«

I just got an upgrade for my cable broadband with a static IP address from
Comcast. Belatedly I found out that they turn the firewall of their router
off once your got a static. I do have a ZoneAlarm which seems to be doing a
good job but people in
the know do recommend a hardware firewall installed too. I called Comcast
and they recommended not to assign the static IP address to the computer but
instead to a router which will be put in between the modem and the machine.
I have had such configurations before. A few months ago I got rid of three
Linksys and Dlink routers I accumulated over the years since I thought that
I would never need them again once I got a professional broadband with
modem/router built in. Now I am facing a few choices.

I can buy another Linksys router but in the past I came to mistrust them
badly.

I can buy a brand new Cisco, perhaps 3800 series but they are quite
expensive and offer much more than I need in terms of LAN capabilities.

I do have two workstations with Win2K at two different locations with two
computers at each one. I am using DELL Gigabit switches for the LANs. I have
some peripherals and I am planning to set up VPN and I need a full
capability VoIP solution. I want a remote management too. I do use Vonage
telephones (VoIP) at both locations.

I can purchase an old Cisco at eBay, perhaps 2600 series but they are
outdated, frequently lack documentation and do not offer modern
capabilities.

I feel that I should not spend more than $600-800.

I am thinking of purchasing a Cisco firewall as a stand alone product. They
run in a few hundred dollars. One option is a Cisco PIX 506E Firewall used.
Any other suggestions?

My question is: will a Cisco firewall work with a non-Cisco modem (Comcast)?
What will be disadvantages of using it?

Thanks.

ALEXB wrote:
> I just got an upgrade for my cable broadband with a static IP address from
> Comcast. Belatedly I found out that they turn the firewall of their router
> off once your got a static. I do have a ZoneAlarm which seems to be doing a
> good job but people in
> the know do recommend a hardware firewall installed too. I called Comcast
> and they recommended not to assign the static IP address to the computer but
> instead to a router which will be put in between the modem and the machine.
> I have had such configurations before. A few months ago I got rid of three
> Linksys and Dlink routers I accumulated over the years since I thought that
> I would never need them again once I got a professional broadband with
> modem/router built in. Now I am facing a few choices.
>
> I can buy another Linksys router but in the past I came to mistrust them
> badly.
>
> I can buy a brand new Cisco, perhaps 3800 series but they are quite
> expensive and offer much more than I need in terms of LAN capabilities.
>

Extreme overkill.

> I do have two workstations with Win2K at two different locations with two
> computers at each one. I am using DELL Gigabit switches for the LANs. I have
> some peripherals and I am planning to set up VPN and I need a full
> capability VoIP solution. I want a remote management too. I do use Vonage
> telephones (VoIP) at both locations.
>
> I can purchase an old Cisco at eBay, perhaps 2600 series but they are
> outdated, frequently lack documentation and do not offer modern
> capabilities.

What makes you say that?. The 2600 series (provided they have enough
ram and flash) can run the latest IOSes.

Also, all docs for all models of routers and all releases of IOS going
back 20 years is available for free on www.cisco.com

>
> I feel that I should not spend more than $600-800.
>
> I am thinking of purchasing a Cisco firewall as a stand alone product. They
> run in a few hundred dollars. One option is a Cisco PIX 506E Firewall used.
> Any other suggestions?
>
> My question is: will a Cisco firewall work with a non-Cisco modem (Comcast)?

Of course.

> What will be disadvantages of using it?

Compared to what?

Depending on what you want to do with it, setting up your firewall could
be as easy as plugging it in and letting the default rules work, or
spending hours configuring VPNs and ACLs.

--
Francois Labreque | The surest sign of the existence of extra-
flabreque | terrestrial intelligence is that they never
@ | bothered to come down here and visit us!
videotron.ca | - Calvin

"Francois Labreque" <> wrote in message
news:bYVoe.61805$.. .
> ALEXB wrote:
> > I just got an upgrade for my cable broadband with a static IP address
from
> > Comcast. Belatedly I found out that they turn the firewall of their
router
> > off once your got a static. I do have a ZoneAlarm which seems to be
doing a
> > good job but people in
> > the know do recommend a hardware firewall installed too. I called
Comcast
> > and they recommended not to assign the static IP address to the computer
but
> > instead to a router which will be put in between the modem and the
machine.
> > I have had such configurations before. A few months ago I got rid of
three
> > Linksys and Dlink routers I accumulated over the years since I thought
that
> > I would never need them again once I got a professional broadband with
> > modem/router built in. Now I am facing a few choices.
> >
> > I can buy another Linksys router but in the past I came to mistrust them
> > badly.
> >
> > I can buy a brand new Cisco, perhaps 3800 series but they are quite
> > expensive and offer much more than I need in terms of LAN capabilities.
> >
>
> Extreme overkill.
>
> > I do have two workstations with Win2K at two different locations with
two
> > computers at each one. I am using DELL Gigabit switches for the LANs. I
have
> > some peripherals and I am planning to set up VPN and I need a full
> > capability VoIP solution. I want a remote management too. I do use
Vonage
> > telephones (VoIP) at both locations.
> >
> > I can purchase an old Cisco at eBay, perhaps 2600 series but they are
> > outdated, frequently lack documentation and do not offer modern
> > capabilities.
>
> What makes you say that?. The 2600 series (provided they have enough
> ram and flash) can run the latest IOSes.
>
> Also, all docs for all models of routers and all releases of IOS going
> back 20 years is available for free on www.cisco.com

What does it mean that the product has reached the end of life status? Does
it mean that if I want to get a new license I won't be able to do it?

