Internet Security HW Gateways?

S

Sid Post

Joined
Oct 14, 1998
Messages
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I have fiber at my house and I want better protection than Anitvirus and simple Firewall software on "most" of my internet-enabled devices can provide.

Fortinet and Watchguard solutions are certainly full-featured and I can almost accept the upfront costs but, the recurring support and application costs are simply too much for my house.

That gets me to things like the Ubiquiti Security Gateway and similar hardware solutions but, online Google searches and things like Amazon reviews are pretty worthless. Google is overwhelmed with "sponsored" glowing reviews and Amazon clearly has a lot of reviews by people who apparently would have trouble installing a wireless router that most preschoolers could probably install.

My ideal budget for expected functionality is ~$200 but, ~$400 is possible IF THERE IS A REAL REASON to spend the extra money. I want to put a "secure gateway" between my fiber connection and everything else in my house. I want to protect from outside intrusions and I want to suppress anything unexpected from leaving my network (everything from Google/Facebook/etc. calling "home" to zombie networks and crypto mining).

FWIW, yes I run Antivirus and other software on my "Windows" computers and tablets. I also use EFF.org and similar sites to stay current on "good" applications. I need "real" hardware at this point to add a physical barrier to repel as many bad guys as possible and alert me to any 'data leaks' on my own hardware.

What is "good" and doesn't take multiple network certifications to install and manage? I am a semi-retired engineer so, technology doesn't scare me but, I also need to be realistic about weekly or monthly maintenance needs and overly complex systems that are easy to misconfigure.

TIA,
Sid
 
I use PFsense. It is freeware and can be run on a low resource computer. Only requirement is that you need at least two NIC connections. I run it on a small box from a company called Protecli.
 
I have two friends that run Ubiquiti Security Gateways and love them.

Their "Dream Machine" pretty much does everything you need.
 
knarfeng said:
Switch to Linux.
Click to expand...
Linux is too easy to misconfigure for most people. I really like Unix though.

For mainstream users without a bunch of certifications, I would rate Linux right up there with MAC OS being "hack and virus proof".
 
Mitchell Knives said:
I have two friends that run Ubiquiti Security Gateways and love them.

Their "Dream Machine" pretty much does everything you need.
Click to expand...

The "Dream Machine Pro" for its price looks like the winner so far though, Fortinet and Watchguard have strong followings too. If they didn't have such expensive support plans, those two would give the Ubiquiti a real run for the money.
 
Sid Post said:
Linux is too easy to misconfigure for most people. I really like Unix though.

For mainstream users without a bunch of certifications, I would rate Linux right up there with MAC OS being "hack and virus proof".
Click to expand...

Ubuntu is fairly user friendly for setup. Mine was a bit more complex as I wanted it on the same drive as Windows. So I had to shrink the Windows section of the drive, then perform the install. Now I can boot either OS. I have some Windows programs that I still need to run occasionally. But, if you were just starting with a fresh drive, I think it would be pretty simple.
Once installed, you just run applications. I seldom need to enter terminal commands.
 
propbuildervash said:
I also run a full ubiquiti stack, 5 switches, security gateway, cameras the whole 9 yards. I love them.
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Nice!

I just ordered a Dream Machine for myself.

The nerd in me wants to go all out and design a full Ubiquiti solution with individual components, but I really like the form factor of the Dream Machine.

It's all I really need.
 
Mitchell Knives said:
Nice!

I just ordered a Dream Machine for myself.

The nerd in me wants to go all out and design a full Ubiquiti solution with individual components, but I really like the form factor of the Dream Machine.

It's all I really need.
Click to expand...
No worries! I am a IT Security Engineer by day so an overkill network stack is not unexpected, lol.
 
Thats why i didnt go with surplus dell or cisco gear. I dont want to spend so much time in the CLI setting up a switch. i really dig Ubiquiti. they are a good middle ground, most the standard business features, but with a decent GUI for configuration.
 
Mitchell Knives said:
Nice!

I just ordered a Dream Machine for myself.

The nerd in me wants to go all out and design a full Ubiquiti solution with individual components, but I really like the form factor of the Dream Machine.

It's all I really need.
Click to expand...
For people without a lot of existing hardware, the Dream Machine is a really good option. You don't end up with a bunch of wall warts to power them and a rats nest of cabling when you add the interconnects.

The overall cost is less too!
 
propbuildervash said:
Thats why i didnt go with surplus dell or cisco gear. I dont want to spend so much time in the CLI setting up a switch. i really dig Ubiquiti. they are a good middle ground, most the standard business features, but with a decent GUI for configuration.
Click to expand...
Ease of configuration is a big selling point for me and most users. Being an integrated all-in-one solution also reduces the likelihood of a user misconfiguration.

If I'm going to geek out, a Raspberry Pi is a much better place to be IMHO.
 
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