>> Subject: Re: Multi Protocol Firewall?
>>
>> Nope. since a firewall is traditionally used to 'insulate' a private site
>> from the 'internet', and the internet -only- speaks IP. firewalls speak IP.
>
>Yes, traditionally firewalls are used for this. I think of a situation
>where two corporate networks are connected (either subdivisions of the
>same organisation or to completely different enterprises that do not
>blindly trust each other). In that case an __application level
>gateway__ for a wider family of protocols is required if things like
>"island hopping" shall be prevented.
With the advent of commercial internet providers, I believe we will see
more large corporations move WAN operations (or start WAN operations, as
the case may be) to the providers rather than in-house. In this way
they can benefit from a provider's higher backbone bandwidth and support.
I would guess that a good number of companies are already passing IPX,
appletalk, etc over providers' backbones in this manner (although it is
probably tunneled in IP today, I am certain that providers will start
routing these various protocols for clients as a standard service).
______/ Jeff LaCoursiere FastLane Communications
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