>
> >
> > I feel that I should not spend more than $600-800.
> >
> > I am thinking of purchasing a Cisco firewall as a stand alone product.
They
> > run in a few hundred dollars. One option is a Cisco PIX 506E Firewall
used.
> > Any other suggestions?
> >
> > My question is: will a Cisco firewall work with a non-Cisco modem
(Comcast)?
>
> Of course.

Thanks. It is very helpful
>
> > What will be disadvantages of using it?
>
> Compared to what?
>
> Depending on what you want to do with it, setting up your firewall could
> be as easy as plugging it in and letting the default rules work, or
> spending hours configuring VPNs and ACLs.
>
> --
> Francois Labreque | The surest sign of the existence of extra-
> flabreque | terrestrial intelligence is that they never
> @ | bothered to come down here and visit us!

I really like that. It is very cute.

In article <bYVoe.61805$>,
Francois Labreque <> wrote:
:Also, all docs for all models of routers and all releases of IOS going
:back 20 years is available for free on www.cisco.com

I don't seem to find any documentation on anything before IOS 11.0 .
We were trying to figure out awhile back when exactly it was that
the software started being called "IOS", but we couldn't find the
older documentation to check.
--
Look out, there are llamas!

"Walter Roberson" <> wrote in message
news:d81tme$t02$...
> In article <bYVoe.61805$>,
> Francois Labreque <> wrote:
> :Also, all docs for all models of routers and all releases of IOS going
> :back 20 years is available for free on www.cisco.com
>
> I don't seem to find any documentation on anything before IOS 11.0 .
> We were trying to figure out awhile back when exactly it was that
> the software started being called "IOS", but we couldn't find the
> older documentation to check.

2600s came out in 11.x or so, so no problem there.

the 2600xm version are still being made by Cisco, but some early boxes such
as 2610 / 2611 have limited memroy capacity to support recent IOS loads.
> --
> Look out, there are llamas!
--
Regards

Stephen Hope - return address needs fewer xxs

"ALEXB" <> wrote in message
news:3didndiaKcIRnTnfRVn-...
> I just got an upgrade for my cable broadband with a static IP address from
> Comcast. Belatedly I found out that they turn the firewall of their router
> off once your got a static. I do have a ZoneAlarm which seems to be doing
a
> good job but people in
> the know do recommend a hardware firewall installed too. I called Comcast
> and they recommended not to assign the static IP address to the computer
but
> instead to a router which will be put in between the modem and the
machine.
> I have had such configurations before. A few months ago I got rid of three
> Linksys and Dlink routers I accumulated over the years since I thought
that
> I would never need them again once I got a professional broadband with
> modem/router built in. Now I am facing a few choices.
>
> I can buy another Linksys router but in the past I came to mistrust them
> badly.
>
> I can buy a brand new Cisco, perhaps 3800 series but they are quite
> expensive and offer much more than I need in terms of LAN capabilities.

3800 can run a couple 100 Mbps links at 100% load, so is probably a bit over
the top.
>
> I do have two workstations with Win2K at two different locations with two
> computers at each one. I am using DELL Gigabit switches for the LANs. I
have
> some peripherals and I am planning to set up VPN and I need a full
> capability VoIP solution. I want a remote management too. I do use Vonage
> telephones (VoIP) at both locations.
>
> I can purchase an old Cisco at eBay, perhaps 2600 series but they are
> outdated, frequently lack documentation and do not offer modern
> capabilities.

2600XMs are still being made.

docs are online and free (as pointed out by someone else)
>
> I feel that I should not spend more than $600-800.

have a look at some of the 180x / 181x routers - they start around $1000
list.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps5853/index.html

Miercom did a test of the 1812 and show 50 Mbps throughput in a similar
situation to yours
http://www.miercom.com/

>
> I am thinking of purchasing a Cisco firewall as a stand alone product.
They
> run in a few hundred dollars. One option is a Cisco PIX 506E Firewall
used.
> Any other suggestions?
>
> My question is: will a Cisco firewall work with a non-Cisco modem
(Comcast)?
> What will be disadvantages of using it?
>
> Thanks.
--
Regards

Stephen Hope - return address needs fewer xxs

Walter Roberson wrote:
> In article <bYVoe.61805$>,
> Francois Labreque <> wrote:
> :Also, all docs for all models of routers and all releases of IOS going
> :back 20 years is available for free on www.cisco.com
>
> I don't seem to find any documentation on anything before IOS 11.0 .
> We were trying to figure out awhile back when exactly it was that
> the software started being called "IOS", but we couldn't find the
> older documentation to check.

Knowing the file structure on CCO, I was able to dig this:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/...duct/software/

Where it seems to be called "IOS" at the 10.0 mark, but according to
this old security advisory it was called IOS as far back as 9.1.

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/770/ioslogin-pub.shtml

So I was off by a few years...
--
Francois Labreque | The surest sign of the existence of extra-
flabreque | terrestrial intelligence is that they never
@ | bothered to come down here and visit us!
videotron.ca | - Calvin

In article <L8rpe.45173$>,
Francois Labreque <> wrote:
:Where it seems to be called "IOS" at the 10.0 mark, but according to
:this old security advisory it was called IOS as far back as 9.1.

Looks like the name "IOS" may go back at least as far as 8.3:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/...800941e0.shtml


--
The rule of thumb for speed is:

1. If it doesn't work then speed doesn't matter. -- Christian Bau