on the weather. If it is raining we will play indoors, if not, we play out doors.

I have setup a PFSense box but settled for most of the defaults which in retrospect was not the best approach but then the client was not able to pay for my learning curve. Does anyone else have any first hand experience using this network security system. I am hoping at one point to have a near perfected image available, both 32 and 64 bit, that anyone can download. (Linux/FreeBSD applications are not that dependent on the hardware of a host computer and will, for the most part, automatically adapt, to any network, Windows, Linux, Apple or BSD.) 

There is a minimum requirement of a PFSense server:

CPU 600 MHz or faster
RAM 512 MB or more
4 GB or larger disk drive (SSD, HDD, etc)
One or more compatible network interface cards (this requirement sort of excludes laptops)
Bootable USB drive or CD/DVD-ROM for initial installation
 
Jim