IPCOP is a free and fully functional Firewall product to protect your home or small office. IPCop is a Linux distribution which aims to provide a simple-to-manage firewall appliance based on PC hardware. IPCop is a Stateful firewall built on the Linux netfilter framework.

Originally a fork of the SmoothWall Linux firewall, the projects are developed independently, and have now diverged significantly.

IPCop includes a simple, user managed update mechanism to install security updates when required. I have used IPCop in the past and would recommend it anyone. To Install the system it will require some working knowledge on basic networking. But give it a try. The IPCop Website has a ton of documentation if you get stuck.

Features supported

Interfaces

4 interfaces with typical behavior

GREEN : inside network

RED : outside network (internet)

ORANGE : DMZ (accessible from in and outside)

BLUE : inside network for wifi (connect an Access point to this interface)

VLAN available alias available on RED interface

Hardware

Support i386 and alpha architecture (ppc will be available soon)

Memory size supported from 12 MB to 4 GB

IDE, SCSI, SATA and RAID disk controller with 250 MB minimal hard disk size

Network cards from linux-2.4 kerne (ISA / PCI)

SMP kernel available on i386 for HT / multicore or multiples CPU

Indirect installation to flash device

Installation

Boot from floppy / usb floppy ( usb floppy allow only install from cdrom)

Boot / installation from IDE / SCSI cdrom

Boot / installation from usb key

Boot from PXE enabled network card (need avdhcp and tftp server)

Installation from http/ftp server

Translation available in 32 languages

Backup / restore supported media

Floppy (restore on new install only)

Wweb interface

USB key

Core services

DHCP client / server

Dynamic DNS

Host list settable from web interface

HTTP / FTP proxy (squid)

IDS (snort) on all interfaces

Log local or remote

NTP client / server

SSH server (PSK or password)

Traffic shaping (red interface)

Content Filtering (with Dansguardian add on)

Firewall features

Statefull firewall

NAT helper for h323, irc, mms, pptp, proto-gre, quake3

Programmable port forwarding to ORANGE address

Pin-hole on GREEN or BLUE net

Ping answer configurable on all interfaces

IPSEC VPN

Roadwarrior and net to net

Certificate or PSK

Basically it does everything you will ever need to do in a home or small business environment.

As you can see this system does everything you will ever need for a home or small business firewall. DownloadIPCop and install it today at www.ipcop.org.