recommendation for router w/ strong firewall - no wireless

[dxpaap]

I'm looking for a router with a full featured firewall build in - but with no wireless capability (or ability to turn wireless off - until I'm ready to start using it).

Seems like all the NEW models of routers/firewalls all have the wireless included. I'm also assuming that with a router/firewall, at a later date I can purchase a standalone wireless unit and connect ti to the router ? Is this a valid assumption ?

thanks

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Having the wireless integrated into the router will give you more control over the wireless client connections, and I feel it's the better choice. I just bought the D-Link DI-614+ on a rebate deal for $15, so wireless won't cost you that much.

 

[dxpaap]

thxs

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: gunrunnerjohn
Having the wireless integrated into the router will give you more control over the wireless client connections[/i]

Access points give you much more control over the Wireless aspect than Wireless Cable/DSL Router do.

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

Well, you can have the wireless basically for free if you buy a wireless router, but you'll spend a lot more buying a WAP.

 

[dxpaap]

So with a wireless router (let say D-Link DI-614 or the Linksys version), is it possible to disable the wireless function in setup menus? (Until the time that I a prepared to do wireless).

I don?t want to be providing access to my DSL connection (or data on my systems)to all my neighbors - at least until I'm using myself

 

[InlineFive]

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: dxpaap
So with a wireless router (let say D-Link DI-614 or the Linksys version), is it possible to disable the wireless function in setup menus? (Until the time that I a prepared to do wireless).

I don?t want to be providing access to my DSL connection (or data on my systems)to all my neighbors - at least until I'm using myself

You can disable wireless server temporarily if you want through editing it's firmware on the setup page. The IP address is either 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 (if you haven't changed it). The Username will be Admin and the password will be Password (on most routers I have seen).

-Por

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

The password is blank on the D-Link DI-614+ when it's reset to factory defaults. Yes, it's easy to disable the wireless capability.

 

[skyking]

None of the units mentioned have a 'strong' firewall.


If you really want security, build a unix box with IPFW, or the like. Attach an access point later.

 

[dxpaap]

thx everyone, good to know about setup menu.

skyking, I've been pondering your unix suggestion.

I have a few old 200 to 400 mhz boxes collecting dust in the basement. Do you think turning them into stripped down unix/linix firewall boxes is relativily easy to do. I've worked with SCO/unix over 5 years ago (so not clueless but defenatly very rusty).

My concern is ease of configuring it as a firewall - I don't have enough free time to spend huge amout of hours fiddling & tweeking. I would like to get it working, put it in a corner and forget about it - is that a reasonable expectation ??

thanks for any comments

 

[gunrunnerjohn]

The basic broadband router will protect you against incoming threats. If you desire more protection from installed applications going out, install a software firewall too.

Personally, for the normal uses, the broadband router's protection will do fine, but you'll still need a good virus scanner and spyware detection.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: dxpaap
thx everyone, good to know about setup menu.

skyking, I've been pondering your unix suggestion.

I have a few old 200 to 400 mhz boxes collecting dust in the basement. Do you think turning them into stripped down unix/linix firewall boxes is relativily easy to do. I've worked with SCO/unix over 5 years ago (so not clueless but defenatly very rusty).

My concern is ease of configuring it as a firewall - I don't have enough free time to spend huge amout of hours fiddling & tweeking. I would like to get it working, put it in a corner and forget about it - is that a reasonable expectation ??

thanks for any comments

You have a leg up if you have any experience at all. It took an evening to get the firewall/router up and serving my network for basic needs, and I have only messed around forwarding gaming and other ports through to the proper boxes.
A hard disk failure will shut you down, but I use small ,<2 gig drives, and ghost a backup drive after I get it the way I want it. If a drive craps, I can get it going in a few minutes again.

As to the "set it and forget it" aspect, the major difference operationally is the reboot. ISP's router's crap out, drop connections all too often. Sometimes they come back, other times you reboot the modem, and it comes back. Sometimes it takes a reboot of the router also, and you can't just pull the plug on a running OS without some possible consequences. You would need to ssh into the computer, su to toor or root, and reboot.
Same thing applies with power outages, a hardware device will come back up without consequence, unless spiked by a power surge.
A running OS and filesystem can have some issues with that, depending if it was in the middle of some write operation.