Setting up a home network

[mrstuff68]

I am getting ready to set up a home network. I have gotten a broadband router, and figuring that all I need to do is plug in all of my computers and it should work, and it does. What else do I need to do to protect the network that I will have. Do I need to set up some firewall software on my main computer, or on the router? What else do I need to do to keep the intruders out, and so that I have a safe network?

[si_the_geek]

I doubt that you will be able to set up a firewall on your router, you would probably have to use a hardware firewall instead (which goes between the router and the internet connection).

Otherwise, you will need to have firewall software on all PC's that connect to the router.

[mrstuff68]

So is firewall software my only and best choice? Do I need a firewall anyway?

[si_the_geek]

Either software or hardware. The advantage of hardware is that you only need to set things up in one place, rather than for each computer. It does tend to be more expensive than software tho.

Do you need one? Only to stop people from getting access to your computers... in the last month or so there have been 1790 attempts to access my computer, which have been blocked by my firewall software.

[Pc_Madness]

What Router do you have? Most Routers have a Firewall built in?

Do a scan of your Router and see how it goes, all greens = firewall inbuilt.
https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2