Re: [FW1] Pros and Cons of IP440 vs Solaris Checkpoint

[Jason Costomiris <jcostom@FW1-NOSPAMjasons.org>]

On Mon, Feb 05, 2001 at 08:58:00PM -0600, Peter Lukas wrote:
: 
: * Dons Asbestos Suit *

Good idea.

: The IP440 consists of hardware totaling less than $300 (cheap celeron
: processor, memory and western digital hard drive).  Throw in the wan
: card, and you may be looking at a total of approximately $450-800 US.

Heh?  The CPU configuration varies based on when you bought your unit.  
IP440's shipping today come with a P-III/600 (or maybe 650, I don't
recall which).  Also, last time I checked, the Riscom WAN cards 
cost a fair bit more than you state.

: The IPSO core is an efficient packet-handler (it's a mutated FreeBSD).

I don't think you're quite doing it justice.  It's a stable FreeBSD release
that was stripped of superfluous drivers, then optimized for packet 
forwarding and security.  Network-aware daemons were tossed away, and 
replaced with secured replacements.

: For example, you cannot add software to assist the management of routes
: without paying for it.  Not like dynamic routing has any place on a
: firewall, but that's just an example of the closed nature of the Nokia
: product.

Completely untrue.  There is an unsupported program, available through
the knowledge base called "addstatic".  It's function is to make it easy
to add static routes to a unit.

: On the downside, if you are an expert in UNIX, you can't configure the
: thing.

Again, not true....  There's no reason you can't configure it via the 
CLI.  Don't expect to be supported, but there's no reason you can't do that.

: In my own opinion, the Nokia product had immense potential that was
: sidetracked by capitalizing on people who previously overpaid for a
: massive and overpowered Sun system for their packet-filtering firewall
: device.

You forgot to mention the fact that IPSO includes built-in HA functions that
cost thousands of $$ to add to Solaris.  You also forgot to mention how much
easier it is to manage IPSO releases than it is to manage the myriads of
Solaris patches.

-- 
Jason Costomiris <><           |  Technologist, geek, human.
jcostom {at} jasons {dot} org  |  http://www.jasons.org/ 
          Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.
                    My account, My opinions.


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