Configure and use the Untangle Gateway

Facing the challenges with network administration, the right way

Dirk Morris
2007-09-10
Server side | Intermediate
0 Up Down
Tags: networking, servers, untangle, untangle gateway

Connecting a network to the modern day internet can be challenging. Basic infrastructure, like routers, DHCP Servers, and DNS servers, are required to get the network online. The network must also be protected with a firewall and intrusion prevention, and the desktops need protection from viruses and spyware. Next will come a spam and phish filter to stop the continual flood of junk email. Most are then forced to implement some sort of internet usage control, like web filtering, to control what users are doing on the network. As network users begin to work from remote locations, VPN is required to allow for safe remote access.

As each problem is tackled, each point solution must be researched, purchased, deployed, integrated and maintained. While enterprises with time and money can accomplish this, home and small business networks are left to fend for themselves.

The Untangle Gateway Platform is a free software network gateway solution that installs on off-the-shelf hardware and provides all the solutions necessary to get the network online and keep it safe and controlled. After installing the Untangle Software on a server, it needs to be installed somewhere between all the PCs and the internet, typically it is the firewall/gateway or it sits behind the current firewall/gateway as a transparent bridge.

Installing Untangle

First, plug in the server you will be using as your Untangle Server. It will need two network cards, one which connects to the outside connection (such as your DSL/Cable modem) and one which connects to the internal network switch. If you are installing the Untangle Server behind your current router/firewall, you should connect the Untangle Server to the internal port on your router/firewall and the other port to you internal switch.

The first boot

After booting the Untangle Server for the first time, a setup wizard gets the Untangle Server and the network online in a basic configuration.

: Figure 1: The Setup Wizard

After this, new applications (like Virus Blocker, Spam Blocker, etc.) can be downloaded from an online library directly into the Untangle Server. The Untangle library is filled with a multitude of best-of-breed free software applications that have been tailored specifically for small business and home networks.

After downloading applications from the online library, they automatically install and appear as “virtual appliances” in the “virtual rack” and start processing network traffic. For networks with existing infrastructure, the Untangle solution complements existing point solutions. Redundant applications in the Untangle solution can either provide an additional layer of protection or not be used.

: Figure 2: Installation of an application

Interview with Bob Walters by Tony Mobily

TM: Hello Bob. Please introduce yourself to our readers!

Hi everyone. I’m Bob Walters and I joined Untangle as CEO in June of 2006. I started my career in the US Marine Corps as a fighter pilot flying jets on aircraft carriers. Since then, I’ve served in a variety of executive roles with several startups:

Vice President and General Manager, Informix Software;
Vice President, Linuxcare
Vice President and General Manager, Securant
CEO, Teros (now Citrix)

My last three companies were all substantial users of free software, and Linuxcare was a major player in the “Generation 1” class of commercial free software vendors.

TM: What’s your view on free software in general?

Simply put, free software is a better model for software development. The diversity of user and developer communities that support successful free software projects produce elegant and thoroughly tested code that is impossible for any proprietary software vendor with a single frame of reference to match. High quality free software that is customizable without any vendor lock-in… what’s not to like about that?

TM: Do you think free software is at odds with the current economic system? Why?

No, free software is not at odds with the current economic system. According to IDC, global revenue from stand alone free software as $1.8 billion in 2006. Sourcefire and Jboss represent successful commercial free software vendors and there are numerous startups growing quickly with commercial free software business models. Commercial free software business models reduce the costs of customer acquisition and allow software vendors to vigorously focus on incorporating user feedback and building great products. There is plenty of room for companies to sell services, support, training and premium features around free software. The fact that free software has been disruptive in so many areas is validation of just how well free software engineering and business models work within the current economic system.

TM: You run Untangle, which is mainly providing free software. What’s your business model, and how is it going?

Approximately 95% of Untangle software is free to use, study, modify and distribute under the GNU General Public License v2. This represents the Untangle Platform which virtualizes network applications, 12 of the 14 applications that run on it and all the software and signature updates associated with those 12 applications. Untangle sells the Professional Package, through our reseller and managed service provider partners. The Professional package is a commercial add-on for organizations that want the convenience of live support, two additional applications and advanced management features. The reaction to Untangle’s free software announcement at the end of June has been fantastic! Our forums are buzzing and our downloads are through the roof.

TM: What’s next? Will Untangle release more software? What about selling hardware appliances? Is that something you’re interested in?

We intend to develop more network based applications and continue to improve upon our platform. Our future development plans center around incorporating the community feedback that our recent free software announcement generated and delivering on our vision of making the best free software network applications as easy as possible for businesses to install, configure and manage.

We don’t have any plans to offer an appliance, because we believe that proprietary hardware is an artificial form of vendor lock-in. Here at Untangle, our motto has become “software is better, open source is best.” However, we will continue to offer a prepared server, running on off-the-shelf hardware, for organizations that want the convenience of a pre-installed system that is ready to plug & play.