Introduction to SmoothWall Express

If you’ve ever dreamed of turning your old PC into a fortress—complete with intrusion detection, content filtering, and the smug satisfaction of knowing your network is locked tighter than a jar of pickles—then SmoothWall Express is your ticket. Formerly known simply as “SmoothWall,” this Linux-based firewall and gateway solution is open-source, powerful, and surprisingly easy to install.

Warning: May induce feelings of sysadmin superiority around friends and family.

Table of Contents

• Prerequisites
• Downloading SmoothWall Express
• Verifying the ISO
• Burning or Writing the ISO
• Step-by-Step Installation
• Post-Installation Configuration
• Advanced Tips Tricks
• Further Resources

1. Prerequisites

Before we dive into the installation process, let’s gather everything you’ll need to avoid “Oops, I forgot my USB stick!” moments:

• A dedicated x86 PC (old desktop, refurbished thrift-shop find, or your “retired” laptop).
• At least 128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended).
• Two network interfaces:
  • WAN (internet-facing)
  • LAN (internal network)
• CD/DVD burner or a USB flash drive (>= 512 MB).
• Internet connection for updates (and cat videos, obviously).
• Patience, humor, and a sense of adventure.

2. Downloading SmoothWall Express

Official downloads are hosted on the SmoothWall website. Always grab the latest stable release for the greatest peace of mind.

Visit http://www.smoothwall.org/ and navigate to “Downloads → SmoothWall Express.” Choose the appropriate ISO for your hardware architecture (usually i386 or amd64).

3. Verifying the ISO

Nobody likes a corrupted ISO halfway through install—unless you’re after an impromptu Linux rescue mission.

1. Download the accompanying .sha256sum file.
2. Open a terminal on your existing Linux box and run:

   sha256sum -c smoothwall-express-xx.iso.sha256sum

3. Ensure you see ‘OK’. If you get an error, re-download the ISO. Murphy’s law loves corrupted downloads.

4. Burning or Writing the ISO

4.1 Burning to CD/DVD

• Insert blank disc.
• Use your favorite burning software:
  

  cdrecord dev=/dev/cdrom smoothwall-express-xx.iso

4.2 Writing to USB

• Plug in USB drive (all data will vanish).
• Identify device node with lsblk or fdisk -l (e.g., /dev/sdb).
• Run:
  

  dd if=smoothwall-express-xx.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M  sync

Pro tip: Replace bs=4M with bs=1M if you encounter funny errors.

5. Step-by-Step Installation

Now, let’s get that box up and running.

1. Insert your installation media and boot the target PC. You should see the SmoothWall boot menu.
2. Select ‘Install SmoothWall Express’ and press Enter.
3. Watch the kernel load (or take a coffee break).
4. Partitioning:
   • Automatic: Let the installer create recommended partitions (swap /).
   • Manual: For the brave—define custom /home, /var, or /usr partitions.
5. Set the root password. Make it strong enough to scare off burglars.
6. Configure networking:
   • WAN interface: DHCP or static IP gateway DNS.
   • LAN interface: assign static IP, e.g., 192.168.0.1/24.
7. Select additional packages (VPN, proxy modules, content filter modules).
8. Finalize installation and reboot when prompted.

6. Post-Installation Configuration

Once SmoothWall boots, you’ll be greeted by a console login and, more importantly, a polished web-based interface.

6.1 Accessing the Web Interface

From a machine on your LAN, open a browser and navigate to:

http://192.168.0.1:81 (or whatever LAN IP you chose)

6.2 Logging In

6.3 Initial Setup Wizard

• Update SmoothWall to the latest release.
• Configure time zone, NTP, and language.
• Enable content filtering (ICAP, URL filter).
• Define firewall rules: inbound, outbound, DMZ.

7. Advanced Tips Tricks

7.1 VPN Setup

Spin up an OpenVPN server for secure remote access:

1. Install the VPN module via the web GUI.
2. Generate certificates under VPN → Certificates.
3. Configure client profiles and distribute .ovpn files.

7.2 Content Filtering

Block those distracting cat memes during work hours:

• Enable URL Filter module.
• Add deny lists (e.g., adult, social media).
• Schedule rules (block Facebook 9–5).

7.3 Monitoring Reporting

Stay on top of events:

• Enable Syslog forwarding.
• Use RRDtool graphs under Reporting → Bandwidth.
• Install Snort for intrusion detection.

8. Further Resources

• SmoothWall Wiki – Official documentation heaven.
• SmoothWall Forums – Community support (and occasional flame wars).
• Downloads – Keep your ISO fresh.