does this netgear router has a built in firewall?

[wired14]

model number is RT314. If it has a firewall then i'm okay , if it does not... i still do not want to use a software firewall :)

[Arkaine23]

Routers are by default hardware firewalls. They run a service called NAT (Network Address Translation) whereby the router's IP is the only one exposed to the outside (internet), while all your boxes' traffic gets routed to each box's internal DHCP-given IP address.

[amazon10x]

Don't some of the also have some extra firewall features? or am I way off track.

[bubba gump]

Well, by running a NAT your computer I think doesn't have access to stuff coming in. And these firewall features people talk about are allowing to filter which ports go to what computer when there is a request on it.

Now if you put yourself on the dmz (yet you can still get IP's from DHCP maybe? also not sure ;)) then its as if you had opened all the ports on the router for a said machine.

Fold and Frag on
Brian

[jspam]

Originally posted by amazon10x
Don't some of the also have some extra firewall features? or am I way off track.

Some routers include an SPI Firewall as well as a NAT.

http://www.dsl-warehouse.com.au/tech-SPIvsNAT-161203.asp