New Router

I need a new router because I need better control of my network. I need the ability to block things like video streaming, unwanted sites and also be able to see other device on my network and see what is going on and how much is being downloaded/uploaded and all that.

I made a post about this similar topic, and was told about the "untangle box" but I do not know much about that.

I do know that at my kids school they have a wifi network setup there that allows them to control everything, I tested it out for myself and it was quite impressive. I could not even play draw something, because it uses facebook to find friends to play, and their wifi blocks all facebook.:-D

Knowing all this, what would be the easiest/cheapest option for me?

 

Didn't we already discuss this in your other thread? If you want something with good restrictions, build a Smoothwall or pfsense box. Otherwise, there are some out there that can use ddwrt or tomato which are 3rd party firmwares, that allow you to control the device better than the mfg. installed firmware, and also some that allow you to use third party dns sites like OpenDns, which we covered in your other thread.

Not to sound like a Smart ***, but you could also have done this search like I just did. http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt...controls&fr=att-portal&toggle=1&cop=&ei=UTF-8

 

Ian looking at the "Untangle Box" option with my current router.

If you could help any with that, I would like that.

 

I personally would not go with the Untangle box. One it uses Windows, which means that you are running it inside the OS, and two, it would be a heavy option, due to the machine would be bogged down due to Windows. You are better off using smoothwall or pfsense. Both I have used, and actually liked using pfsense when it came down to it. Smoothwall did not play happy with some of the app's that were out there for it, and it took me too much time to do stuff, that I would rather be able to just load up and let it go.

Managing the pfsense box a week, took maybe two hours of my time, but for the smoothwall box, it took me anywhere from five to ten hours a week. As for the Untangle box, I steered clear of it, when I actually started to look at the whole big picture for the product. Only because of the level of my knowledge, in that I would rather use Linux for a firewall, then Windows. Plus it is more fun to play with a Linux box, than a Windows machine.

If you do decide to play with Untangle, play with it in a Virtual Machine, until you get to where you feel that it may or may not work for you. As for the other two, you are going to need a dedicated machine that you can run them for a period, to see how they work with your users and judge from there. Now of course, you can run some of the Linux routers on a Live Disc, which is a CD or DVD vs. running off of the hard drive.

 

No offense brownizs. Untangle is a Linux based router software that makes a computer with two Network Controllers into a very powerful router with a lot of added modules over anything else I have seen. It doesn't run inside Windows.

 

You may want to check again. There are two versions of Untangle. The LiveCD will run on a box running Windows, and then there is the Server version that yes is Linux based and will take the place of Windows. Again as I stated, it is best that the OP either run them in a VM and get used to the product before devoting to placing on a actual machine and dedicating that machine, then choosing between the three of which will work best.

Untangle as I stated before may not work for everyone, especially when it comes to devoting time to maintaining the server.

 

I actually have 11 Untangle boxes in use at several locations including a pair that provide a 24/7 VPN tunnel between a business office and their manufacturing plant 340 miles away. Untangle is my personal choice for small business and residential routers

I'll agree that it may not be for everyone but as a stand alone Router it provides free modules in their lite package that I haven't seen in any other Linux based router package and configuring it couldn't be made much simpler.