glawrie
New Around Here
Until about a year ago we ran our FTTC connection using a Billion 7800 router. We have a /29 fixed IP block associated with the line, and used this to support connection to a couple of servers used for file storage / mail and so on. The Billion 7800 was able to handle this no problem at all.
The Billion 7800 started to go wrong concurrent with a change in Apple OS X Server policy (where they deprecated software firewall and suggested doing firewall in the router). Billion 7800 has limitations for firewall (not enough slots) and seemed to slow down when being used for firewall (though this might be simply because it was going wrong). So we looked around for an alternative.
Our ISP recommended the Draytek 2830. However this does not appear to be able to support routed IP assignments - you can set this up, but inter-LAN communication problem means the devices connected to the assigned IPs cannot 'see' each other through the router (which meant locally connected devices could not see the servers). Draytek were / are unable to fix this issue - but unclear why. They suggest running a complex solution involving IP aliasing against a NAT based configuration - which works but messes up our wireless LAN (on double NAT issues).
We asked around and someone else suggested the Cisco RV180. This has the inverse issue - works well in every respect (routed IPs, local IPs can see each other) but does not support inbound connections to the fixed IPs so assigned. This too seems to be a bonkers constraint of the 'does not compute' variety. But Cisco support assure me that the device is not able to support such inbound connections - only option apparently is to run it in NAT mode, and put the inbound server(s) in a DMZ - at which point you find the RV180 firewall does not apply to devices in the DMZ. This eliminates the RV180 as option (as we need a hardware firewall).
One option for us is to revert to using a Billion 7800 (for the PPoE, Fixed IP assignment) and running this through either the Draytek or the RV180 for firewall purposes. But I wonder if there is a router that would support our needs in one box... without having to buy some kind of rack-mounted enterprise class device...
So, any suggestions about how to resolve would be very helpful for us. Alternatively, if you have either a 2830 or RV180 and have it working in our configuration, perhaps you could let me know what config you used?
Thanks in advance!
The Billion 7800 started to go wrong concurrent with a change in Apple OS X Server policy (where they deprecated software firewall and suggested doing firewall in the router). Billion 7800 has limitations for firewall (not enough slots) and seemed to slow down when being used for firewall (though this might be simply because it was going wrong). So we looked around for an alternative.
Our ISP recommended the Draytek 2830. However this does not appear to be able to support routed IP assignments - you can set this up, but inter-LAN communication problem means the devices connected to the assigned IPs cannot 'see' each other through the router (which meant locally connected devices could not see the servers). Draytek were / are unable to fix this issue - but unclear why. They suggest running a complex solution involving IP aliasing against a NAT based configuration - which works but messes up our wireless LAN (on double NAT issues).
We asked around and someone else suggested the Cisco RV180. This has the inverse issue - works well in every respect (routed IPs, local IPs can see each other) but does not support inbound connections to the fixed IPs so assigned. This too seems to be a bonkers constraint of the 'does not compute' variety. But Cisco support assure me that the device is not able to support such inbound connections - only option apparently is to run it in NAT mode, and put the inbound server(s) in a DMZ - at which point you find the RV180 firewall does not apply to devices in the DMZ. This eliminates the RV180 as option (as we need a hardware firewall).
One option for us is to revert to using a Billion 7800 (for the PPoE, Fixed IP assignment) and running this through either the Draytek or the RV180 for firewall purposes. But I wonder if there is a router that would support our needs in one box... without having to buy some kind of rack-mounted enterprise class device...
So, any suggestions about how to resolve would be very helpful for us. Alternatively, if you have either a 2830 or RV180 and have it working in our configuration, perhaps you could let me know what config you used?
Thanks in advance!
