Re: cheap router recommendation

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

In article <A3808296-0F89-4E92-9302-C6F987B47DAE@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
cgaliher@xxxxxxxxx says...
Hrm. Going OT a bit, but I can understand why you aren't comfortable with
an ISA appliance and AD integration. Difference of opinion I guess.

No, I'm very comfortable with it, I just don't want to use it - I want
two different levels to access internal resources.

The idea of not giving my clients usernames and passwords for hardware they
paid for though...that feels dirty. Part of how I keep my client base is by
being 'open' with them. They don't feel obligated to stay with me out of
fear of configuration hassles. They see the value in my services. And if
they screw up their firewall...well...MORE money for me. It is a win-win.
I trust them, they trust me, and there are set ground rules with applicable
charges. I dunno....something feels unethical about keeping credentials
from clients. I'd be curious to know your thoughts on it.

Again, you misunderstand - the owners of the business have full access
to all passwords and such, they have full access to the servers - not
with their normal accounts, but they have the passwords to access
everything.

What we don't do is let "users" create firewall user names and their own
passwords. Yes, the business owners can manage the firewall is they want
to, but they never really do.

We've passed all the security audits and even audits for homeland
security for the utility companies we work with, my understanding is
that we're one of the few companies that have a standard design that
passes the first time.

All networks are fully documented in a manner that the customer could
fire us without notice and any competent IT company could walk in and be
productive the same morning. It goes against my principals to hide
anything from the company owners.

As far as watchguard goes though. Even if I was a partner and could get
renewals cheaper, I have a fundamental problem with paying a yearly contract
for updates. You want to go from WFS 7 to Fireware Pro? Sure. Wanna go
from Fireware 8 to 9, sure. Their contracts, at that point, would be
equivalent to software assurance in the Microsoft world. But not providing
updates to the SAME version without a contract? If my contract expired
(because the box was doing EVERYTHING I needed it to do) and then the
government changes the timezone law...watchguard makes an update from 7.41
to 7.5 (no, I don't know the exact version numbers, but they were both 7.x)
and then won't give it to customers without an ACTIVE $1000+ yearly
contract? That is just....I won't curse here.

Well, you'll find that all of the big players are like this, it's only
the ones that are starting or are hurting for business that don't
provide updates.

It is the principal of charging for in-version support. Imagine only
getting service packs for SBS if you had an active SA contract? That you
had to pay for YEARLY. I still like watchguard for solid performance
boxes, but I try to recommend other hardware whenever possible because I
just can't condone that kind of business practice...

I don't like it any more than you do, but there isn't a reasonable
alternative - I will not run ISA on a DC, period. I require two levels
of authentication for all external>internal access.

We picked up a customer with a fortinet a few months back, they have the
same policy, renew or no update/support....



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