getting a router for a total newb

[Ali shmali]

hi, i have no idea about routers. I want one with a firewall. When I'm on the internet i play poker, websurf, and do illegal downloading. that's about it. I guess I'm willing to go as high as 100 bucks for a router but obviously the cheaper the better.

p.s. I looked at some of the other router threads but they were full of jargon so I had no idea what was going on.

[pvn]

Do you need wireless?

[Ali shmali]

no don't need wireless at all. I have 1 little emachines. I'm really only interested in the firewall.

[Percula]

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...e=4#Post8744689

[Ali shmali]

ya, i read that thread and have no idea what they are talking about. Am I going to have to do research to get my money's worth out of that router? why is it better then the average "soho" router they mention? are those average routers a waste of money?

[Percula]

[ QUOTE ]
ya, i read that thread and have no idea what they are talking about. Am I going to have to do research to get my money's worth out of that router? why is it better then the average "soho" router they mention? are those average routers a waste of money?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well lets start here, "router" is not the right term. All a router does is route traffic from one network to another. Your typical "router" that you are talking about is actually a firewall. The typical SOHO (small office, home office) firewall is pretty weak when it comes to the firewall.

It is better because it has a real commercial based firewall, i.e. it does a better job and is more configurable. It also has additional features above and beyond the typical that make it much better at guarding your network, things like AV, IPS, etc. Google it and read up on it at the ZoneLabs site.

Are the others a waste of money, no. Some protection is better than none, but bang for the buck you are going to have a hard time finding a better solution.