[nzlug] Redundant Linux based firewall hardware?

[Ian Beardslee]

Hi there,

We have several older 1U/2U machines acting as firewalls.  Replacing them
with nice hardware is getting more and more ridiculous when you start
thinking redundant disk, redundant power .. after all you want to reduce
the chances of hardware failing don't you.

Ideally replacing the machines means replacing them with two machines, so
that you can be updating one while the other is still working and then
cutting over to upgrade the other.

Two machines costs $$ in terms of hardware, power, cooling, rackspace.

I'm on the lookout for a setup that is something like a couple of via c3
motherboards in a 1U rack unit that can act as a redundant firewall setup.
 Low power, low $$ and 'decent' redundancy.

Yeah I could go for a couple of small cisco or other proprietary devices,
but I'd rather keep it simple and linux based.

Anyone go any ideas?

Cheers,

Ian