Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Big Picture: Lab Topology
- Installing the network virtual appliances (NVA)
- Configuring Cluster Sync Between the Two Check Point Gateways
- Checkpoint Management over SmartConsole
- Establishing SIC (Secure Internal Communication) between the SMS and the gateways
- Policy Package Setting. The First Access Control Policy Rules
Introduction
Setting up a Check Point environment for the first time can feel overwhelming. There is the Security Management Server (SMS), one or more Security Gateways, Secure Internal Communication (SIC), clustering, and then the actual network segmentation that makes the whole exercise worthwhile. This article walks through a complete home-lab build, using a virtualized topology as the reference architecture, and explains why each piece exists and how it fits together.
The Lab will be integrated into an existing LAN where current clients, servers, containers, and network appliances will interact with the Lab components.
This lab uses VyOS as a lightweight virtual router to simulate multiple network segments on a single physical host — a practical and open source way to reproduce enterprise-style topologies for study and testing purposes.