hardware firewall and USB-ADSL-modem

I have also posted about this at the old forum:

http://pub24.ezboard.com/fsecureyesecurityfrm3.showMessage?topicID=9.topic

I am talking about this situation:
1.
You have an (A)DSL modem where at the LAN side an USB cable comes out of it that you have to plug into your computer (usually there comes an Ethernet-cable out of the modem that you have to plug into your computer, but there are USB-ADSL modems like the Alcatel Speed Touch USB that does not have such an Ethernet cable connecting to your PC).
2.
AND you want to use a router (hardware firewall).

Then you have not much choices.

The reason why there is a problem, is described here:
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/networking/usb_modems.htm

As far as I know there is at the moment only one router that you can use in this situation:
Draytek Vigor 2200USB.

More info about the Vigor 2200USB:
http://www.seg.co.uk/draytek/products/vigor2200usb.html

Tests of  the Vigor 2200USB:

http://www.practicallynetworked.com/review.asp?pid=427
http://www.adslguide.org.uk/hardware/reviews/2001/q4/draytek_vigor2200usb.asp
http://www.homenethelp.com/web/review/draytek-vigor2200e.asp


At the LAN side of the Vigor 2200USB comes an Ethernet cable.
So to connect the Vigor 2200USB to your PC, you have to put an Ethernet-card into your PC.
Or you could use an Ethernet-USB adaptor like the Linksys USB 100TX:
http://www.linksys.com/Products/product.asp?grid=26&prid=126


Instead of using the Vigor 2200USB router you could build your own gateway machine using for example an old Pentium I machine, and install one of the Linux based firewalls on it. But that gateway machine has to have an USB connection to connect to your USB-ADSL modem, and you have to make sure that that Linux-OS can handle USB.

 

www.slackware.org has a distribution that is probably the smallest, most efficient and stablest (although www.debian.org and www.freebsd.org  lovers may want to shoot me for saying that).

All three are well suited for the task. Avoid big distributions like mandrake and redhat for firewalls. mandrake makes an excellect desktop for faster computers though. Almost as buggy as M$ lol. You'll feel right at home

Most Linux distributions handle USB2 now as well as USB. Firewire also; they have come along way recently.