Netgear FR314

Hi All

I am interested in the Netgear FR314 Firewall/Router for my ADSL
connection. I currently use a DG814, but I want a router with built in
firewall.

As the FR314 does not have an ADSL modem built in, I need an ethernet
ADSL modem to connect to it. Does anyone have any reccomendations? One I
have neen looking at is the D-Link DSL-300G+, would this work with the
Netgear?

Also, does anyone have any experiences with either the FR314, or the
DSL-300G+?

thanks in anticipation

Phil Whitworth

Dear Phil,

I recommend you do NOT invest in the 'firewall' as I am quite sure it will be
a waste of your hard earned money. As you are behind a router this means
your IP address is a private one (192.168.0.x is Netgear's policy) and its
only your router that 'sees' the internet. No machine from the internet can
talk directly to your computer unless your computer makes the connection
outwards; hence why you have to use passive FTP and Netmeeting might get
upset (however I think Netgear have put in a cludged fix for Netmeeting).

The only way for a internet connection to be establish to your internal
network is for you to turn on port forwarding, and a firewall is not going to
prevents attacks associated with that.

The term firewall is now really becoming very much a buzzword in the security
marketing world. A lot of security companies do not wish users to know that
if they are NATed (behind a router with no port forwarding) there is no need
for a firewall...persay.

Besides, my rule of thumb is that a firewall should _duplicate_ the security
policies of the services it protects; as an additional line of defence, not
the only one. Unless you really know what you are doing with a firewall you
can actually put yourself into a false sense of security.

Regards

Alex

In article <H7M0b.9523$(E-Mail Removed)>, Phil Whitworth wrote:
>
> Hi All
>
> I am interested in the Netgear FR314 Firewall/Router for my ADSL
> connection. I currently use a DG814, but I want a router with built in
> firewall.
>
> As the FR314 does not have an ADSL modem built in, I need an ethernet
> ADSL modem to connect to it. Does anyone have any reccomendations? One I
> have neen looking at is the D-Link DSL-300G+, would this work with the
> Netgear?
>
> Also, does anyone have any experiences with either the FR314, or the
> DSL-300G+?
>
> thanks in anticipation
>
> Phil Whitworth
>


--
Alexander Clouter <(E-Mail Removed)>
MetroNet Support http://www.metronet.co.uk/support/