Re: Belkin not-real-firewall?

burnedtechie@yahoo.com wrote:
> I know this has been covered ad nauseum in the past, but maybe the
> "real firewall" status of routers has changed over time? I have a
> fairly new Belkin wireless router (Wireless G Plus) that claims to have
> a firewall AND NAT (not just NAT), with SPI. The manual lists a big
> boring list of attacks the firewall protects against. I've run all the
> online firewall testers in all the advanced modes and none can even see
> my computer at all.
>
> So, do I still not have a "real" firewall? And why not? (And in case
> anyone asks, yes - I'm using WPA, yes I have a *really* long
> random-character passphrase, and yes I changed the router password
> itself).
>

If you have a NAT packet filtering FW router that meets the specs in the
link for *what does a Internet/network FW do?*, then you have one that
has a FW. If the router doesn't meet those specs, then you don't have
one and you just have a NAT router for home usage that is using some FW
like features but is doesn't meet the definition for a network FW.

http://www.firewall-software.com/firewall_faqs/what_does_firewall_do.html

The definition of NAT and that NAT router for home usage is what you
most likely have epecially true for most wireless NAT routers, even with
SPI.

http://www.homenethelp.com/web/explain/about-NAT.asp

The link may help you with your understanding.

http://www.more.net/technical/netserv/tcpip/firewalls/

Duane :)
Received on Mon May 1 01:00:45 2006