While many are aware of open source software, mostly Linux based, that performs the functions of a general purpose firewall, not many are aware of the differences between them.
This is not an article to educate the reader on that variety of software.
Recently, a new player on the block has come bearing gifts, and help for those who don’t know how to use those gifts. The company, and software, name is Vyatta, not to be confused with the new diabetic medication being pushed on television. The software does several things, and does them well, as third party testing has proven the value of this free package.
The latest release of Vyatta, Community Edition 3 (VC3), serves as a router, firewall, and VPN software all in one package. It does this using common hardware, and has been shown to be, in one instance on a Celeron based system, twice as fast as a Cisco 2821 router. Pretty Impressive!
This new edition builds upon the performance of the VC2 product, adding IPSec VPN, multi-link PPP, and BGP scaling and security to the mix. This comes only 6 months after the last release, and the company gives 6 months as the timetable between each new release – ambitious and great for the user.
The company is trying to build a good product, which it freely admits many others do, but, different from other open source companies, Vyatta offers 24/7 support for mission critical customers. This is why it sees the future as bright, with many small to medium businesses moving to its software, and eschewing Cisco systems and costs in the process.
As the progress continues, the software will also be including antivirus & antispam solutions, as well as load balancing and SSL VPN support. Small to medium business, indeed!
The software can be downloaded from the website, and at the website are helpful how-to articles, and a video to convince any competent person that they can administer the software without much help. If help is needed, the cost is reasonable. Remember, if you aren’t living and dying by your setup, such as a home network, or a college dorm, frat house, or the like, you will probably be able to fall back to your standard setup while you get help online – and free. If you are a business user, console yourself knowing about the speed and economy of the solution compared to a visit from a Cisco rep.
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[tags] Cisco, open source, router, firewall, VPN, Vyatta, multi-link PPP, IDS [/tags]