New Install - Firewall Issues

[gilbertv]

Ok,

I set up a spare PC:

1. 1.0GHz AMD Athlon with 512MB Ram and two NIC's
2. Running XP Pro, freshly installed with new Windows Updates and Sygate Firewall Pro.
3. Followed directions to a "T" for installing FirstSpot

4. Local Lan with PC (connected to hub)--->Private Nic--->FirstSpot Server---->Public Nic--->DSL Router--->Internet.

After a couple of installs it seems to work okay.

1.A. Didn't have luck with one NIC card it seems. I got on the internet locally on the server after a few attemtps, but could not PING the private network...

1.B. Rechecked all the IP's. Rebooted. Nothing.

1.C. Switched IP's in Windows for each NIC Card, to see if the Public NIC would work after another install.

1.D. Uninstalled and Reinstalled FirstSpot and reassociated NIC's with FirstSpot.

1.F. Same problem, although I was able to get on the internet after second attempt, locally on server, after opening IExplorer....

2.A. One possible problem is that I didn't set the DNS in the Config Manager and could not communicate to internet on the server..... after setting the DNS server in the Config Manager everything seemed to work and got on the internet on first attempt via public NIC...

2.B. Was able to ping public and private ip's

3. Well, Sygate Firewall had to be removed from the client PC's and FirstSpot Server as no connection could be established and nothing got passed the security in the firewall even after several changes were made.....

....ex: pinging was not a problem after removing firewall from server, and getting the html welcome page loaded on the client from the server was a problem.....

Q. Don't like the idea of not having a firewall on either a server or a client PC.. Please recommend a firewall that won't have issues with FirstSpot Server

4. Just in case, will re-do the complete install and test every thing again with Sygate Firewall and remove and add features one step at a time and see if it will work....

No doubt that is was very easy to get the client to view the welcome page served from the server with the firewall removed on both ends.. but this worries me to say the least....

Q. Am I overlooking something?

5. Do you have a good hardware recommendation for starting a WISP, and serving no more than 5 square miles?

Thinking about a non-line of sight solution but not quite sure where to start....

[gilbertv]

Decided to uninstall and then reinstall FirstSpot again and this time use Sygate Firewall.

Experienced some of the same issues as before.

1. Unable to surf the net with Firewall activated on either PC.

A. I then deactivated the firewall on the server but it didn't work.
B. Removed the firewall from the client also and it worked.

2. On a whim, changed Private IP settings on Client PC and Server from 10.20.x.x to 192.168.x.x,,,, rebooted

A. Client: 192.168.0.2
B. Server" 192.168.0.1
C. Activated Firewall on both Client and Server

... Got the Welcome Screen, logged in, but couldn't get to WWW... however...

D. Checked FirstSpot Server Sygate Firewall log... Showed Blocked Access to WWW pages... hhmmm, well,

...added New Advanced Rule to Server Firewall --> Allow Access ---> All Hosts ---> All Ports and Protocols ---> Scheduling (not enabled) ---> Applications All, (did not check anything to allow for all and future applications on the server....)

E. Tried to access WWW from client... Welcome Page opened, logged on and reached WWW.....

F. Switched IP Server and Client settings back to 10.20.x.x, but it didn't work....

G. Tried using 10.20.X.X setting on a different client, and it worked.

H. DHCP Server works fine on the second client PC, but first PC it won't work even if the DHCP client service on.

I. 10.20.X.X ip is not working well on 1st client, even after ipconfig /release ; ipconfig /renew.... 1st client gets a totally different IP Address range I don't know where it gets its.... 169.x.x.x

-----------------------

I'm not sure if the firewall should have the new settings I put in, however, I believe that all internet traffic, IP/UDP etc etc. should pass through the FirstSpot server to all clients... in essence to me, restricting any traffic would be counter-productive....

.....hope this helps someone out there.....