I would go with option number 2 :) The NIDS will probably be the most cpu/memory intensive, and if your running snort or something like that, be sure to get plenty of memory ( eg, over a gig ).
Cheers, Josh On Thu, 2006-11-02 at 15:38 -0500, Paolo Supino wrote: > Hi > > I'm in the process of configuring a Dell PowerEdge 860 as firewall and > I debating what kind of CPU to get for the firewall for an office of > about 50 people, 20MB metro ethernet, and 15 lightly used Internet > servers: FTP, web, DNS, email, NTP, etc ... In addition for the computer > being a firewall it will also act as a NIDS and IPSEC peer (something > like 10 concurrent tunnels). The options I have for the CPU are: > 1. Intel Celeron 336 at 2.8Ghz/256K cache, 533Mhz FSB. > 2. Dual Core Intel Pentium D 915 at 2.8Ghz/2x2MB cache, 800Mhz FSB. > 3. Dual Core Xeon 3050, 2.13Ghz, 2MB cache, 1066Mhz FSB. > 4. Dual Core Xeon 3060, 2.40Ghz, 4MB cache, 1066Mhz FSB. > 5. Dual Core Xeon 3070, 2.66Ghz, 4MB cache, 1066Mhz FSB. > > I have to be very price concious so will the celeron CPU hold the load > or should I take one of the Xeon CPU's for the load? > > > > > TIA > Paolo