Linksys router

Hello -

I have a Linksys router BEFSR41 on my three computer home network. I had
been under the impression that the router would act as a firewall, but
Linksys advertises another model, BEFSX41, as having a firewall.

Would I be more secure with the SX41? I do not have software firewalls
installed on my computers.

Thanks

Drew

The BEFSR41 already has a firewall, it's specifically mentioned in the user
manual ( ftp://ftp.linksys.com/pdf/befsr41V3_ug.pdf ). See Chap. 6, IP
filtering, port forwarding, VPN passthrough, DMZ, etc., all imply a
firewall, although it would be more comforting to the buyer if the word
"firewall" was more prominently indicated. If you have any doubts, or want
to find out just how much protection you really have, visit ShieldsUp and
test it!

https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

Btw, most people have the IDENT port (113) Closed, not Stealthed
(preferred). You should make it habit to visit a site like this once and
while just make sure everything remains secure!

The BEFSX41 model will only be *more* secure if it has a better firewall,
something I'm sure you can check for yourself.

HTH

Jim


"Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello -
>
> I have a Linksys router BEFSR41 on my three computer home network. I had
> been under the impression that the router would act as a firewall, but
> Linksys advertises another model, BEFSX41, as having a firewall.
>
> Would I be more secure with the SX41? I do not have software firewalls
> installed on my computers.
>
> Thanks
>
> Drew
>
>

http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=23&prid=433
http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...prid=20&grid=5
Request that you review both again for firewall capabilities.
A software firewall has the advantage of blocking outgoing by your unique
requirements for each PC. A hardware firewall, like a router, does not task
the PC.
"Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello -
>
> I have a Linksys router BEFSR41 on my three computer home network. I had
> been under the impression that the router would act as a firewall, but
> Linksys advertises another model, BEFSX41, as having a firewall.
>
> Would I be more secure with the SX41? I do not have software firewalls
> installed on my computers.
>
> Thanks
>
> Drew
>
>

On Sat, 10 Apr 2004 18:05:27 -0500, "Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have a Linksys router BEFSR41 on my three computer home network. I had
>been under the impression that the router would act as a firewall, but
>Linksys advertises another model, BEFSX41, as having a firewall.

The primary aim of a firewall is to restrict access to your network
based on a series of rules. Not just to block everything. So whereas
one router might act like a firewall in that it performs address
translation thus effectively blocking access to your network from
outside, it may not be able to *restrict* access.

For example if you were to forward the netbios ports to one of your
file and printer sharing pc's so that you could crudely but
effectively share the files over the Internet with a remote location,
you could do it with both types of router. However, it would be a
particularly bad idea since the connection would only be a password
away from sharing your files with the whole world.

The router with the firewall could add security to this by allowing
only (say) a given remote ip address to be forwarded onto the file and
printer sharing pc.

So unless you need to restrict access in a similar way, you won't need
the "firewall" functionality.


Jim

Thanks for your response -

After looking at the specs for both hte befsr41 and the befsx41 I find the
folowing:

The sr41 uses "NAT technology" for its firewall and the sx41 uses "advance
stateful Packet Inspection" for its firewall.

Is one preferable? I really don't understand the difference.

Dave



"Lil' Dave" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:gV%dc.1050$0h6.302@lakeread02...
> http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=23&prid=433
> http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...prid=20&grid=5
> Request that you review both again for firewall capabilities.
> A software firewall has the advantage of blocking outgoing by your unique
> requirements for each PC. A hardware firewall, like a router, does not
task
> the PC.
> "Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Hello -
> >
> > I have a Linksys router BEFSR41 on my three computer home network. I
had
> > been under the impression that the router would act as a firewall, but
> > Linksys advertises another model, BEFSX41, as having a firewall.
> >
> > Would I be more secure with the SX41? I do not have software firewalls
> > installed on my computers.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Drew
> >
> >
>
>

Drew wrote:

> Thanks for your response -
>
> After looking at the specs for both hte befsr41 and the befsx41 I find the
> folowing:
>
> The sr41 uses "NAT technology" for its firewall and the sx41 uses "advance
> stateful Packet Inspection" for its firewall.
>
> Is one preferable? I really don't understand the difference.

NAT is pretty basic. Stateful inspection is more sophisticated.

>
> Dave
>
>
>
> "Lil' Dave" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:gV%dc.1050$0h6.302@lakeread02...
>
>>http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=23&prid=433
>>http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...prid=20&grid=5
>>Request that you review both again for firewall capabilities.
>>A software firewall has the advantage of blocking outgoing by your unique
>>requirements for each PC. A hardware firewall, like a router, does not
>
> task
>
>>the PC.
>>"Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>>Hello -
>>>
>>>I have a Linksys router BEFSR41 on my three computer home network. I
>
> had
>
>>>been under the impression that the router would act as a firewall, but
>>>Linksys advertises another model, BEFSX41, as having a firewall.
>>>
>>>Would I be more secure with the SX41? I do not have software firewalls
>>>installed on my computers.
>>>
>>>Thanks
>>>
>>>Drew
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>


--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.

NAT (Network Address Translation) technology makes the PCs behind the
firewall invisible by not allowing them to be seen from the Internet side of
the router.

Stateful Packet Inspection means that incoming data is examined and if the
data is not a response to a request by a computer inside the firewall the
data is discarded.

Of the two, stateful packet inspection is the newer technology but either
one will suffice to protect your network from external attacks. Neither
will provide any protection from internal security failures (trojans,
backdoors, adware/spyware, etc).

