ADSL Router with a built in Spam filter
Discussion
not really.
Routers generally only go up to layer 3/4 (network/ip layer), and while the technology exists to search the contents of IP packets in a stateful nature, and extrapolate this up to an application level, which is where you would need to go to determine the content of most Email's, the processing complexity is quite high, and while this technology is being rolled out into expensive Converged Routers for Enterprises, expect it to be a few years before this filters down into the SOHO market.
The good news is, Anti Virus scans in Routers is slightly closer, because the virus signatures are generally low level code, these are easier to identify at the packet level, though you still have to span lots of packets, and expect most to have been forwarded before the match, so either you need to cache, which will be a PITA for TCP, or, develop a kill command to stop the already forwarded packets.
Routers generally only go up to layer 3/4 (network/ip layer), and while the technology exists to search the contents of IP packets in a stateful nature, and extrapolate this up to an application level, which is where you would need to go to determine the content of most Email's, the processing complexity is quite high, and while this technology is being rolled out into expensive Converged Routers for Enterprises, expect it to be a few years before this filters down into the SOHO market.
The good news is, Anti Virus scans in Routers is slightly closer, because the virus signatures are generally low level code, these are easier to identify at the packet level, though you still have to span lots of packets, and expect most to have been forwarded before the match, so either you need to cache, which will be a PITA for TCP, or, develop a kill command to stop the already forwarded packets.
No idea why this idea is taking so much flack. For home use it would actually make quite good sense. Most home routers already run local web servers to allow them to be configured across the LAN by muppets. Why not add some mail server software too with spam filtering? It would add buttons to the price of manufacturing the kit in the fist place.
ATG said:
Why not ...
It's got a processor and visibility of the data so in principle it could do that - or anything else for that matter, but it isn't IMO a sensible place to do it. Spam filtering is conceptually completely unrelated to the router's primary function and requires interaction with the user in completely different ways to router administration.
arfur said:
Pay the ISP to do the spam filtering ... far simpler
Not a bad idea.
grumbledoak said:
Do you feel any urge to p*ss in your dishwasher ?
No but I’d be happy to p1ss in yours
BliarOut said:
Cheers Blairout
ATG said:
No idea why this idea is taking so much flack. For home use it would actually make quite good sense. Most home routers already run local web servers to allow them to be configured across the LAN by muppets. Why not add some mail server software too with spam filtering? It would add buttons to the price of manufacturing the kit in the fist place.
1)I resent being called a muppet because I like an easy to use interface.
2)I basically agree with you. Home users want things that plug in and are usefull. It's already a firewall, so putting a spam filter in would be great. Couldn't give a stuff if it's impossible at the moment, that just means technical geeky weirdo's (the sort who prefer Unix and claim it's "easier to use then MS stuff" ) , need to pull their fingers out and do it rather than wan-knig over 7of9 or whatever the latest si-fi bit-o-fluf is.
Edited by Munter on Friday 23 February 12:55
GreenV8S said:
ATG said:
Why not ...
It's got a processor and visibility of the data so in principle it could do that - or anything else for that matter, but it isn't IMO a sensible place to do it. Spam filtering is conceptually completely unrelated to the router's primary function and requires interaction with the user in completely different ways to router administration.
For a home user, or indeed a small business, why not have a luke warm linux box that is your router, mail/calendar server, print sharer, NAS, ... ? I can't see any reason why they should be in seperate boxes simply because they serve different purposes ... no more than I need one computer to browse the internet and another to run Excel.
some of the NETGEAR ones have built in Trend Micro suite with anti-spam...you have to subscribe though and it still requires a small client on each PC..the idea of having it in the router is that you can control/monitor all the PCs in the house from a central place...and control what the kids are up to etc.
Not a great idea for the simple fact that most users have difficulty reading the "how to set up your email client" webpages, and throwing in a loop that asks them to replace smtp.bobbins.com with 192.168.0.1 is going to throw ten sorts of support incidents, and end up with Netgear kit against the wall.
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