Is Smoothwall any good?

**Moby-Dick** · 05-12-2003, 11:51 PM

Originally posted by ives
Thanks Moby.

Yep, I've completely got the idea that the computer that Smoothwall runs on is no longer a computer .It's just become a router.

So, are you saying that if you had a router that shared files/the internet over the network, you would still need another box (computer?) just to host the VPN connections?

About the Draytrek routers: when you say it's not a file server, do you mean that it wouldn't allow you to share files over a network, only the DSL connection?

cheers,
ives

The router does not share files as such - what I meant by file shaering was that if you where to use a regular windows box to share your internet/host VPN's on , you would be able to use if as a file server ( central repository for data )

An IP router is used to Route IP traffic from one subnet to another. In this case it will route nessesary traffic from your private network to the internet. What goes on within the private network isn't realyl much of a concern to the router unless it is something like a clark connect box which is a combined router and server appliance.

The draytek woudl allow you to share the DSL connection , but its the internal network structure that is used for filesharing, not the gateway.

**ives** · 05-12-2003, 11:57 PM

ok, thanks Moby.

**td5** · 06-12-2003, 12:46 PM

Google for Smoothwall exploits, there are quite a few.

Also why not go for FreeBSD + IPtables ?
BSD has proven security too.

**ives** · 06-12-2003, 12:50 PM

Originally posted by td5
Google for Smoothwall exploits, there are quite a few.

Also why not go for FreeBSD + IPtables ?
BSD has proven security too.

I would if I knew what FreeBSD + IPtables were

Sorry, but I'm a complete newbie when it comes to networks .

cheers
ives

**Moby-Dick** · 06-12-2003, 12:52 PM

Theres the time in setting it up - BSD isn't exactly the most gentle approach to linux.

Imo when its commercially significant, you want something that is reliable , yet realisticly maintainable , which is why out of the box solutions like Clark connect and Smoothwall are great ( note this isn't an anti linux rant )

A small company can't always have the resource of a fully clued up linux Guru - when you have <10 employees , to do so would be commercial suicide !

Thanks for th heads up on the smoothy exploits, I'll make sure my box is patched

**Moby-Dick** · 06-12-2003, 01:35 PM

re: Smoothwall Exploits.

It seems that the snort one that popped up in a later beta than I run is the only docuemtned one.

theres an intresting /. discusison of it :

http://slashdot.org/articles/02/01/09/2050237.shtml

**Blub2k** · 17-12-2003, 03:31 PM

Also the guys in Smoothwall are the least friendly bunch on the net I think. Try going to irc.smoothwall.org and ask a question, EVERYBODY is a muppet there according to their very unfriendly staff, particularly nasty was their skinhead CEO, a guy appropriately named Dick. In any case they are a crowd of stuck up open-source idiots who think that the sun shines out of their alphas

The software is good by all accounts but my experience of their dev team would put me off the company as a whole.

**ives** · 18-12-2003, 12:35 AM

Originally posted by Blub2k
Also the guys in Smoothwall are the least friendly bunch on the net I think. Try going to irc.smoothwall.org and ask a question, EVERYBODY is a muppet there according to their very unfriendly staff, particularly nasty was their skinhead CEO, a guy appropriately named Dick. In any case they are a crowd of stuck up open-source idiots who think that the sun shines out of their alphas
The software is good by all accounts but my experience of their dev team would put me off the company as a whole.

LOL.
You've whetted my appetite for going there.
I'm just curious to see what happens now if I ask a nOOb question.

**Blub2k** · 18-12-2003, 09:49 AM

Ives, please do and do us a favour and post the IRC log back here. One of the articles that is connected to this thread has a description of the guy being a rubbishrubbishrubbishrubbish, his name is Richard Morell and he goes in IRC under Dick. Give it a shot, the question does not have to be too n00b to annoy him, it just has to be something he knows and that makes you a MUPPET. He made racist comments about me being Irish too the sack. Anyway please go and bring back the logs muahahahaha

**Blub2k** · 18-12-2003, 10:04 AM

Have wanted to let people know about this guy for ages as he really p'd me off that time back then. A mate of mine was using the product as a trial and there are certain things that it has crippled and they would not tell him what was crippled all they would say was buy the full version and he was saying but how do I know that these issues are fixed in the full version if you wont admit to capping the trial version functionality and exactly what you capped, to which he was again called a muppet and told to buy the full version. He brought me along to show me the reaction of the guys in IRC as he could not believe their attitudes. You know the old story about telling two people when you are happy with service and 6 when you are not .........muahahaha.

**Blub2k** · 18-12-2003, 12:53 PM

Sent a mail to them today over their pre-sales link on the website complaining about the abuse dealt out there and this is what I got back:

> Went to the Smoothwall IRC once and just received abuse and more abuse, he
> also seemed to find it relevant that this Muppet(me) came from Ireland. I
> think stupid Paddy bastard was the phrase used, very nice, he really does

I'm truly sorry you suffered such abuse from Richard. As one with Irish
heritage (my mother is from county Meath) I can verify that we're not
all stupid, just most of us

> a lot for the image of the company, nice one lads. At least online
> reviewers have had the same experience with him and the public is finding
> out what he is like, it can only be bad for Smoothwall but to be honest it
> is well deserved as long as he is public facing. /rant over

Well, you'll be pleased to know that Richard and SmoothWall parted
company in March. I never had any dealings with the man, not having been
here so long, however as a SmoothWall GPL user for a long time, I see
where you are coming from.

I hope this doesn't put you off using either SmoothWall Open Source
software, or the commercial offerings in the future. If there is
anything I can do to help, i'd be happy to.

Came from Tom Newton, internal sales, ok guys looks like it is safe to go back in the water lol.

**Blub2k** · 18-12-2003, 12:54 PM

I didn't even mention that it was Richard Morell in the mail to them

they already knew.

**Moby-Dick** · 18-12-2003, 01:02 PM

well I'm glad to see it turned around

**ives** · 18-12-2003, 03:58 PM

Shame he parted company with Smoothwall.
I was looking forward to being abused by him.

He sounds remarkably similar to the Ludwig character who used to grace Racing-sim forums. I wonder if they are related?

**Blub2k** · 18-12-2003, 05:38 PM

I think parted company is too mild he was the founder of the company. You can find logs of him at his finest on the web, there is one particular site that you can find where he really ticked off someone and they put up a site of all the correspondence, is classic, but astounding how he spoke to people in a business context.

**wol** · 23-12-2003, 11:29 PM

I was advised to use IPCOP instead of smoothwall, any reason?

Wol

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