Question about default gateways and external firewalls

[Boe]

Hello,

I'm a newbie when it comes to routing and firewalls so don't be shocked by
my lack of understanding. I have a network that services extremely large
files - the average is proably around 1 GB - ranging from small to 100 GB
files.

Their firewall has a 100 megabit interface. Their file server where they
send the bulk of their data has a gigabit interface. Although they also
send a good amount of data to our web server which is in a different network
zone

I currently have their default gateway as the firewall - should I somehow
make the default gateway the file server and then make it go to the firewall
(if that is even possible - I really don't know).

I'm wondering if those very large files have to go through the firewall
which has a small pipe compared to the clients which are all gigabit as well
as the server and switch. Does the firewall just inspect the beginning of
the traffic and then direct it through the unmanaged switches or is each
very large file going the the firewall in its entirety?

Thanks

PS the file server is also the DNS server, DHCP server and WINS server and
runs Windows 2003 R2 SP2 if that has any relevance to the question. The
switches (5 of them) are all gigabit and have no management capabilities.
The workstations are all gigabit. I don't think they are interested in
paying for managed switches.

 

[Anthony]

Not quite sure I understand you, but the gateway is only used to get off the
client's own LAN. If the client and resources are on the same LAN or set of
VLANs then they are going through the switches and not the gateway.
If you do a trace route at the command prompt (tracert [server name or ip])
it will tell you what route it is following.
Anthony
http://www.airdesk.co.uk



"Boe" <boe_d@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23lWHCOn1HHA.3760@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Hello,
>
> I'm a newbie when it comes to routing and firewalls so don't be shocked by
> my lack of understanding. I have a network that services extremely large
> files - the average is proably around 1 GB - ranging from small to 100 GB
> files.
>
> Their firewall has a 100 megabit interface. Their file server where they
> send the bulk of their data has a gigabit interface. Although they also
> send a good amount of data to our web server which is in a different
> network zone
>
> I currently have their default gateway as the firewall - should I somehow
> make the default gateway the file server and then make it go to the
> firewall (if that is even possible - I really don't know).
>
> I'm wondering if those very large files have to go through the firewall
> which has a small pipe compared to the clients which are all gigabit as
> well as the server and switch. Does the firewall just inspect the
> beginning of the traffic and then direct it through the unmanaged switches
> or is each very large file going the the firewall in its entirety?
>
> Thanks
>
> PS the file server is also the DNS server, DHCP server and WINS server and
> runs Windows 2003 R2 SP2 if that has any relevance to the question. The
> switches (5 of them) are all gigabit and have no management capabilities.
> The workstations are all gigabit. I don't think they are interested in
> paying for managed switches.
>