need advice on h/ware firewall

Divert an old PC from the scrap heap and install:

There are other similar Linux based firewall/router distros that others may recommend.

Jim Ford

Ed Mc after much thought,came up with this jewel in news:2Z-dnTH2Kocn5rHanZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

I use a netgear router-works well-pretty easy to setup. Passed all of the firewall checks I found on the web. max Friends don't let fr

McAfee Personal firewall? And you've already expercised ruining your system with the other "personal firewall" shit as well? You really have too much time.

As it's supposed to do.

Then why did you install those?

You don't have a clue about networking, yet you want to implement a firewall?

You want a routing firewall that doesn't route?

A 314 is a simple NAT router, as long as you change the default subnet, change the password, disable UPnP and remote management, and update the firmware, then you're about as safe from unsolicited inbound connections as you can get without owning a real firewall.

With a NAT Router you don't even need the crappy Windows firewall, and you can stop using one on your PC, but you want to maintain quality AV software at all times.

You also want to enable the router logging and learn how to read it so that you can see what is leaving/reaching your PC in case you have malware you don't know about.

You should just get yourself a router that uses SPI and supplement it with a personal FW/packet filter. The PFW/packet filter will not react that much to the traffic, because the computer no longer has a direct connection to the modem and no direct connection to the Internet anymore. Most inbound traffic that is not solicited traffic is going to be stopped by the router, which is what you want. If want to get the Netgear, then you get it. It's your money, your time and you do with them what you want.