Home LAN choices: 3 questions

[Steve Conover]

I'm planning to re-layout my home LAN after my new firewall
arrives. I already own the rest of the hardware, and have an
always-on cable modem internet connection.

(Below: CM=cable modem; FW=firewall; XP=WinXP machine;
W2K=Win2000 machine; ICS=Internet Connection Sharing; ZAP=Zone
Alarm Pro)

Here's my current layout:
CM -> W2K (ZAP; ICS on) -> W2K
(first W2K will be upgraded to XP soon.)

Question 1: Which layout is preferred?

(A) CM -> FW -> router
/ \
XP (ICS off) W2K

(B) CM -> FW -> XP (ICS on) -> W2K

Question 2: In configuration (B), would I still need the router
between FW and XP; or do I need the router at all in (A)?

Question 3: After the FW is in place, can I safely disable
ZoneAlarm Pro, my current (software) firewall?

(FW is a SonicWall SOHO3; router is LinkSys BEFSR41)

Thanks a lot; this will save me a lot of time getting up the
dreaded once-every-three-years learning curve.

Steve

 

[John]

Having the soho3 seems like expensive overkill for home considering the linksys router also has firewall capabilities.
1. most prefer A (I leave out the FW and use the firewall capability of the router)
2. In B, the xp acts as the router and has to be always on. so no, you do not need router.
3. I still use ZAP to monitor outgoing traffic

John

 

[Steve Conover]

Soho3 controls outbound traffic. Here's where I found out about
it: http://www.hansenonline.net/reviews/sonicwall.html; he also
rates the Linksys router on a different page. I will definitely
use Soho3; just wondering if the router is necessary between it
and the computers on the LAN.

Steve