Network Using Smoothwall

I recently graduated with a BS in computer science and am currently working toward my CCNA. I have been thinking of setting up my home network to use Cisco routers and switches just so I can get more practice configuring them, and also to see how things will actually work. I have also been looking at Smoothwall with some interest.

Now as I see it Smoothwall will basically get rid of the need for a router in a simple network of only a handful of PCs. If I go from my cable modem to the Smothwall box red interface and then from the green interface to a switch, I see no need for a router. The Smoothwall box will act as a DHCP server for the PC's, keep the internet connection alive, and perform NAT between the inside and outside networks. So if I am right then the Smoothwall box basically can take the place of a router here, correct?

I suppose that if I really wanted to have a router in the setup I could, and do something like a double NAT. Keep the green on the interface on one subnet, and the actual PCs on another and use the router to connect them. This of course isn't really necessary but would just accomplish my goal of using Cisco devices in a working network.

Is my understanding of this basically correct, or am I mising something here?

yup your good, you can acually have a third orange interface on the smoothwall, even a blue too. (though blue is third party).

check out their forums.

nope your are correct. smoothie will take care of the routing for you. if you change blue to orange you can make your orange wireless capable with the mod.

If you are going to run servers etc etc you should use the 3rd nick as it is made for letting traffic in but not out. where green is made to let it out but not in.

Lotec

Thanks for the confirmation guys. Now I guess all I have to do is setup the Smoothwall box. Actually I guess this makes things better as my ISP uses DHCP to dynamically give me an IP address, so trying to pick one up and set it statically on a Cisco 2514 router would be next to impossible. I guess what I will do is setup the Smoothwall box, get it all tested and running, and then if I have some extra cash pickup a router just for kicks.

One last question regarding the Smoothwall operation: how will it react if I plug a host with a statically configured IP into a switchport? Will it recognize that the IP is used, and not try to assign it to any new hosts? I am asking because I have a couple of PCs that I use for my CCNA practice, and just other toying around with in general, that I have configured static IPs on and would like to keep them that way.

Thanks again.

i am preety sure if you have it set to static on the comp smoothwall will leave it like that as long as it is in your IP range that you conf on your Smoothie.

Lotec