Internet connection through PIX

[jcpub]

We have an occasional problem with our Interbet connection which uses a cable modem. Although the modem lights show all is well, we sometimes get error messages when sending/receiving email and/or accessing web sites. Using puing and tracert for www.yahoo.com shows a series of Time Outs during the period when our email/web site problems occur. The cable company gave us a newer modem and ran new cables from a closer pole. The problem still occurs. Now they say it might be our firewall [PIX 501]. I got the IP address for the 501 from the company that installed our system and ping always works fine for that. Applications that go through the network also work all right. The other strange thing is one person can be having problems for several minutes while someone else has no difficulties at all. The cable company suggested that I connect a computer directly to the modem. I did that on a Sunday, making sure the computer had updated anti-virus definitions, XP firewall configured, and all XP security updates installed. During a period of several hours, the problems did not appear either with the direct connection nor going through the network and the PIX 501.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

[krozier]

Hi,

It is hard to say what exactly the cause of your problem is but here are a couple of suggestions:

1. Check how many user license do you have on the PIX? It is either 10 or 50. If it is 10, then you might be running out of licenses. I had this problem when I had 7 users and a few servers on the network.I did not realize that PIX count each connection through the device not user's. From then on, I always bought the 50 user license.

2. When the outage occurs, terminal into the PIX and make sure that you are able to ping Internet and the inside network. I also suggest that the outside address of the PIX is a static not DHCP.

Hope that points you in the proper direction.

Kersean