Nitro, Thank you for the info. >NAT IS NOT A FIREWALL. I have had this >discussions on this board about five >times now. Sorry, I hadn't seen the discussions, but you were right, I was referring more to the SPI firewall and was wondering if there was a different kind that I needed to add to my existing setup. >AFAIK, when I clicked on the link for >the linksys given above, ALL it gave >were the specs of a ROUTER. Again, sorry, I have a different model Linksys that includes the SPIF. Thanks again for clarifying.
How can one tell if SPI is included in one's router? Besides the docs, that is (don't really trust em that much).
I so not know if all Linksys routers have SPI, but mine does as well as a few others I have seen at friends homes. Here is what I found doing a quick search: http://www.linksys.com/press/press.asp?prid=93 "The BEFSX41 features Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) which polices inbound requests arriving from the Internet, securing the LAN from unwanted intruders. Maximum-security intelligence locks down other network vulnerabilities coming from the Internet, enforcing network security on multiple levels. It protects PCs from Pings of Death, IP Spoofing, Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, and internal snooping. "
Ok, here's the official Linksys position: ----------------- Your choice of router depends on what capabilities your network requires and what level of security you require for peace of mind. Every Linksys router provides NAT technology so every network has a basic level of network security. Linksys has several options if you need advanced security. Several of our routers have a built-in SPI firewall, including the Firewall Router with 4-Port Switch/VPN Endpoint (BEFSX41), Wireless-G Broadband Router (WRT54G), and Wireless A+G Broadband Router (WRT55AG). When traveling, protect your PC with the USB VPN & Firewall Adapter (USBVPN1), which offers SPI and VPN capability in a portable form. If your small office requires secure connections via VPN, the VPN Router (BEFVP41) features the capability of creating up to 70 simultaneous tunnels. For home use, the aforementioned Firewall Router (BEFSX41) also supports 2 VPN tunnels. Routers without built-in VPN endpoint functionality can be supplemented by VPN endpoint software applications for PCs. --------------- I agree that not all hardware firewalls have SPI capabilities. I type this response as I comfortably sit with my WRT54G fully, actively, doing its thing. Know that 90% of all hackers will already be eliminated with just a basic firewall enabled. In any event, the router product that I addressed earlier works extremely well in concert with products like Zone Alarm. If you check its product information link it will give you a list of the recommended companion products.