Freeware firewalls

skyripper · 8 Jun 2013 at 21:36

My lad has reached an age and has access to number of connected gadgets where I would like to put some logging on the internet usage and add some invisible virus checking / content management on downloads etc - he's starting to look into the world of the world of torrents and all the things that can bring for example.

Mostly I'd like to have a handle over times / usage windows and to properly log activity.

I've used Smoothwall before in a commercial sense, but never for the home. I'm also looking at pfSense, IPCop etc. I'm not a network professional, but I can do TCPIP and some minor linux admin.

Are there any other alternatives I should be looking at? Any advice from networking peeps who have kids who are becoming more and more tech savvy as time goes on?

Cheers.

deuse · 8 Jun 2013 at 21:51

Comodo free firewall is good also if your running win 7 open windows firewall click advanced loads to play with there.
Oh and make sure your kid has not got an admin account or get to one.

opethdisciple · 9 Jun 2013 at 00:32

deuse said:
Comodo free firewall is good also if your running win 7 open windows firewall click advanced loads to play with there.
Oh and make sure your kid has not got an admin account or get to one.

Yea I use comodo. I jurn of a lt of the extra's and just use it as a simple firewall.

KIA · 9 Jun 2013 at 10:05

Standard user account & OpenDNS.

You'll need to create an account and configure the preferences.

http://www.opendns.com/home-solutions/parental-controls/

apeksdiver · 9 Jun 2013 at 10:09

I use the wireless router to control the times that the pre teen can use the Internet. It does not log what he is doing though.

skyripper · 9 Jun 2013 at 20:08

OpenDNS I had forgotten about. That's one to add to the existing network. I'm ordering a tiny PC with two NICs and I'll install it as a layer between the router and home network - so I can protect every PC / phone / tablet without needing stuff on each one.

I used to use Comodo firewall back in the day when it was known as Tiny Personal Firewall. Might take another look and see how it copes in these days of VMs, torrents and VPNs.

skyripper · 17 Jun 2013 at 11:37

After a bit of a mare of a weekend trying to get first Smoothwall, then pfSense to work, eventually ended up with ClearOS which I stumbled across.

Looks very professional, and a decent amount of goodies to switch on/off as needed - web proxy, anti-virus, content checking, content filter...

The advantage of doing it this way is everything is checked before it gets inside the network.

EDIT: Corrected the name of the unix firewall I'm using..

GodAtum · 17 Jun 2013 at 14:05

I use Untangle free edition which is great as a web filter, firewall and av.

JonJ678 · 17 Jun 2013 at 16:20

Which tiny pc did you get?

skyripper · 18 Jun 2013 at 17:19

A little Jetway jobbie JBC373, dual-core Athlon, 4x gigabit ports, completely silent and fanless. About the size of 3 DVD cases stacked. It can do wireless with a mini-pci card too.

I've called it the "Brick" on my network

In hindsight, I should have perhaps bought a HP Microserver and done cashback, but I'd be tempted to play about with drives, VMware etc.

JonJ678 · 19 Jun 2013 at 01:43

Cheers, that looks rather good. The HP microserver is of course excellent as well, but I'm a little wary of putting data and firewall in the same box.