If you already have the BEFSR41 there's no compelling reason to replace it
just to get the newer firewall technology.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Win9x] (E-Mail Removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks for your response -
>
> After looking at the specs for both hte befsr41 and the befsx41 I find the
> folowing:
>
> The sr41 uses "NAT technology" for its firewall and the sx41 uses "advance
> stateful Packet Inspection" for its firewall.
>
> Is one preferable? I really don't understand the difference.
>
> Dave
>
>
>
> "Lil' Dave" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:gV%dc.1050$0h6.302@lakeread02...
> > http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=23&prid=433
> > http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...prid=20&grid=5
> > Request that you review both again for firewall capabilities.
> > A software firewall has the advantage of blocking outgoing by your
unique
> > requirements for each PC. A hardware firewall, like a router, does not
> task
> > the PC.
> > "Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > Hello -
> > >
> > > I have a Linksys router BEFSR41 on my three computer home network. I
> had
> > > been under the impression that the router would act as a firewall, but
> > > Linksys advertises another model, BEFSX41, as having a firewall.
> > >
> > > Would I be more secure with the SX41? I do not have software
firewalls
> > > installed on my computers.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > >
> > > Drew
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

Richard -

Many thanks!

Drew


"Richard G. Harper" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> NAT (Network Address Translation) technology makes the PCs behind the
> firewall invisible by not allowing them to be seen from the Internet side
of
> the router.
>
> Stateful Packet Inspection means that incoming data is examined and if the
> data is not a response to a request by a computer inside the firewall the
> data is discarded.
>
> Of the two, stateful packet inspection is the newer technology but either
> one will suffice to protect your network from external attacks. Neither
> will provide any protection from internal security failures (trojans,
> backdoors, adware/spyware, etc).
>
> If you already have the BEFSR41 there's no compelling reason to replace it
> just to get the newer firewall technology.
>
> --
> Richard G. Harper [MVP Win9x] (E-Mail Removed)
> * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
> * for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
> * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
>
>
> "Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Thanks for your response -
> >
> > After looking at the specs for both hte befsr41 and the befsx41 I find
the
> > folowing:
> >
> > The sr41 uses "NAT technology" for its firewall and the sx41 uses
"advance
> > stateful Packet Inspection" for its firewall.
> >
> > Is one preferable? I really don't understand the difference.
> >
> > Dave
> >
> >
> >
> > "Lil' Dave" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:gV%dc.1050$0h6.302@lakeread02...
> > > http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=23&prid=433
> > > http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...prid=20&grid=5
> > > Request that you review both again for firewall capabilities.
> > > A software firewall has the advantage of blocking outgoing by your
> unique
> > > requirements for each PC. A hardware firewall, like a router, does
not
> > task
> > > the PC.
> > > "Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > > news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > > Hello -
> > > >
> > > > I have a Linksys router BEFSR41 on my three computer home network.
I
> > had
> > > > been under the impression that the router would act as a firewall,
but
> > > > Linksys advertises another model, BEFSX41, as having a firewall.
> > > >
> > > > Would I be more secure with the SX41? I do not have software
> firewalls
> > > > installed on my computers.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks
> > > >
> > > > Drew
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

You're welcome.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Win9x] (E-Mail Removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


"Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Richard -
>
> Many thanks!
>
> Drew
>
>
> "Richard G. Harper" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > NAT (Network Address Translation) technology makes the PCs behind the
> > firewall invisible by not allowing them to be seen from the Internet
side
> of
> > the router.
> >
> > Stateful Packet Inspection means that incoming data is examined and if
the
> > data is not a response to a request by a computer inside the firewall
the
> > data is discarded.
> >
> > Of the two, stateful packet inspection is the newer technology but
either
> > one will suffice to protect your network from external attacks. Neither
> > will provide any protection from internal security failures (trojans,
> > backdoors, adware/spyware, etc).
> >
> > If you already have the BEFSR41 there's no compelling reason to replace
it
> > just to get the newer firewall technology.
> >
> > --
> > Richard G. Harper [MVP Win9x] (E-Mail Removed)
> > * PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
> > * for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
> > * HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> >
> >
> > "Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > Thanks for your response -
> > >
> > > After looking at the specs for both hte befsr41 and the befsx41 I find
> the
> > > folowing:
> > >
> > > The sr41 uses "NAT technology" for its firewall and the sx41 uses
> "advance
> > > stateful Packet Inspection" for its firewall.
> > >
> > > Is one preferable? I really don't understand the difference.
> > >
> > > Dave
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > "Lil' Dave" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > > news:gV%dc.1050$0h6.302@lakeread02...
> > > > http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...id=23&prid=433
> > > > http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...prid=20&grid=5
> > > > Request that you review both again for firewall capabilities.
> > > > A software firewall has the advantage of blocking outgoing by your
> > unique
> > > > requirements for each PC. A hardware firewall, like a router, does
> not
> > > task
> > > > the PC.
> > > > "Drew" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > > > news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > > > Hello -
> > > > >
> > > > > I have a Linksys router BEFSR41 on my three computer home network.
> I
> > > had
> > > > > been under the impression that the router would act as a firewall,
> but
> > > > > Linksys advertises another model, BEFSX41, as having a firewall.
> > > > >
> > > > > Would I be more secure with the SX41? I do not have software
> > firewalls
> > > > > installed on my computers.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks
> > > > >
> > > > > Drew
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>