Shorewall users - Dec 2004 - OT Linux/Gateway alternative for WAN compression/accelerator

I''m building a 10 branch/1 headquarter network with Shorewall/Linux as
gateway on all locations.
The TI guy asked me if there is a way to ''cache'' TCP/UDP
traffic between them.

I crawled on Internet and I only find very expensive solutions for
this. Some of them appeared in this comparison article:
http://www.networkcomputing.com/showitem.jhtml?docid=1524f5

Does anyone knows a Linux based cheaper alternative ? 

[Guilsson]

Guilsson   wrote:
> I''m building a 10 branch/1 headquarter network with
Shorewall/Linux as
> gateway on all locations.
> The TI guy asked me if there is a way to ''cache'' TCP/UDP
traffic between them.
> 
> I crawled on Internet and I only find very expensive solutions for
> this. Some of them appeared in this comparison article:
> http://www.networkcomputing.com/showitem.jhtml?docid=1524f5
> 
> Does anyone knows a Linux based cheaper alternative ? 
> 
A transparent squid proxy will take care of some of it, but if you want 
the whole enchilada you''ll need to buy the product or make one.

-- 
Jack at Monkeynoodle dot Org: It''s a Scientific Venture...
Riding the Emergency Third Rail Power Trip since 1996!

On Mon, 06 Dec 2004 10:59:32 -0800, Jack Coates <jack@monkeynoodle.org>
wrote:
> Guilsson   wrote:
> 
> > I''m building a 10 branch/1 headquarter network with
Shorewall/Linux as
> > gateway on all locations.
> > The TI guy asked me if there is a way to ''cache''
TCP/UDP traffic between them.
> >
> > I crawled on Internet and I only find very expensive solutions for
> > this. Some of them appeared in this comparison article:
> > http://www.networkcomputing.com/showitem.jhtml?docid=1524f5
> >
> > Does anyone knows a Linux based cheaper alternative ?
> >
> 
> A transparent squid proxy will take care of some of it, but if you want
> the whole enchilada you''ll need to buy the product or make one.
Squid proxy is ok for layer 7. I''m looking for something on ISO layer
3/4 (TCP/UDP/IP/etc), exactly where NETFILTER handles the traffic.

Like a SQL request already done on other workstation that can be
avoided to be sent again thru the link.

Anyway, I spent more few hours searching the net and I really didn''t
find...
I will evaluate the ROI on those comercial vendors to decide.

Thanks for reply.

[Guilsson]

> On Mon, 06 Dec 2004 10:59:32 -0800, Jack Coates
<jack@monkeynoodle.org>
> wrote:
>> Guilsson   wrote:
>>
>> > I''m building a 10 branch/1 headquarter network with
Shorewall/Linux as
>> > gateway on all locations.
>> > The TI guy asked me if there is a way to ''cache''
TCP/UDP traffic
>> between them.
>> >
>> > I crawled on Internet and I only find very expensive solutions for
>> > this. Some of them appeared in this comparison article:
>> > http://www.networkcomputing.com/showitem.jhtml?docid=1524f5
>> >
>> > Does anyone knows a Linux based cheaper alternative ?
>> >
>>
>> A transparent squid proxy will take care of some of it, but if you want
>> the whole enchilada you''ll need to buy the product or make
one.
>
> Squid proxy is ok for layer 7. I''m looking for something on ISO
layer
> 3/4 (TCP/UDP/IP/etc), exactly where NETFILTER handles the traffic.
>
> Like a SQL request already done on other workstation that can be
> avoided to be sent again thru the link.
>
> Anyway, I spent more few hours searching the net and I really
didn''t
> find...
> I will evaluate the ROI on those comercial vendors to decide.
>
> Thanks for reply.
>
> [Guilsson]
FWIW, I''ve been able to take a look at Riverbed''s Steelhead
product. I
didn''t evaluate pricing, but after a cursory look it seems to do what
it
says and appeared easy to work with. The admin I was working with was very
pleased with it. Now back to your regularly scheduled Shorewall content,

-- 
Jack At Monkeynoodle.Org:  It''s A Scientific Venture...
"Believe what you''re told; there''d be chaos if everyone
thought for
themselves." -- Top Dog hotdog stand, Berkeley, CA