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SmoothWall 2.0 Linux-Based Firewall Released

Posted by simoniker on from the so-smooth-it's-criminal dept.

thegraham writes "Despite some earlier server problems, SmoothWall 2.0 has been released this evening - there are also release notes available. SmoothWall is 'a firewall operating system distribution based on Linux, enabling a low-end, possibly otherwise redundant, Intel and compatible PC to become a hardened Internet firewall', and changes from version 1 include: 2.4 kernel, new web interface, improved networking and many bugs corrected through the Beta program."

2 of 351 comments (clear)

  1. alternatives by kayen_telva · · Score: 2, Redundant

    IPCOP is an alternative (fork) of the smoothwall project. they do a nice job as well. thanks to both groups. Ive been relying on IPCOP for years.

  2. Re:OS? by wud · · Score: 1, Redundant

    Forgive me if this is an obvious question, but why run a dedicated "firewall operating system" when hardware and software firewalls are available?

    Software firewalls suck, for two main reasons
    1. they're only as strong as the operating system they run on... if this is windows, then you're screwed
    2. you're computer still has to do all the blocking, the point of the firewall is to block unwanted traffic before it makes it to your network.

    now the only reasons I can think of(prove me wrong) for running smoothwall instead of a dedicated hardware firewall is that its way cheaper if you alredy have an old pc lying around(like most /.ers) plus its just plain cool.

    --
    wud