Computer Help - Firewalls

[Robot Chicken]

Hi, sorry to go all off-topic but I've spent the last few days researching hardware firewalls and I still have no idea which one to go for. I've just upgraded to a 20MB Virgin broadband line and would like a hardware firewall, preferably for under £50.

I've just got a D-link DIR-100 but how does one test a hardware firewall! I went to the Shields-Up firewall test site and it registered that most of the ports were reported as closed and only a few were invisible. My friend says I should be getting 100% invisibility. I'm now probably going to return my DIR-100 (£20) but I'd rather not install a software firewall as the hardware firewall should take care of everything.

Anyway if anyone can suggest anything that would be nice. I'm a bit of a Noob when it comes to hardware firewalls. My friends swears by his D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router but it's way above what I need. I only have one computer for a start.

Thanks.

 

[Horsham Gull]

 

[nail-Z]

Hi, sorry to go all off-topic but I've spent the last few days researching hardware firewalls and I still have no idea which one to go for. I've just upgraded to a 20MB Virgin broadband line and would like a hardware firewall, preferably for under £50.

I've just got a D-link DIR-100 but how does one test a hardware firewall! I went to the Shields-Up firewall test site and it registered that most of the ports were reported as closed and only a few were invisible. My friend says I should be getting 100% invisibility. I'm now probably going to return my DIR-100 (£20) but I'd rather not install a software firewall as the hardware firewall should take care of everything.

Anyway if anyone can suggest anything that would be nice. I'm a bit of a Noob when it comes to hardware firewalls. My friends swears by his D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router but it's way above what I need. I only have one computer for a start.

Thanks.

I'm not qualified to offer any advice on hardware firewalls other than I don't see the point in using them for home computing. My Netgear wireless router has a built in firewall and it does more than enough for me.

Personally, I would leave the over-the-top security to the paranoid and insecure.

 

[itszamora]

Personally, I would leave the over-the-top security to the paranoid and insecure.

I think you may have hit the nail on the head there.

 

[Robot Chicken]

I think you may have hit the nail on the head there.

You're right but when I tried Zone Alarm it slowed down the computer so much I uninstalled it straight away. I just shelled out for a new fast computer so I don't want to slow it down. A hardware firewall (standalone or built into a router) would be ideal.

 

[Clothes Peg]

I don't quite understand how a firewall can be built in to hardware. Doesn't it keep out virtual nasties? Not real life STIs. So confused.

 

[Cian]

Closed is effectively as good as invisible on ShieldsUp, Invisible just means you're completely NATed with nothing forwarded. But the "hardware" firewall there is exactly the same as the "software" firewall in a DLink router. You're safe with the one in your DSL or cable box + the Windows/OSX built in one.

DO NOT USE ZONE ALARM. You are better off without the crap, Windows XP SP2 and Vista have a very capable built in firewall anyway.