[WEB4LIB] seeking cheap firewall solution

[D. Keith Higgs]

If you run the Apache Webserver instead of IIS it is very easy to
configure Apache to accept connections from only your terminals.  Apache
2.0.35 is the latest production release (Hooray! Apache 2.0 is out of
beta!) and plays VERY nicely with Windows, Mac OS, Solaris, SPARC,
HP-UX, BSD, Linux, Amiga-DOS, etc...  Additionally, it's completely
immune to nasties like Nimda and Code Red.

You'll want to know the Ips for the boxes you want to authorize.
Ideally, they'll all fall within the same subnet or subnets so you can
set the rule as something like "allow from 129.22.96.*" or "allow from
ul.cwru.edu" where all of your machines have names like
pubterm24.ul.cwru.edu or some such thing.

If you want to take a very slightly larger step you could set up an old
386 or 486 box you have stuck away in a storage closet to run this
service and a firewall on Linux.  Fairly simple to set up and maintain.

D. Keith Higgs <mailto:dkh2 at po.cwru.edu>
 Case Western Reserve University
  Webmaster - University Library
  Additional Information at http://www.cwru.edu/UL/

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org [mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of Info Galway Library
Sent: Wednesday, April 17, 2002 09:57 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] seeking cheap firewall solution


Hi,

In one of our branches we have 4 internet pcs connected to the internet
via a LAN modem and an ISDN line. We connect to the internet through an
ISP. Our plan is to attach a Windows NT workstation running Personal Web
Server to this network. This will serve webpages to the 4 internet pcs.
It should only respond to requests from these pcs and not respond to
internet traffic. How do I make this webserver secure from hackers? Do I
need an additional router?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
John Fitzgibbon
 
Galway Public Library
Island House
Cathedral Square
Galway
Ireland
 
http://www.galwaylibrary.ie 

Phone: 00 353 91 562471
Fax: 00 353 91 565039