Software Firewall vs Router Firewall

KevinF · Post by **KevinF** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 4:14 pm

Do I need a software firewall if I am behind a router?

I am using a Linksys WRT54G and that has a built in firewall feature that I have enabled. How good is it?

Some say that the router's firewall is all you need. Others say you can never be too safe.

What is the opinion here?

Is the Linksys firewall good enough or do I need to run a firewall program either in place of or in conjunction with it?

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 6:11 pm

KevinF wrote: Some say that the router's firewall is all you need. Others say you can never be too safe.

What is the opinion here?

It's all a matter of how much you want to worry, and how careless you are about surfing. For me, I'm fine with just the NAT of a router. I do all my windows updates, I run top notch antivirus software, and keep my malware cleaners up to date and protecting me. I find software firewalls "nag" too much, and impede performance often (esp with games). I know where I websurf (just a handful of regular sites), and I'm very careful about downloading. And I only do remote webmail on my main computer.

Some other people who might wander into bad areas on the net, use those system infecting P2P downloading programs, aren't careful about antivirus and keeping a clean system...maybe they want to consider the additional protection of a software firewall.

NAT routers, by default, will keep anything from "the wild side" from breaking into your network. However, once something is on the inside somehow (like through careless downloading), NAT routers allow any/all traffic to go out. (well, some of the better ones with SPI trim some of that down)That's where software firewalls have an advantage...they check both incoming, and outgoing traffic.

KevinF · Post by **KevinF** » Mon Jan 17, 2005 7:25 pm

I do all the updates, I have NAV04 which I keep updated and scan daily, I have AdAware, Spybot, and Spyblaster. I update/run those all the time.

Lately all I have been using is web based email. I have also been using Firefox as a browser, it is not 100% yet but it has some really nice features IMO.

I hit the porn sites more often than some and no where near as often as others.

I have a PC wired to the router that I only use a print/file server and to download media from DC++. Direct Connect has the whole hub setups so you get better downloads from there vs something completely open like Kazaa.

I have yet to have any problems, but I do not want to have my own virtual 9/11 so to speak and then wish I done something.

Some of the users on another forum were talking like the router was the end all be all of internet security, and I was curious as to how good the routers actually are.