NexGen Untangle Hardware

[YeOldeStonecat]

LOVE these appliances, we've been getting hardware to run Untangle on from NexGenAppliances for probably over 15 years. (Sky-Knight on these forums).
Took an opportunity to freshen up this appliance from a good client, I like replacing the hard drives every few years. This is an NG-100 model, we have many of these in service. This one has an i3 in there (maybe it's an NG-500 model), 8 gigs, and a nice fresh Crucial SSD. Going back into service this afternoon, will probably run for a good 10 years or more!

Untangle software makes the transition of hardware pretty simple. Run a backup from the old appliance (or download yesterdays backup from your Untangle command center...where you centrally manage all your clients Untangle firewalls). Install Untangle on a new appliance...and restore the backup. Eyeball the ethernet ports....sometimes, on different hardware, you have to re-organize them, a few miner tweaks and you're good to go!

 

[Sky-Knight]

It's really hard to get them now... and I can't get the tiny boxes at a price that can compete with the China junk the likes of Protecli are importing from Alibaba. (Don't look at me like that, you knew what they were doing)

The above appliance was built in Taiwan (ROC), not China (PRC). And as such doesn't have the potential to contain a spy chip courtesy of the Chinese government.

It also has the added benifit as StoneCat here has illustrated of being practically immortal. Something I'm rather proud of, but at the same time highly annoyed...

It's hard to stay in business when you don't sell hardware to your loyal customers because they never need anymore! But the largest issue is just the change in how things are done. Centralized security doesn't have the value it once did. Untangle is a fine UTM, and the ultimate VPN terminator. But, all that investment doesn't help when all your people are using phones / laptops and running around outside the office! Now, You can use VPN to solve that... but it's just easier to use a more modern product that's designed for the cloud age. That product sadly just isn't Untangle.

 

[Markverhyden]

This is just another example of Moore's Law in action.

 

[Sky-Knight]

This is just another example of Moore's Law in action.

Sort of...

I predict an anti-cloud backlash as these supply chain assaults continue. Fortunately K8S is there to provide! I can replace $5000+ Dell servers with a handful of $500 tiny boxes and have true HA "cloud" tech, but running entirely locally somewhere pretty easily. The demand for that sort of thing just isn't all that substantial, other than for those that develop cloud apps that want to do so without forking over for cloud space to do it.

But you still need that Dell server if you want to do Windows containers... But I AM looking into doing K8S managed HypverV 2019 for Quickbooks though... because that means essentially self hosted VDI for pennies.

 

[Markverhyden]

Sort of...

I predict an anti-cloud backlash as these supply chain assaults continue. Fortunately K8S is there to provide! I can replace $5000+ Dell servers with a handful of $500 tiny boxes and have true HA "cloud" tech, but running entirely locally somewhere pretty easily. The demand for that sort of thing just isn't all that substantial, other than for those that develop cloud apps that want to do so without forking over for cloud space to do it.

But you still need that Dell server if you want to do Windows containers... But I AM looking into doing K8S managed HypverV 2019 for Quickbooks though... because that means essentially self hosted VDI for pennies.

Actually most of the changes you described is related to that concept.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Actually most of the changes you described is related to that concept.

I guess I'm not seeing how transistor counts relate to network security strategies... but I suppose some of the future planning aspects sort of fit?

I don't generally subscribe to complexity for the sake of it. The current landscape is built on a semi-stable platform of trust, and the terrifying part is that trust is often not based on reality or process, but instead mere perception.

 

[Mike McCall]

....the terrifying part is that trust is often not based on reality or process, but instead mere perception.

Which is where marketing, advertising, etc. come in. It's their job to create a perception of their products/services in the minds of their customers. Reality has little place in that.

 

[Markverhyden]

I guess I'm not seeing how transistor counts relate to network security strategies... but I suppose some of the future planning aspects sort of fit?

I don't generally subscribe to complexity for the sake of it. The current landscape is built on a semi-stable platform of trust, and the terrifying part is that trust is often not based on reality or process, but instead mere perception.

Hardware that keeps getting smaller, cheaper, and faster opens up all kinds of new possibilities. Sometimes the outcomes aren't what we want or like. Such as disposable hardware.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Hardware that keeps getting smaller, cheaper, and faster opens up all kinds of new possibilities. Sometimes the outcomes aren't what we want or like. Such as disposable hardware.

Disposable hardware isn't the issue, it's hardware sourced from untrustable sources that's the issue.

The supply chain attacks we're seeing against the large software vendors is a much larger problem, but the fact remains that the same risks impact hardware too.

That China junk isn't just junk anymore... it's junk with real liability attached to it! If a trustable hardware source was available for these devices that were also disposable... I'd have it on my site!

How can I sell hardware I know is likely to be compromised for use as a device intended to protect against compromise and still be an ethical human being?

 

[trevm999]

But you still need that Dell server if you want to do Windows containers... But I AM looking into doing K8S managed HypverV 2019 for Quickbooks though... because that means essentially self hosted VDI for pennies.

There's a project for k8s to be able to orchestrate HyperV VMs?

 

[Sky-Knight]

There's a project for k8s to be able to orchestrate HyperV VMs?

Windows containers in Kubernetes

Windows applications constitute a large portion of the services and applications that run in many organizations. Windows containers provide a way to encapsulate processes and package dependencies, making it easier to use DevOps practices and follow cloud native patterns for Windows applications...

kubernetes.io

Yes? It's install the appropriate stuff on Server 2019 and watch HyperV 2019 fire up Windows containers at the bidding of the K8S head.

Note, it MUST BE Server 2019. You cannot do this with Server 2016 or older.

 

[trevm999]

Windows containers in Kubernetes

Windows applications constitute a large portion of the services and applications that run in many organizations. Windows containers provide a way to encapsulate processes and package dependencies, making it easier to use DevOps practices and follow cloud native patterns for Windows applications...

kubernetes.io

Yes? It's install the appropriate stuff on Server 2019 and watch HyperV 2019 fire up Windows containers at the bidding of the K8S head.

Note, it MUST BE Server 2019. You cannot do this with Server 2016 or older.

Oh, I thought you had found something new to swap the windows container engine for HyperV. How are you planning to do VDI with Windows Containers?