On Tue, 27 Apr 2010 Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu wrote:
At least with NAT, if someone really screws up the config, the "inside" stuff is all typically on non-publicly-routed IPs, so the worst likely to happen is they lose internet, but at least the internet can't directly reach them.
You *do* realize that the skill level needed to misconfigure a firewall into that state, and the skill level needed to do the exact same thing to a firewall-NAT box, are *both* less than the skill level needed to remember to also deploy traffic monitors so you know you screwed up, and host-based firewalls to guard against chuckleheads screwing up the border box?
I think you forget where most networking is done. Monitoring? You mean something beyond walking down the hall to the network closet and seeing all the blinking lights are flashing really fast? How about the typical home DSL/Cable modem user? Do you think they even know what SNMP is? Do you think they have host based firewalls on all their PCs? Do you want mom and dad's PCs exposed on the internet, or neatly hidden behind a NAT device they don't even realize is built into their cable/DSL router? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Lewis | I route Senior Network Engineer | therefore you are Atlantic Net | _________ http://www.lewis.org/~jlewis/pgp for PGP public key_________